Wine & gastronomy · Minervois
The Taste of Languedoc – week programme
Always small groups, max 7 guests. Everything included.
Duration
8 days / 7 nights
Price
€3,200
Meeting point
Toulouse
This is our signature trip. A full week in Minervois where you do not need to think about a thing – we have arranged everything.
You stay at Villa Belle or L'Hirondelle, two large stone houses from the early 1800s restored with modern comfort. You eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with wine included. You are collected at the airport and driven back on departure.
The group is never larger than 7 people. That is not by chance – it is the point.
Express interest
No fixed departure is scheduled. Tell us when you plan to travel – we'll get in touch.
Programme
- Day 1
Arrival and welcome dinner
Arrival in Minervois. Welcome dinner in the evening with French tapas and local wine.
- Day 2
Carcassonne and the Cabrespine cave
We begin in Carcassonne – one of France's most iconic destinations and a UNESCO World Heritage site. We walk the cobbled streets, visit the Basilica of St Nazaire, and take in the view from some of the city's 52 towers.
After lunch in town we continue to the Cabrespine cave – a vast dripstone cavern, taller than the Eiffel Tower, counted among the most impressive in France.
Back at the property, time to rest or enjoy the garden before an unpretentious dinner at a local restaurant nearby – good food, easy company and a glass of wine.
- Day 3
Vineyard, views and dolmen
The day belongs to wine. We visit one or two local estates in Minervois and Cru La Livinière, and taste wines from some of Languedoc's most prestigious appellations.
Lunch is served outdoors among the vines.
On the way home we stop at a prehistoric dolmen – a megalithic burial structure, probably from the Bronze Age.
The afternoon is yours in the garden or a stroll in the park. In the evening, a meal of seasonal produce at a local restaurant.
- Day 4
Olives and the Canal du Midi
We start at an award-winning olive farm known for Lucques olives – Languedoc's «green diamond». A tour, tastings and time to buy delicacies to take home.
Then lunch near the Canal du Midi – the network hand-dug in the 1600s, UNESCO-listed, with its unhurried pace and beautiful surroundings.
After lunch, a gentle boat trip. We leave from a village and sail through the landscape, passing a historic lock.
Dinner at the property or a nearby restaurant in the evening.
- Day 5
Market and cooking class
The market in Olonzac – the largest in the region. Local cheeses, wine, fruit and olive oil, cured sausages and hams, herbs, bakery, textiles and crafts.
Later in the day, a cooking session focused on local ingredients and traditions – either our local food and wine expert comes to us, or we visit her. If the group prefers not to take part in the cooking, that is fine.
In the evening, dinner from the day's market haul, with selected local wines.
- Day 6
Narbonne and Fontfroide
After breakfast, Narbonne. St-Just Cathedral, the archbishop's palace, and the Roman stone road Via Domitia. We follow the Canal de la Robine to Les Halles – named France's best covered market in 2022.
Lunch tapas-style with wines from the area.
In the afternoon, the Cistercian abbey of Fontfroide – terraced rose gardens and striking landscape.
Dinner at the property or a nearby restaurant in the evening.
- Day 7
Minerve
Minerve – a dramatic hill village, officially recognised as one of France's most beautiful, and a witness to Languedoc's Cathar past. The village stands above gorges where the Cesse and Brian rivers have carved tunnel-like bridges through the limestone.
Lunch at a restaurant with a view over the Brian gorge.
In the evening, a private farewell meal – food, company, stories and photographs from the week.
- Day 8
Departure
Breakfast. Farewell to new friends, and transport to your agreed departure point.
À bientôt.
What's included
- Airport or train station pick-up and drop-off
- Accommodation at Villa Belle or L'Hirondelle
- All meals including all drinks
- All excursions and activities in the programme
- Transport throughout your stay
- Norwegian hosts with 18 years of local knowledge
Not included
- Flights
- Single room supplement
- Extra activities outside the programme
- Travel insurance
Physical fitness, mobility and health
The trip normally has a comfortable pace, but along the way you may encounter:
- cobblestones and uneven surfaces
- stairs and inclines
- a lot of walking and standing
The organiser recommends that you have normal mobility and good balance to participate.
If you have reduced mobility, a disability or health conditions that may affect your participation, this must be disclosed to the organiser before booking or at the latest immediately after booking.
The organiser will, as far as is practical and safe, seek to make reasonable adjustments, but cannot guarantee that all activities are accessible to everyone.
For safety reasons, the organiser may refuse or limit your participation in certain activities if your physical condition or state of health makes it unsafe for yourself, other participants or suppliers. In such cases, a refund is normally not given for the activity in question.
If you are unsure whether the trip is right for you, we encourage you to contact the organiser in advance – the aim is for all guests to feel safe and well looked after.
Age requirement
The trips are especially aimed at adult travellers who appreciate good food, wine and culture. Most trips are designed for participants over 40, but those over 30 with an interest in the concept are also welcome.
There is an age limit of 18 to participate in the trips, unless otherwise explicitly stated in the programme. Children (persons under 18) cannot as a rule take part in the organiser's standard trips.
Some trips may have their own age limits or recommendations; where applicable, this will be stated in the trip description.