A Wine Lover's Guide to Planning a Trip to France

We talk with Paris-based wine expert Elisa about how to plan a French wine trip that fits your taste, your budget, and your travel style, whether you are wine-curious or a long-time collector. We share practical ways to choose regions, book tastings, and build a full vineyard experience that goes beyond the bottle. 

• France as a top wine travel destination thanks to wine, food, landscapes and culture 
• quick guide to Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne differences 
• how Elisa matches a region to your preferred styles and grape varieties 
• best wine region day trip from Paris with Champagne and Épernay ideas 
• lesser-known regions to add authenticity with Jurançon and Madiran 
• crowd-free alternatives near Bordeaux with Bergerac and Monbazillac 
• why you should book winery visits in advance and how far ahead 
• tasting basics for beginners and why English is usually available 
• tasting costs from free to premium and when buying is expected 
• getting around safely with tours, private drivers and Loire à Vélo cycling 
• how to bring bottles home with shipping and suitcase packing tips 
• when to visit, what harvest season is really like and festival planning 
• common planning mistakes with research, logistics and wine style expectations 

⭐️ Guest - Elisa from  France Bucket List - Wine Travel Planning
📝  Full links and photos are in the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com/episode-101

If you know someone who is planning a trip to France or who simply loves a good glass of wine, do share this episode with them. 

And if you enjoy the podcast, a review really does help other travellers find us. 

Transcript

Wine Travel To France Begins

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Think you need to be a wine buff or even speak French to plan a trip around France's vineyards? Think again. Today, Paris-based wine expert Elisa shares how to choose your region, when to go, and how to taste your way around France. Whether you know your Bordeaux from your Burgundy or not.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Welcome to the Global Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is founder of the Global Travel Planning website, Tracy Collins. Each week, Tracy is joined by expert guests as she takes you on a journey to destinations around the world, sharing travel inspiration, itinerary ideas, and practical tips to help you plan your next adventure. Join us as we explore everywhere from bustling cities to remote landscapes, uncover cultural treasures, and discover the best ways to make your travel dreams a reality.

SPEAKER_02 0:49

Hi everybody and welcome to this week's edition of the Global Travel Planning Podcast. Now this week is a bit of a first for us because it's our very first episode all about wine travel. And it is one for anyone who's ever enjoyed a glass of French wine and thought, I'd love to see where this actually comes from. There's something special about planning a trip around the people and places behind the bottle, the small family domains, the long launches, and the villages you might never otherwise find. Whether you're a serious wine lover or simply wine curious, my guest is going to show us how a trip like that comes together. I'm joined by Elisa, a travel blogger and wine expert based in Paris who creates custom wine trips across France. Hi Elisa, welcome to the podcast

Meet Elisa And Her Wine Path

SPEAKER_02 1:33

this week. Can you introduce yourself and tell listeners how you came to combine French travel with wine?

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Bonjour everybody. I help people pair great wines with extraordinary experiences in France through my blog, France Lacatlist, and my Instagram account, Encorque, France. Well, uh I love to travel and discover new places in France, and I love uh French wine. So my trips have always included a visit or two to a winery or a wine tasting. Uh at a certain point I decided to study wine in a more serious way. I completed the French wine ambassador program and the double SET certification. And today I bring these two passions together through my blog and my travel planning services.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Uh it's fantastic. Honestly, I didn't know until I started talking to you about that that um you could kind of combine that the love of the travel and your love of wine and actually provide a service for people who want to kind of visit visit France and taste some of the amazing wines. Now, is as you said, you've you're studying the Bourgogne Masters at the moment. What does becoming a wine expert actually involve, Elisa?

SPEAKER_01 2:45

It means busy weekends. I do this alongside my full-time work, so I spend a big part of my weekend studying. It also means staying open-minded. Uh, when you study wine, you need to ask yourself uh, why does this wine taste this way? Why is it so different from that wine made just a few kilometers away? And of course, it means uh many tastings, but I like to call them educational tastings.

