Chateau des VigiersChateau des Vigiers

 

What a combination! 

World famous wines, championship quality golf courses, gourmet food, history, culture and sightseeing.

 

We can design a personalised tour for you to this famous wine and food region. Tours would include:

  • Tours and tastings of the Grand Cru Classe Wines of the famous Medoc and Saint Emillion wine regions
  • Championship Golf at Medoc, Saint Emillion, Chateua Des Vigiers and more
  • A visit to the beautiful and romantic Dordogne Valley
  • Time to shop in the designer boutiques of Bordeaux and the local village markets of Bergerac
  • Opportunities to taste the fine food of the Dordogne region, considered to be the most important food region of France
  • Accommodation in classic French style hotels, including Chateau Des Vigiers, a magnificent castle dating back to1597, that has been restored to a French Country Style House.

Here are some photos from our last visit to this fabulous region.

 

Garnd Cru ChateauChateau Pichon Longueville Baron, Grand Cru Classe, Winery in Bordeaux

Grand Cru

 

 

DordogneBeynac - Dordogne Valley

France villageVillage of Branhome

 

 

French cheeseCheese of the Dordogne

Food and wineOutdoor dining at Des Vigiers 

 

 

Golf du Medoc- Les Chateaux courseGolf du Medoc- Les Chateaux Course

 

Sample Itinerary

 

* Day 1 

 

Arrival at Bordeaux airport – Welcome by France Golf Tours Transfer or drive to your hotel in Dordogne area (1h) Welcome dinner at Chateau des Vigiers. 

Lodging at Château des Vigiers, a magnificent castle dating back to 1597 located in the beautiful countryside to the East of Bordeaux near Bergerac. 

Locally known as « Little Versailles », the Château des Vigiers has been tastefully restored in French country-house style, surrounded by its own vineyards and 18- hole golf course. Exposed beams and the stonework create a charming ambiance, enhanced by one of the best gourmet restaurants in the area. 

 

* Day 2 

 

Golf at Château des Vigiers golf course
Les Vigiers golf course carves its way through the working plum orchards, vineyards, lake and oak woods surrounding the Château. The course is ideal for recreational golfing. The 9th and 18th holes present interesting challenges avoiding the water hazards on one side and the Château on the other.

Donald Steel, the course architect, considers the 18th hole as one of the best he ever designed in terms of strategy and setting 

Suggested sightseeing : 

Bergerac is found on the northern bank of the Dordogne River, in the western part of the Dordogne department.It is among the largest towns in the region. The highlight of a trip to Bergerac is the old town - the area immediately north of the river, signposted 'vieille ville'. This part of the town has some lovely streets and squares to explore, and a variety of boutique type shops. 

There are also several restaurants in 'old-town' Bergerac among the attractive medieval half-timbered streets, and some open-air cafes where you can pass a very pleasant hour just watching people going about their business. 

The National Tobacco Museum is based here in Bergerac, and is apparently very interesting. (Tobacco is still an important crop in the region, that you will probably see growing in the fields.) 

Looking out over the Dordogne valley, is the deligntful, fairytale, Chateau de Monbazillac. Here the tourist can enjoy both : the well preserved example of Renaissance architecture which has all the medieval military characteristics nevertheless (cannon- ports, machicolations, moat, etc;) which are from now on simply aesthetic and symbolic; as well as the food and fine sweet wines of the Monbazillac appellation. 

 

* Day 3 

 

Guided tour of the medieval town of Saint- Emilion
There are some architectural sites which have always seemed, from immemorial times, to blend in with the surrounding landscape. Saint- Emilion is just such a jewel of stones, in a natural setting of utmost beauty. 

This medieval town stands proudly at the top of the hill overlooking the worldwide renowned Saint-Emilion vineyards and is the ideal place for wine tasting and shopping. 

