Wine Tour to Alsace 8th - 11th June

Bordered by the Vosges Mountains to the west and the Rhine River and Germany to the east, the Alsace wine region is undoubtedly one of the most charming and uniquely distinct regions of France. Famed for wine, culture, landscape, history, gourmet food and ‘chocolate-box’ villages, Alsace offers something for everyone. We’ll be based in Colmar, one of the prettiest towns in the whole of France and there will be time to explore the town.

The wines are predominantly white and the 4 main grapes are Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer and Muscat, but there are also reds made from Pinot Noir and plenty of Cremant (sparkling wine). We’ll visit several wine producers and taste lots of their lovely wines, enjoy gourmet food and we’ll also visit a famous local castle.

ITINERARY
During this 4 day tour we will visit 6 different wineries and taste a big range of wines:

• a prestigious producer dating back to the 18th century who own several Grand Cru vineyards
• a biodynamic producer
• a producer with a huge range of wines and a stunning new winery
• a family producer who have a fascinating digital presentation in their cellar and delicious home-cooked food
• a producer dating back to the early 17th century and now on the 12th generation
• an organic/biodynamic producer who make a series of Cremants and Terroir wines

Over the 4 days we'll taste at least 40 different wines and get a fascinating insight into the region. We'll enjoy the local gastronomy and see the beautiful 'Hansel & Gretel' villages.

ACCOMMODATION: Novotel Suites in Colmar. Newly opened in 2018, the rooms are spacious and modern. There are indoor and outdoor reception/ seating areas with a bar. The hotel is a few minutes’ walk from the canals and historic centre of Colmar and its many restaurants https://novotel-suites-centre.colmar-hotels.com/en/

TRAVEL: Flights are not included in the cost of the tour so you will need to book your own travel to/from Basel airport. The recommended group flights are with Easyjet and British Airways:

• Thursday 8th June EZS8477 departs London Gatwick 08.10 arrives Basel 10.50
• Sunday 11th June BA 755 departs Basel 18.40 arrives London Heathrow 19.20

In case you are wondering why we are suggesting a flight out from Gatwick and back to Heathrow, it’s because after the itinerary had been finalised, BA belatedly (and very recently) withdrew their 08.30 flight from Heathrow on 8th June. If you prefer to fly back to Gatwick on 11th June there is an Easyjet flight, but it’s not until 22.00 which would mean a long wait at Basel airport as our coach will drop off at around 17.30.

Travel throughout the tour will be in a spacious, comfortable, air-conditioned coach. This includes transfers by coach between Basel airport and Colmar, which will tie in with the above flights. If you make alternative travel arrangements you will need to be at Basel airport in time to meet the Easyjet flight on 8th June. The tour will end at Basel airport at around 16.45 on 11th June

Price £1195 per person sharing a double or twin room. £155 Single Supplement for sole occupancy of a double room

INCLUDES
Ground transport throughout in a spacious, air-conditioned coach
3 nights’ accommodation with breakfast at the 4-star Novotel Suites
3 lunches with wine (including one at a 1 Michelin starred restaurant) + 1 dinner
Tours and tastings at 6 wineries
Entrance ticket and private guide at Haut Koenigsbourg Castle
Services of Tour/Wine Guide from Criterion Wine Tours

HOW TO BOOK: go to https://criterionwinetours.com/product/alsace-wine-tour-france/ To book:
- select number of persons
- click on the green '8' in the June calendar
- complete the booking form
-proceed to the next pages to pay the £300 deposit

The balance is due 8 weeks before the tour. Your money will be held in a secure Client Deposit Account and is fully protected.