| THE WINE EXPERIENCE |
| We are ideally situated here in the Charente Maritime, the cottages are in fact in the heart of the Fin Bois region of Cognac and vines can be found in any direction. Bordeaux and its world famous vineyards are only a 1.5hr drive. |
| Chris has made his living in the wine industry teaching 'wine' to employees within the hospitalitty industry. It is also a passionate hobby and he enjoys sharing his knowledge to all who are interested and dispelling some of the mystery which surrounds wine. |
| An introduction to wine tasting If you love France you probably enjoy wine. You might also like to know a little more about it. You know what you like - but perhaps you don't know why. You'd love to try something different but feel daunted by the selection available. |
 |
| Six fine wines will be selected to give a well rounded and enjoyable tasting. The evening is intended to be an informal and friendly chat about wine where you feel at ease and able to ask any questions you wish about wine. Chris will go through in detail how to taste a wine including appearance, nose and taste. You will have the chance to make notes and discuss what you see, smell, think about each wine. No one will be put on the spot and you can say as much or as little as you wish. After the tasting Chris will talk a bit about his top tips for wine buying. In all it lasts about 3 hours, usually from 7pm to 10pm. Book your place in advance. 8 per group, no children.15 € per person. |
| CHAI VISIT |
| We can sample the various fruits of his labours and meet either himself or his wife, Marie. There will be an opportunity to purchase some of his small family production. We pay Eric for the visit and tasting so there is NO OBLIGATION OR PRESSURE TO BUY. There will be a charge of 6 euros per adult (no children, sorry) this will be added to your final bill at the end of your stay. This charge creates a ‘pressure free’ enviroment so you are in no way ‘expected’ to purchase anything. The idea is to have a pleasant evening , meet local people, chat and learn something along the way. Any purchases of pineau or wine that you do wish to make should be payed for directly to Monsieur Cartaud. You can visit Erics shop at any time and receive a small free tasting of his produce without joining our chai visit. However you will not necessarily meet the man himself, nor visit inside his production area, also you will not of course have the benefit of Chris' knowledge on hand ! |
 |
| Experience a true taste of the Charente Maritime, join our small group of imbibers for a visit to the chai of Eric Cartaud a local wine, Pineau and Cognac producer.. The grape varieties used in his produce will be discussed along with training, vinification and history and anything else you would like to know about ‘vines and wines’. We also have a look inside his small chai at the equipment and tanks used. |
 |
 |
| FAMILY VINE WALK |
| Our family vine walks held on Sunday mornings starts with a cold glass of Pineau for the adults (juice for the children) Followed by a gentle stroll along the country lanes and tracks towards the vineyards.. Here Chris talks about the countryside, how vines grow and how Pineau is made and anything else you would like to know. Lasts about 1.5hrs. Not strenuous, can take prams but can be bumpy through the vines. 5€ per adult and 1€ per child (under 5yrs free) |
 |
 |
| Regulars tasting Erics latest vintage and Eric and Marie |