Stretching from Provence to the Pyrenees Mountains, Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France is one of Europe’s biggest wine-producing regions, with opportunities for tastings and tours aplenty.
(Photo: Domaine de Baronarques / Courtesy GetYourGuide)
Vin de Pays d’Oc and sparkling Crémant de Limoux are among the best-known varieties to emerge from the wide array of acclaimed vineyards that are dotted around the historic coastal region’s rural reaches. For wine enthusiasts visiting the Languedoc, many of its wineries offer guided tours of the premises along with the chance to sample some of the home produce. We’ve picked out 5 such opportunities below.
Domaine de Baronarques Estate: Tour & Tasting
This 1-hour tour invites visitors to explore the Domaine de Baronarques Estate, a winery dating back to the 17th century. During the tour, you’ll get to visit the estate’s French Château, nestled into a tree-covered hill, as well as the vat-house and barrel ageing cellar where wines are fermented and aged. As you’re shown around, your guide will offer insights into the time-honoured techniques that go into wine production here. Later, there’ll be a chance to sample three of the estate’s very own wines, inclusive of the tour price. From €20 per person.
Domaine Enclos de la Croix Estate: Visit & wine tasting
(Photo: Domaine Enclos de la Croix / Courtesy Winalist)
Located in the picturesque village of Lansargues, the Domaine Enclos de la Croix is a historic family-run estate that today specialises in the production of organic wines across its 23 hectares of vineyards. Among the experiences offered to guests is a 1.5-hour tour and wine tasting package that allows the chance to stroll through the estate’s vineyards and vegetable gardens in the company of the winegrower. At the end of the tour, visitors will get to taste the wines as well as home-made food products including jams and olive oil. From €15 per person.
Domaine La Provenquière Estate: Guided tour from the vine to the glass
In the heart of the Languedoc, Domaine La Provenquière continues the wine-making heritage of some four generations of passionate winegrowers on a patch of land steeped in nearly five centuries of history. Visitors can embark on a 1.5-hour guided tour complete with a walk in the vineyards and introduction to the winegrowing profession, followed by a look around the estate’s castle and tastings of up to 5 wines in the atmospheric old stables, now renovated into a cellar. From €17 per person.
Château La Négly Estate: Winegrower walk & tasting
(Photo: Château La Négly / Courtesy Winalist)
For a more extended visit to a wine estate, this summer walk and tasting experience at Château La Négly, facing the Mediterranean in the La Clape massif, may well fit the bill. Over three hours, you’ll discover the magical terroir of La Clape, its grape varieties, and its rich history. Each walk begins with a short tour of the vineyard accompanied by the winemaker, followed by an initial food and wine pairing in the vineyards before a tasting of 4 additional pairings in the castle grounds. All wine and food is included in the tour price. From €35 per person.
Vineyards and Village of the Languedoc
If you have the time and budget, this full-day private tour of some of the Languedoc’s most charming vineyards and villages is a memorable way to explore the region. Limited to just two people, you’ll be collected by minibus from either Montpellier or Pézenas before travelling into the foothills of the Larzac Plateau for your first stop at an acclaimed winery, where you’ll get to look around and taste some of the wines. Over the remainder of the day, you’ll visit two other renowned wineries, with a chance for wine-tasting at each, as well as stopping off at the UNESCO heritage village of Saint Guilhem-le-Désert and the beautiful Herault gorges. The tour ends with a return transfer to your start point. From €732 per group (max 2 people)