 

Built in the form of an amphitheatre, Saint-Emilion has also a remarkable monolithic
church and its Romanesque monuments andThe stone is a soft ochre colour, and vestiges tuck away in the back streets whichsomehow symbolises the town’s spirit
seem to defy the passage of time. 

Followed by: 

Wine tasting visit at Château Figeac Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
Figeac is a very ancient estate, going back at least as far as the 2nd century AD. The site has been continually inhabited ever since then, as proved by vestiges: a water-supply system dating from the Gallo-Roman period, foundations of buildings from the Middle Ages with defensive walls, and the remains of a Renaissance chateau reflected in the present-day chateau's great door and tower.
Figeac continues to be the largest estate in the commune of Saint-Emilion, with 40 hectares of vines located in a small area which is often referred to as "Graves de Saint-Emilion (same as Cheval Blanc).. The central part of the chateau, built in a very pure, classical architectural style, dates from the late 18th century. 

Golf at Saint Emilion golf course
St Emilion Golf course is the new gem designed by one of the best architects in the world, Tom Doak (Cape Kidnappers, Barnboulge, Pacific Dunes, etc).

The, course unfolds in a valley fringed by centenary oak trees, framed by vineyards and located just 6 miles from the village of Saint Emilion. The ideal place for our Golf & Wine tours.
As Tom Doak usually does, no artificial earth movement has been created to design Saint Emilion golf course, holes follow one another in the most natural flowing way 

 

* Day 4 

 

Half day guided tour Bordeaux
Sightseeing and shopping in Bordeaux
Situated on the banks of the Garonne, Bordeaux has more than 2000 years of history to share. The city possesses an exceptional architectural heritage, notably dating from the XVIIIth century; situated at the unique environment of vineyards, forest, sea and mountains. Arriving by the Pont de Pierre, Bordeaux spreads itself out before you behind a splendid 18th century façade. Set out all along the “port of the moon”, as the Middle Ages chronicler Froissart called it, its quays are in the same noble mould as the town itself, making one of the most harmonious architectural ensembles in Europe. A blossoming trading town during the Enlightenment through its maritime activity, Bordeaux today is a paradise for wine. Over centuries, the most prestigious vintages have passed through here : Châteaux Petrus, Haut Brion, Margaux... For honeymooners, the many squares with their sunny terraces are just so many reasons to stop and relax. And when you appetite bids, let yourself be tempted by a good restaurant and savour the happy alliances of local products and fine wines. 

Lodging at Sources de Caudalie a luxury hotel offering « la vie de château » in the heart of renowned vineyards.
In the midst of classed vintage Graves wines, the world's only wine therapy complex opened in 1999. The hotel boasts beautifully and individually decorated rooms and suites, fine gourmet cuisine (one star Michelin) and an unusual fitness centre which uses substances derived from grape vines. An exceptional place with no equivalent in Europe. 

 

* Day 5 

 

Wine tasting visit at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Grand Cru Classé de Graves. Château Smith Haut Lafitte owes its reputation as the “most Graves like Graves” to its superb Gunzien gravel soil. The estate consist of one unbroken 55 hectares (136 acres) vineyard and its history goes back to the Crusades (which explains the “fleur de lys” on the label). 

In the 18th century, the Scots navigator, George Smith ended up purchasing the estate. The next owner was M. Duffour- Dubergier, Mayor of Bordeaux, then, Louis Eschenauer one of the figures in the local wine trade. 

In the past seven years, the 16th century tower and the 18th century “chartreuse” of this outstanding Château have been completely renovated, two underground cellars were also transformed, and the current owners reinstated traditional viticultural practices. 

The exemplary quality, the excellent and structured balance of Smith Haut Lafitte’s red and white great growth wines is worthy of this total commitment to quality. 

Lodging at Sources de Caudalie 

 

Vinotherapy at Les Sources de Caudalie, original and exclusive skin care based on a harmonious combination of hot natural water and the health and beauty enhancing properties of grapes and wines. Treatments include red wine bath, barrel bath, exhilarating massages, wine and honey wrap, water jet shower, spa bath with jet stream, Turkish bath, etc. Unique in the world. 

