Vineyard Region: Languedoc-Roussillon
Appellations:
Minervois
Corbières
Fitou
Maury
Lodging: An Art-Deco hotel on the Canal du Midi in Carcassonne
The hardscrabble vineyards of these rugged hillsides were long deemed unworthy of
serious consideration, but modern viticultural and winemaking techniques have vastly
improved the wines and brought greater respect. In fact, there’s more distinctiveness and
variety in these appellations than anywhere else in France.
Lodging at the foot of the fortress of Carcassonne, in the family-run Hotel Terminus,
overlooking the 17th century Canal du Midi. A handsomely restored lobby and foyer,
spectacular staircases and bright, high-ceilinged rooms make the Terminus an
extraordinary hotel. Each bedroom has a bathroom the size of an average kitchen, with art
deco fittings and fixtures. A heated pool, sauna and jacuzzi have just been added.
NOTE: We prefer this arrangement by far to staying in the Cité, within the walls. The first of the
two hotels inside the ramparts is outrageously expensive, the other has tiny rooms. Besides, you’d
still have to park outside the walls and bring all your luggage in with you!
Languedoc-Roussillon Villages
Villages of the Minervois, Corbières and Roussillon
Itinerary
Day One
- Arrival by car or train. (Car rentals are available at the local station.) We provide you with a
detailed map to the hotel.
- Settle in at the hotel, go for a swim or explore the Canal du Midi.
- Welcome aperitif and gourmet dinner with local wines at the hotel.
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Day Two
- Traditional French country breakfast.
- Departure for the Minervois appellation. We begin with Chateau Russol in Laure Minervois, where
Bernard Gardey de Soos creates a typical range of Minervois wines from syrah, grenache and carignan grapes.
- On to an appellation within the appellation: the La Livinière district and the Chateau St. Eulalie.
- Lunch in a village along the Canal du Midi.
- Final visit of the day: Chateau Bonhomme at Aigues-Vives.
- Time this afternoon for a stroll through the hilltop fortress of Carcassonne.
- Dinner on your own.
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Day Three
- After breakfast, a trip into the Corbières region. This is a vast territory of broken hills and
escarpments covered with brush (called maquis) is dotted with small parcels of vines.
- Tasting session at the Caves de Padern for an orientation to the Corbières and Fitou appellations.
- Now we’ll follow the Route des Châteaux Cathars, extraordinary 13th century castles that cling to
high cliff tops, arriving at Cucugnan in the valley of the Agly, an ancient wine-producing region which
Jancis Robinson MW, among others, predicts will become very important.
- After lunch, we’ll turn our attention to the Maury AOC, made from grenache and carignan grapes.
Rendezvous with Jean Pla for a selection of wines made by a new guard of winemakers.
- Possibility of a return via Limoux for guests who have not taken the “Vineyards of the Southwest” tour.
- Closing dinner at the Hotel Terminus in Carcassonne.
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Day Four
- Departure after breakfast.
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Included in the program:
- Three nights double accommodation at the Hotel Terminus in Carcassonne
- Three breakfasts at the hotel.
- Two restaurant lunches (appetizer, main course, regional wine, water, coffee)
- Two dinners (appetizer, main course, regional wine, water, coffee)
- An English-speaking host on Days Two and Three
- Tasting & entrance fees for activities described in the itinerary
OPTIONS: This program is also available with a full-time, English-speaking driver-guide. Services
begin with pickup at the train station in Carcassonne on the afternoon of Day One and end with
return transfer on the morning of Day Four. Please inquire for price.
We would be happy to assist you with a low-cost rental.
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Wine Holidays 
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