The Cheese and Wine Trail
Terroir lives not only in the wine, but in the cheese too. This journey is a celebration of patience, tradition, and the alchemy that transforms milk and grape into art.
Why this journey
Relevance
Cheese and wine are two of Europe's greatest gastronomic treasures, products that capture the geography, culture, and history of a region. This journey is an immersion in the concept of 'terroir', exploring how tradition and craftsmanship create flavors that are unique and impossible to imitate.
Learning
You will develop a deep understanding of artisanal production, from the vineyard to the cellar and from the pasture to the ripening cave. You will learn to taste like a professional, to create pairings, and to appreciate the importance of protected designations of origin (AOP).
Today
The ability to discern and communicate the quality, authenticity, and origin of a product is an asset of great value. This journey is ideal for professionals in marketing, sommellerie, hospitality, and any entrepreneur seeking to build a brand grounded in excellence and product storytelling.
Included
- Accommodation in charming, well-located hotels.
- All breakfasts and the lunches or dinners specified in the itinerary.
- Expert guides and historians throughout the journey.
- Entrance to all museums, monuments and historic sites in the itinerary.
- Comfortable private transport for all transfers between cities and activities.
- Exclusive workshops, tastings and immersive experiences described in the program.
- A welcome pack with reading materials and a travel journal.
- Basic travel insurance.
Not included
- Round-trip international flights to the expedition start/end point.
- Meals and drinks not specified in the itinerary.
- Personal expenses, purchases and souvenirs.
- Optional activities during free time.
- Tips (optional).
Who runs it
Institutions we have worked with
Itinerary
- Day 1 Paris: The Mecca of Fromage
Arrival in Paris. Our first stop is one of the city's finest cheese shops for a guided tasting. We will learn to classify cheeses by family and to create perfect pairings with French wines. A light dinner at a wine bar.
- Day 2 Burgundy: The Heart of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Travel to Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy. We will drive the "Route des Grands Crus" and visit a family winery for a tasting of its prestigious wines. Lunch among the vineyards and a visit to the historic Hospices de Beaune.
- Day 3 The Character of Burgundy: Epoisses and Abbeys
We will delve into the world of Epoisses, a cheese with real character, washed with Marc de Bourgogne. We will visit a farm to see how it is made and take part in a tasting. In the afternoon, a visit to the Abbey of Cîteaux, birthplace of the Cistercian order and of abbey cheese.
- Day 4 Jura: Comté and the Ripening Fort
Travel to the Jura region. We will visit a "fruitière" where Comté cheese is produced, then descend into the Fort of Saint-Antoine, a former military fortress transformed into an underground cathedral for the ripening of thousands of wheels of Comté.
- Day 5 The "Vin Jaune" and the Perfect Pairing
We will explore the vineyards of Château-Chalon, birthplace of "Vin Jaune", a unique oxidative wine. We will learn about its distinctive method of production beneath a veil of yeast ("voile") and take part in a vertical tasting, pairing it with aged Comté.
- Day 6 Switzerland: Gruyères and the Alpine Tradition
We will cross the border into Switzerland and head to the medieval village of Gruyères. We will visit "La Maison du Gruyère" to watch the production of the famous cheese, then climb up to the castle that overlooks the valley.
- Day 7 Fondue and Raclette: The Culture of Melted Cheese
A day devoted to the celebration of melted cheese. In an Alpine chalet, we will learn to prepare authentic "moitié-moitié" fondue (half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois) and enjoy a traditional raclette, discussing the origins of these dishes as shepherds' fare.
- Day 8 Normandy: Cradle of Camembert and Cider
Travel to green Normandy (via Paris). We will visit the village of Camembert and a farm that produces Camembert de Normandie AOP with raw milk. We will learn the difference from the industrial versions and pair it, not with wine, but with the local cider.
- Day 9 Livarot and Pont-l'Évêque: Normandy's Other Treasures
We will explore Normandy's "Cheese Route", discovering other AOP cheeses such as Livarot, known as "the Colonel" for the strips that band it, and Pont-l'Évêque, one of the region's oldest cheeses. We will also taste Calvados, the local apple spirit.
- Day 10 Farewell in Paris
Return to Paris. A free morning to buy our favorite cheeses and wines. A farewell lunch at a restaurant that celebrates the products we have discovered on our journey, then transfer to the airport.