Amboise, Sancerre, and Chablis – Belle Vie Discovery Retreat

Day 1

Meet and depart from Paris. En route to Amboise, stop at the Alain Ducasse restaurant, Ore, in the Palace of Versailles, for lunch with wine pairings. Afterwards, the restaurant staff give us exclusive access to the Palace from a back door, skipping the hours-long entry lines.

Drive to Amboise and check-in at Hotel Le Pavillion des Lys.

fullsizeoutput_1dca — ***The ornate Palace of Versailles.***

fullsizeoutput_1ddc — ***The town of Amboise is positioned along the banks of the Loire River.***

Day 2

Free time to explore Amboise before enjoying a wine tasting and lunch at Chateau de Montdomaine.

383c4ab9-7087-4d1c-8bf5-0dcafc0e0372 — ***Spend the afternoon with the charming and gracious Louisa and Fred Plou at Chateau de Montdomaine.***

Day 3

Visit Chateau Chenonceau, then we’ll have lunch at a café in the nearby village.

Drive to Sancerre and check-in at Le Panoramic hotel, in the city center of the hilltop village of Sancerre – charming shops and restaurants on one side; vistas overlooking rolling hillside vineyards on the other.

45su4YrYS8CK7OFV2WWgIA — ***Chateau Chenonceau***

Day 4

Meet our dear friends and wine producers, Lynne and Philippe Raimbault, while touring their domaine and tasting through their wines from Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé, and the Coteaux de Gennois. Sip Domaine Raimbault Sancerre blanc with your locally-sourced Crottin de Chavignol (local goat’s cheese) over lunch at Lynne and Philippe’s home.

***Overlooking the Raimbault vines and their winery (top right). Julie took this photo herself, just after harvest in October 2016!***

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(above) Jenni and the lovely Lynne Raimbault after lunch at the winemakers’ home in Sancerre.

Day 5

Depart for the stunning hilltop village of Vezelay. Arrive in time to hear the hauntingly beautiful sounds of the monks and nuns singing in the Abbey’s noontime mass.

Enjoy lunch in the village, then spend time exploring the village shops before heading to our Burgundian home base for the next two nights – a picturesque property we’ll have all to ourselves that was once a local watermill.

fullsizeoutput_1de9 — ***Vezelay Abbey***

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(above) The serene property where we’ll be based for our two nights in Burgundy.

Day 6

We’ll start the day with a drive to the top of the Grand Cru “Les Clos” vineyards where we’ll be treated to an overview of the region with an esteemed local wine consultant. Then we’re off to visit my friends and wine producers at Domaine Daniel Seguinot et Filles.

fullsizeoutput_1e61 — ***A past Belle Vie group thanking Daniel for a wonderful tasting!***

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(above) Jenni and local wine expert Brendan Moore.

Day 7

Following morning meditation and a wrap-up of our extraordinary week together, we depart for Paris. Tonight, we’ll enjoy dinner together at the Novotel Charles de Gaulle before morning flights out the next day. Alternatively, hop a taxi or a train into Paris for your final night!

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