SPEAKER_02 3:11

I love that. I think well, it is absolutely, isn't it? Because you're tasting all these wines and um and learning every time that you you taste something uh new. I don't, I have to admit, I know not that much about wine. Um, I'm more of a gin drinker than a wine drinker, so this is actually interesting to learn. I did actually live in France for a while, so it's interesting to learn about kind of uh French French wines uh 30 years after I actually lived in France. So um, for somebody who does love wine and is um has actually never planned a trip around it,

Why France Leads Wine Travel

SPEAKER_02 3:44

what makes France for you the wine travel destination?

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Uh, because France produces some of the best wines, and uh actually many French wine-making techniques are now a benchmark worldwide. But uh you know this well, uh beyond wine, uh France is also a beautiful country to visit with amazing landscapes, food, and culture.

SPEAKER_02 4:07

Absolutely, it is it is a beautiful, beautiful country, that's for sure. Now, I know France has got many, many wine regions, so it can feel overwhelming. I mean, as I say, I lived in France for for a few years and I still don't understand about all the different French regions. So, can you give us a quick tour of the big names like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and what makes each different?

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Well, this is a very difficult question to answer in a few words. Um, to summarize a lot, I would say that Bordeaux is known for its great chateau and red wines, especially blends with Cabernet, Sauvignon, and Merlot. Bourgogne is about uh Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Terroir, small vineyards, unique places, and the idea that each climat can create a different wine. And Champagne is the home of the most famous sparkling wines with a long history and spectacular underground cellars. In the end, each region has its own wines, story, traditions, culture, food, and that's what makes uh wine travel in France so exciting.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

I guess you can keep returning to France again and again and visit a different region every time. I suppose you're never gonna um you're never gonna get bored, are you? You can just keep coming back and go and visit somewhere different every single time. So if someone only has time for one region on their first trip to France, where would you send them and why?

SPEAKER_01 5:34

This is another difficult question because uh yeah, because it really depends on the person. My job is to create custom wine trips, uh, so I first need to know what they like, the style of wines they enjoy, eventually the grape varieties, their interests, and the kind of experience they are looking for.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

And do you I know we're gonna talk at the end a little bit about the fact that you um tailor make uh trips for for wine lovers in France? And I guess when when people um commission you to do that, then you kind of go through all those questions with them.

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Yes,

Choosing A Region From Paris

SPEAKER_01 6:07

of course. There is uh a short conversation before uh starting going through the itinerary because I need to know the persons and what they like.

SPEAKER_02 6:16

Yeah, absolutely. Now we know that a lot of people um when they visit France for the first time, uh, that Paris will be kind of top of their list of places that they want to visit. And a lot of people base themselves in Paris. Um, so if somebody's in Paris that kind of designing their itinerary and they only have time to visit one uh wine region, um, which would be the one that that works best or which regions work best as a day trip from Paris if they wanted to kind of fit that into their uh Paris itinerary?

SPEAKER_01 6:47

Um Champagne is the best option. Uh there are many day tours from Paris, so you don't need to drive. And uh, if you prefer a self-guided experience, uh you can also take a train uh to Epernie and walk along along the Avenue de Champagne with a couple of champagne houses and enjoy the experience at your own pace.

SPEAKER_02 7:07

And is that something that you find uh is is a very popular option?

SPEAKER_01 7:11

Yes, yes, there are many day tours, uh all kinds. Uh whether you prefer visiting uh the most famous champagne houses or um smaller uh growers, you can do everything with uh a day tour. Okay, that's brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Now we did talk about um we did a big bit of a quick tour of those kind of those big names, you know, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, that kind of everybody associates with France. Um but what are the lesser known wine regions that you think deserve some more attention?

