We have travelled the world - bringing amazing guests to the most iconic regions of the world… Bordeaux will be tremendous!
Built for 8-14 guests - We have 12 spots filled and now have 2 spots remaining.
We travel with these guiding principles.
a. Small groups to see the best in wine, local restaurants and hotels.
b. We avoid overly touristy restaurants - and focus on Michelin Recommended.
c. We stay the some of the best hotels, personally selected for their charm and elegance.
Core Trip [Sunday, March 30th to Saturday, April 5th]:
Core Trip Deposit $500 - 2 POSITIONS AVAILABLE (This is non-refundable and holds your position, and covers the cost of administering your travel - even if you cancel your position deposit is non-refundable).
Deposit on or before February 01: $7,900.00 per person based on double
Deposit on or after February 01: $8,400 based on occupancy - single supplement is $1,600 (subject to availability)
VIP EARLY BIRD (OPTIONAL) EXTENSION: (we extend your stay at the amazing Smith Haut Laffite - Hotel les Sources de Caudalie) (2 POSITIONS AVAILABLE)
Arrive Thursday (27th) or Friday (28th) of March in AM and join us for a special visit to Chateau Margaux
Arrive Friday (28th) Night or Saturday (29th) of March in AM and enjoy Cheval Blanc and Château d'Yquem
Package prices will be presented in the registration packet, each night includes an additional evening at Smith Haut Laffite - Hotel les Sources de Caudalie. Details of pricing available to those that inquire.
Scheduled Itinerary
-Itinerary subject to change without notice.
-Dates will not change.
DAY ONE: Sunday, March 30th, Pessac
- Visit and tasting at Château Smith Haut Lafitte
- WELCOME DINNER Dinner (1) at the #1 rated restaurant!
- Evening including aperitif and 2 glasses wine
- Additional wine may be purchased at your leisure
- Accommodation: beautiful country 5* hotel in Pessac
DAY TWO: Monday, March 31st, Saint Émilion & Pomerol
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Visit and tasting at Château Figeac in St. Émilion.
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Stroll through the cobblestones roads of the charming medieval village of St. Émilion and enjoy a casual lunch at your leisure
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Visit the amazing Château Angelus
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Visit and tasting at a delicious gem in Pomerol
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Dinner at your leisure
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Accommodation: beautiful country 5* hotel in Pessac
DAY THREE: Tuesday, April 1st, Pessac-Léognan
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Visit and tasting Château Pape Clement
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Lunch TBA (1)
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Visit and tasting Château Haut-Brion
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Visit La Mission Haut-Brion
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Dinner is at your leisure; Ian and Alice will schedule dinner at La Tupina Restaurant - all participants have the option to join or make plans of your own. Dinner is not included but you can decide your menu items and pay only for what you order and share. Wine Participation - pay for wines you choose to partake, participation is optional and additional.
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Accommodation: charming 5* hotel in Bordeaux proper
DAY FOUR: Wednesday, April 2nd – A day in the City Center Bordeaux & Entre Deux Mers
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By our third day we have visited a large number of Chateaus - we will not put our walking shoes on for a number of special cultural and historical visits in the City Center -
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Visit Bordeaux Bassin des Lumieres – a beautiful adaptation of the Nazi U-boat pens with son et lumiere display of Art
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Place de la bourse *photo op"
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Visit Cite du Vin with sensory wine tasting and see Bordeaux’s new architectural masterpiece dedicated to wine
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Cheese affineur with a tasting lunch (2)
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Famous Duclot Wine Bar / Wine Store visit
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Bordeaux center walking tour
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Dinner is at your leisure; Ian and Alice will schedule this dinner location - all participants have the option to join or make plans of your own. Dinner is not included but you can decide your menu items and pay only for what you order and share. Wine Participation - pay for wines you choose to partake, participation is optional and additional.
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Accommodation: charming 5* hotel in Bordeaux proper
DAY FIVE: Thursday, April 3th – Visit Margaux & Pauillac
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Visit to Château Palmer, Margaux
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Visit Lynch Bages, Pauillac with Lunch (3) at Café Lavinal, Lynch-Bages
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Visit and tasting Château Grand Puy Lacoste
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Dinner is at your leisure; Ian and Alice will schedule this dinner location - all participants have the option to join or make plans of your own. Dinner is not included but you can decide your menu items and pay only for what you order and share. Wine Participation - pay for wines you choose to partake, participation is optional and additional.
