Blending French wine with spectacular sights, scenery and stories

Blending French wine with spectacular sights, scenery and stories

Wine lovers are in for a treat on this new 20-day Albatross France tour. Whether you prefer velvety reds or citrusy whites - or pale-pink roses or mood-boosting bubbles, you will be in your element as you venture south from Paris to Nice via a bunch of France’s most celebrated viticultural regions. And better still, you can pair your favoured tipples with flavoursome French cuisine and awe-inspiring sights, scenery and stories on this Small group tours France from Paris to Nice. Here are some highlights from the France itinerary.

Champagne

The vineyards and chalk cellars of the Champagne countryside yield a flurry of enjoyable tasting experiences, but the region’s capital also enthrals. 

Reims - pronounced "Ranz" - is a compact city with pedestrian-friendly boulevards and squares lined with inviting bistros and eye-catching architecture, including the marvellous gothic cathedral, where, for more than 1000 years, French kings were crowned. This landmark was reconstructed after suffering major shelling damage in World War I and the city endured more destruction in World War II. However, that ended on a high note for Reims, as it was here that the Nazis signed their unconditional surrender on May 7, 1945. You can stand in the very room where this took place. It’s a spine-tingling spot at the Museum of the Surrender (Musee de la Reddition), which occupies an old school that was, for the latter stages of the conflict, the headquarters of General Dwight D Eisenhower, one of the leading figures in the Allied war effort.

Alsace

Under occupation in both world wars, Alsace has been fought over by French and Germans for centuries with the territory switching hands numerous times. While it’s very much in France today, you’ll see influences from both countries in its vine-laced slopes and the cobbled lanes of half-timbered charmers like Colmar and Riquewihr. The latter wouldn’t look out of place in a Hansel and Gretel fairytale but is one of Most beautiful villages of Alsace (an association comprising the most picturesque Gallic villages) and delicious pastries are par for the course here. 

The Alsatian capital, Strasbourg, is another rewarding place to visit, packed with cultural attractions, leafy parks and meandering waterways - including the River Rhine, which forms the border here with Germany. In the northern summer, Alsace’s al fresco wining and dining scene hots up. Claim a table on a restaurant terrace and order dishes like grilled Rhine fish with cool-climate wines like Gewurztraminer, a zesty white tipple, or Cremant, a sparkling Alsatian alternative to Champagne.

Burgundy

Synonymous with Chardonnay, Chablis and Beaujolais, this region is also famed for that classic French dish: boeuf bourguignon. You can order tantalising servings of this beef stew, bathed in red wine (often Pinot Noir), at Burgundy’s bistros and brasseries, including several that use trusty family recipes passed down through the generations. Mustard is a key ingredient for many chefs, who apply it to add a tangy depth to the sauce. This should come as no surprise because Burgundy’s largest city is Dijon, where mustard has been produced for over 700 years. That’s a similar age to some of the buildings dotting Dijon’s delightful historic core - a UNESCO World Heritage site - while the city also boasts one of France’s most-vaunted contemporary draws. Unveiled in 2022, La Cite Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin spans converted 17th and 18th century hospital buildings with its eateries, bars and exhibition spaces devoted to Burgundy’s food and wine heritage. This area is a must-see for anyone on France tours for wine lovers. Another joyous stop in this region is Beaune, where a wonderful walled old town and a string of bacchanalian festivals captivate visitors during our Wine tasting tours France.

Provence

Heading south - with a stopover in the gourmet city of Lyon on the way - you’ll notice the temperatures rising as you reach Provence. The weather in the northern summer is normally perfect for a dry Provencal rose (or a pastis, an anise-flavoured aperitif) on a tree-shaded lane in one of the enchanting old stone towns and villages sprinkling this sun-baked region. Many, such as Gordes and Les Baux-de-Provence, date from before the Middle Ages and have prominent hilltop positions above sprawls of pine and oak forests and rolling fields of grapes and olives. 

You’ll soak up more bucolic scenery as you travel the region by coach and you’ll see how little these rural landscapes have changed since the 19th century when Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh came with their easels and paint brushes. Replicas of their iconic artworks are among the potential keep-sakes in the galleries and gift shops in your Provencal pit stops. Also making a lasting impression - and which you’ll recall long after your trip - are the region’s distinctive hues. As well as the yellows and purples of the sunflower and lavender fields, there are the gleaming fruits and vegetables of the local produce markets and the turquoise-green of the river flowing through the Gorges du Verdon, a breath-taking, 700-metre deep spectacle. We have included a brief Gorges du Verdon travel guide in your tour notes for this “Grand Canyon of Europe”. Then you have the pastel shaded churches and houses of the Mediterranean-hugging resorts lining the Cote d’Azur, where this epic trip concludes with a farewell group dinner and one last "Sante!" (“health”), as they say in French.