Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine tour, Avignon wine tour, with a native son and Sommelier.
I was born in Châteauneuf du Pape.
I was born in Châteauneuf du Pape and grew up in a family that count several generations of wine-growers. My grandmother was one of the first woman in Châteauneuf-du-Pape to decide to become a winegrower. Indeed, at that time it was unusual for a woman to have such an heavy physical work and to lead men in the vineyard work. You had to have a strong character. So I took my first steps in the vineyards, shears in hands, and participated to my first harvests since my youngest age. When I was a student and because my parents were not interested to take over the management of the family winery, my grandmother decided to sell her winery to her brothers. Here in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, when you decide to sell your vineyard, you try to keep it in the same family. Today our family still own two vineyards in Chateauneuf du Pape.
Activities around wine workshops.
For my first professional experience I spent 15 years working as an event manager within an international industrial group with 80 factories around the world and 9000 employees. It was during this period that I perfected my English, and while I was organizing events, I began to offer activities around wine workshops. It was then that I realized my dream was to share my passion of wine with others and I therefore came up with the idea of creating my own company in wine tourism.
True expertise of wine tourism.
I wanted to immerse myself with a real professional experience in the world of wine before jumping into my adventure. So I worked in some wine cellars where I was able to perfect my knowledge of the appellation, and taste wines each day from the best wineries of Châteauneuf du Pape and the Southern Rhône Valley. Every day I received wine lovers from all over the world. I also received many guides who worked in wine tourism and I realized that most of them did not have a deep knowledge of wine, they were more drivers than real wine tourism guides and tried to get by on surfing the attraction of wine tourism.
Real expertise in viticulture and winemaking.
What is interesting is that I have participated since my earliest childhood in the harvest and the wine making process so that I can share with you a real experience. I needed to have a more structured approach of wine tasting, so I decided to study at a local wine tasting school (in an oenological laboratory) and finally passed my exams in WSET school (Wines, Spirits, Education and Trust), whose head office is located in London.
True friendship with the local winemakers.
Now, thanks to my special relationships, I have the possibility to open some doors which are usually closed. This is the experience that I propose to share with you, visiting authentic wineries, where I know each family member and with whom I have an intimate relation. Thanks to their trust, I have the keys to their wineries. With me you will enjoy this intimacy and have a real immersion in the life of winemaking families in the region of the Southern Rhone Valley.