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Accommodation: charming 5* hotel in Bordeaux proper
DAY SIX: Friday, April 4th – Saint Estephe & Pauillac
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Visit and tasting Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, Pauillac
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Lunch at Chez Driss, Pauillac Tajine place (4)
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Visit and tasting Château Calon Segur or Chateau Montrose - St. Estephe, tba
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Farewell dinner: Maison Nouvelle (michelin restaurant, semi-traditional)
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Accommodation: charming 5* hotel in Bordeaux proper
DAY SEVEN: Saturday, April 5th - Independent departure
CURRENT TRIP INCLUDES
Accommodation in Pessac and Bordeaux City Center for 6 nights
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Two-nights, 5-star Source de Caudalie from Sunday March 30th – Tuesday April 1st 2025
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Breakfast daily included in La Grande Vigne
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City tax daily
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Four-nights, 5-star Hotel Burdigala from Tuesday April 1st – Saturday April 5th 2025
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Breakfast daily
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City tax daily
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Transportation in midi-coach (8-20 pax) or minivan (5-7 persons) (included only for hotel to winery portion)
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Eleven winery visits and tastings
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All breakfasts are included
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Four Lunches
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Welcome dinner with aperitif and 2 glasses of wine
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Farewell dinner (tba)
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Guided Bordeaux center walking tour
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Visit to Bordeaux Bassin des Lumières
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Place de la bourse *”photo op”
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Visit Cite du Vin with sensory wine tasting
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Famous Duclot Wine Bar/ Wine shop visit
All Wineries are tentative but quality will be high. Trip is not priced based on any one experience, visit, tasting or meal.
As we are still far out - we can change the order of events significantly to accommodate hotels and winery partner needs. Dates will not change.
Hotels are considered very good - some of the better accommodations - upgrades to better room types will also be offered inside the travel agreement.
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Steps
-Make a non-refundable deposit.
-Should you be offered a spot on this trip and decide not to attend - you will lose your deposit.
-Should you make a deposit and we could not meet the minimum to operate - you will be able to apply your deposit to a future trip.
-Deposits cover our time to build the trip, manage the limited space, and to create the contracts and agreements.
-Our trips are one of a kind, built for intimate groups, and lean into the luxury category that fine wine demands (a value at the top tier of travel)
Our deposits for the trips are non-refundable as stated above. Once deposits come in, we continue to invest more and more hours into each trip. Should the trip cancel, deposits are refunded. If Trip goes forward and you do not sign the final payment paperwork - the deposit is not refunded and surrendered. This is our policy and is necessary to keep our workers dedicated and employeed and to keep our product unique and not "canned" - each of our trips is unique, special, and highly procured just for the participants. We aim for 10 guests (as small as 8 and and large as 14)
*Note this is a sample itinerary, confirmed itinerary details available via Registration Packet after a deposit for trip commitment has been received.
*Note this is a sample itinerary, confirmed itinerary details available via Registration Packet after a deposit for trip commitment has been received.
The design and pricing of this trip listed herein is exploratory and not final. A minimum number of participants is necessary for this trip to operate. A deposit for this trip is a non-refundable intended placeholder for a spot on this trip. Once we receive the minimum number of participants, a Registration Packet with official pricing will be released to depositors on this trip. Receipt of completed packets and full payments must be received by the due date listed on the Registration Packet for the trip to move forward into the next phase. We will update all depositors of the trip status and booking flights. Do not book flights until the trip is confirmed and an email states to do so. The itinerary is subject to change without notice, the itinerary and pricing on the Registration Packet supersedes the pricing estimate listed herein. Additional costs apply on leisure days, activities, meals, situations that require the group and its individuals to adapt beyond our immediate control.
For customer support, please email: alice@LearnAboutWine.com
About
IAN BLACKBURN
I discovered the wine industry while working with Chef’s Thomas Keller and Joachim Splichal in the top dining rooms of Los Angeles. My passion redirected my career from restaurants/hotels to vineyards and wine-education. Now with over 25-years of experience hosting events; leading trips around the wine world; I published a wine book; produced my own wine called Beekeeper Cellars and sat for the difficult Master of Wine Exam! Today, I am considered one of the region's best wine educators and work for my 20,000 followers (follow me), visiting vineyards and wine regions and produce over 100 wine classes and events a year for my businesses and my team.