 

* Day 6 

 

Golf at Médoc golf course Les Vignes
Designed by Rod Whitman, Medoc les Vignes course is set in a typically regional landscape where the beauty of the moors and of the maritime pines serve to enhance the architect’s design. The long par 5 holes with their carefully designed greens, the judiciously placed bunkers call for precise strokes.

The wide variety of the playing situations and the delightful setting will meet the expectations of the most demanding players 

Wine tasting at Chateau Rauzan- Ségla.
Located in the worldwide renowned vineyards of Margaux, Chateau Rauzan-Ségla is a Deuxième Grand Cru” in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. 

The winery‘s history started in 1661 when Pierre de Rauzan acquired the estate. Generations of the Rauzan family succeeded to the running of the estate. Today, the winery radiates the tranquil calm of a residence filled with charm 

Lodging at Medoc Hotel du Golf
Located in the heart of the Medoc vineyards, Medoc Hotel du Golf is the perfect place to stay for golfers.

79 rooms with all modern equipments, swimming pole, spa, massages, restaurant, and the 2 famous Medoc golf courses on site, this comfortable four star hotel also offers some wine tasting experience. Ideal for avid golfers who are wine amateurs. 

 

* Day 7 

 

Golf at Médoc golf course Les Châteaux
Site of the French open in 1999 (European PGA Tour), Medoc les Châteaux Golf Course corresponds to the pure tradition of Scottish links. Wide fairways bordered by heather, gorse, and broom, entice golfers into the delights of carefully preserved nature.

The fast greens, the influence of winds from the Atlantic ocean, and the technical difficulties of the layout go to make this championship course a constant challenge.
Medoc les Châteaux course is set in the heart of the wine area and the players will have no doubt about that, since each hole is named after a Medoc top vintage and the 150 yards mark is ...a bottle of wine. 

Wine tasting visit at Château Pichon Longueville (Grand Cru Classé de Medoc). It was in the 17th century that Jacques de Pichon, Baron de Longueville, began to put together the vineyard of Pichon-Longueville, between St-Julien and Pauillac. The reputation of this wine was established in a few years and the fame of the domaine equalled that of Latour. 

Farewell dinner at the Chateau Pichon Longueville Lodging at Medoc Hotel du Golf 

 

* Day 8 

 

Drive or transfer to Bordeaux airport (30 min) - Departure 

Transportation 

Your vehicle with English speaking driver :
VIP coach 12 to 15 seats with tables, air conditioned, leather seats, refrigerator, cd player. 

OR 

Rental car type : Berline type Renault Laguna, or Xsara Picasso, or Peugeot 407, category N automatic transmission, 4 doors, unlimited mileage, CDW insurance 

 

Including :
* Lodging in a double or twin room
* Daily buffet breakfast
* 4 rounds of golf with pre-booking of tee times
* Car rental with full insurance coverage and unlimited mileage
* OR Chauffeur driven service for all transfers
* 2 dinners with wine (Chateau des Vigiers and one of the winery chateaux visited)
* One session of vinotherapy at Les Sources de Caudalie (half day)
* 4 wine tasting visits
* Availability of a professional guide for visiting Saint Emilion (2 hours) and Bordeaux (1 half day)
* Travel book including all travel documents and sightseeing suggestions
* Meet and greet service
* France Golf Tours assistance and services
* All local taxes 

Not included :
* Meals, excepted those mentioned above
* Drinks, tips and other personal expenses
* Electric golf carts rental or caddies
* Body treatments at Chateau des Vigiers or Medoc Hotel 

 

Attention : the hotels, golf courses, and visits indicated in the program are subject to availability according to the clients’ travelling time. 

 

 

Enquiries

Use our experience and knowledge to put together a tour that will ensure you get the most out of your visit to this very famous region of France. 

 

The Travelling Golfer is ready to tailor a golfing trip to France to suit you!

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