BORDEAUX WINE TRAIL - FRANCE

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This special trip for lovers of fine wines with faster than average riding amongst some of the great names of Bordeaux Wines. During the tour you have the opportunity to taste white, red and rosé wines : Médoc, Côte de Blaye, Côte de Bourg, Bordeaux Supérieur, Lalande-Pomerol, St Emilion, Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves and the famous sweet and strong white Sauternes. You will also get to know the Citadel of Blaye, the Medieval City of St Émilion, the feudal Castle of Rauzan and the medieval fortified town of Cadillac. And, for something a little different, you will take a ferry with your horse across the Gironde Estuary. Overnight accommodations are in comfortable hotels, B&B's and castle.

Trip length 8 days / 7 nights / 6 days riding Ride price detailed prices price promise 2010: double pp £1,455/€1,535/$2,179 2009 prices: double pp £1,419 Departure dates 2010: 27 Feb; 3 Apr; 29 May; 5 Jun; 26 Sep; 9 Oct. Approximate riding time per day 4-6hrs Riding ability required Confident at a walk trot and canter Group size 1-8 Meeting point (getting there) Bordeaux airport or train station Transfer Included from meeting point Flight guide London - Bordeaux from £89 Single supplement detailed prices No supplement if willing to share. Otherwise: 2010: £235/€245/$349 2009 prices: £235

SAMPLE ITINERARY - BORDEAUX WINE TRAIL

Day 1
Arrival and transfer from Bordeaux station at 5.30pm or 6.30pm from the airport. 

Day 2
Breakfast at 8am. We leave Chateau Pomeys for the Gironde River riding through the Medoc Vineyards. We picnic by the banks of the Gironde River and then lead our horses onto a ferry to cross the Gironde estuary (about 30 minutes). We will arrive at the Blaye Citadel, built by Vauban, in the afternoon and have free time to visit followed by a wine tasting of Cote de Blaye. Overnight at a hotel. 4 hrs riding.

Day 3
Today we depart at 9.30 am for a ride through rolling hills covered with vineyards, to the Cotes de Bourg vineyards. Picnic next to the Co-operative at Lansac including a wine tasting of Cote du Bourg. In the afternoon the land alternates between dairy cows grazing and the vineyards of Bordeaux. Arrival at Cubnezais around 7pm, where we enjoy dinner and stay at a B&B, home of a Bordeaux wine producer, where you will enjoy another Bordeaux wine tasting. 5hrs30 riding.

Day 4
Once again we depart around 9.30am, this time for the vineyards of Bordeaux and Superior Bordeaux. The landscape is one of hills scattered with vineyards and woods. The picnic will be at chateau Courrèges where we are able to savour the a Superior Bordeaux wine. Then we ride across the Fronsac vineyards, up to the Libourne area. Dinner and stay overnight at a hotel.

Day 5
Depart around 9h30 in direction of St Emilion. St Emilion itself is one of France’s great cultural and historical treasures. We have a wine tasting stop at chateau Bellegrave (Lalande Pomerol). For our picnic lunch, we stop near Saint Emilion about 1.30 pm. Here you have a chance to visit the village and to taste more wine. In the afternoon we’ll ride to the banks of the Dordogne River and ride across vineyards from where you can see a number of wine producing chateaux. Dinner and overnight at the St Jean de Blaignac hotel.

Day 6
Depart around 9h30 in direction of Cadillac and its chateau on the border of the Garonne. The scenery is very varied: valleys, forests, vineyards and meadows. On the trail we visit the 13th century Rauzan Castle and have an opportunity to taste the delicious Entre-deux-Mers wine. Todays picnic is in the countryside. At the end of the afternoon, we arrive at chateau du Broustaret and taste Premiere Cotes de Bordeaux at dinner. We either stay at the chateau or in a hotel in Cadillac.

Day 7
Now that we are used to wine each day, today, before starting the ride, we taste the wines of Cadillac and Premiere Cotes de Bordeaux; depart around 10.00. We then cross the Garonne River on the Cadillac Bridge and reach the Graves and Sauternes vineyards. Picnic at chateau Myrat where you will enjoy a Graves and Sauternes tasting. In the afternoon you pass the wine school Chateau de la Tour Blanche with a sweeping view over the vineyards of Sauternes and the pine forest in the horizon that marks the end of the vineyards of Bordeaux. We finish the ride in Sauternes and stay overnight in a Castle at Sauternes or at Beautiran.

Day 8
With a new enthusiasm and knowledge of teh wines of Bordeaux, you will be transferred to the airport or the train station after breakfast about 9.30, journey time around 1hr 15 mins.

Please note: This itinerary is given for your guidance only and it may be altered in accordance with the prevailing conditions by the organising team.

The weight limit for this ride is 18 st/253 lb/115 kg, please enquire if you are an experienced rider exceeding this weight.

FURTHER DETAILS
As we are specialists in our field we have extensive knowledge of all our products from details of accommodation and meals to number/size/type of horses to pace of riding ... and much more.
Should you wish to receive further details of this ride please click here.

WHAT IS INCLUDED
All transfers from the meeting point at set times, meals, wine with dinner, accommodation in shared rooms with shared bathroom, riding, horses, tack, experienced guide, translator, luggage transport and excursions described in itinerary, water bottle on day 1 which must then be looked after and filled up for consecutive days.

WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED
Transport to the meeting point, International travel, single supplement if required, alcoholic and canned drinks other than wine with dinner, items of a personal nature and gratuities.

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