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Oh, there are many. Um, but uh the first ones that came to my mind are uh Juranson and Madiran in the southwest of France. Um, for example, in June I co-hosted a wine retreat there, and we visited

Hidden Regions And Quieter Alternatives

SPEAKER_01 7:56

uh different kinds of winery from small family wineries to bigger domains. We met wonderful people and tasted incredible wines. And uh, for those who are not familiar with these appellations, uh, Juranson is famous for its sweet white wines, but they also make excellent dry whites. Uh, and Madiran is known for uh Tanat, which is a black grape variety that was born in this area. Okay, so I would say these two, these are uh great regions for travelers who want to discover local grape varieties on a more authentic uh side of France.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

That sounds nice, and I guess it'll be um not quite as busy as some of those uh more famous regions.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

Not at all. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

That's good.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

And there are lovely places to to visit there.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

And what about um regions that you think might be a bit overrated or overcrowded? Is that would you have an alternative to that? Or would you say kind of again? I suppose it depends on the type of wine that people like. I mean, you just appealed to me because I I I err on the side of kind of sweeter white wines. Um, kind of I yeah, I love ports and and uh fortified wines and that sort of, those are my wines rather than the kind of drier wines. Um, so would what what would you kind of recommend? You know, like if I I don't know if there's an obvious region that would kind of jump out to you if I mentioned that those are the sort of wines that I like. Um, and where would you kind of recommend that I would head?

SPEAKER_01 9:25

I I wouldn't say overrated, but for example, Bordeaux, Bordeaux is a great one region, everybody knows that, but it can feel a bit crowded, especially in the most famous places. So for travelers looking for a quieter experience, I would suggest the Bergeracois, which is the area around the city of Bergerac. Uh, it's just east of Bordeaux, they have the same grape varieties, uh similar wine styles, but this region offers a better value for money and smaller domains where visits can feel more personal. And for people like you who love uh Swiv wines, um, you can also discover Montbasiliac instead of Sauterre. It's also located east of Bordeaux and uh works with the same grape varieties, uh Nobel Road also, and uh it's a wonderful alternative to most popular uh Sauter.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

Okay, so that sounds that sounds doable and sounds really interesting, as you say, as well, more cost-effective and also a bit more of a I guess a bit more of an authentic experience because you're going to go to a smaller uh vineyard, smaller winery, so so less commercialized, would you say?

SPEAKER_01 10:37

Yes, definitely. And uh Chateau des Montbasiliac is wonderful, it's a very beautiful building.

SPEAKER_02 10:45

Oh, next time I'm back in Europe, uh Elisa, I think I'll have to come to France and try try some of these wines with you, I think. It sounds really good.

Booking Tastings Language And Cost

SPEAKER_02 10:53

Um, now if I was gonna do uh obviously let's talk about a bit about wine travel itself. So um talk us through a typical wine visit. Um, like do you just can you just turn up at the chateau? Uh is there an open door, or do you actually have to book, or does it depend where you're going?

SPEAKER_01 11:09

Well, the the beauty of wine visits in France is that there is no typical visit. It depends on the personality of your host, how the winery works, the time of the year, and how busy they are. Uh, for example, during the wine retreat I co-hosted in June, we visited different domains of different sizes in the same wine area, and every visit was unique. But I would say that the one thing they all have in common is that you need to book in advance because uh welcoming visitors is not their main activity, they need to get organized. So you need to and how long in advance would you say you need to book? It depends on the domains. Uh, the most prestigious domains require uh advanced booking, perhaps a month in advance, while the smaller domains can be just one week.

SPEAKER_02 11:56

Okay, so it's still an advance, though. Even a week in advance, it's worth knowing that. Now, you won't believe this, but I used to be fluent in French, but this is 30 odd years ago, which is why I struggle with Bourgogne, not being able to pronounce it, um, get my French speaking head on. Um, but if for those people who don't speak now, when I when I go back to France, I'm not too bad after a while. I kind of get slipped back into it. But but I know this is a common question that I get, especially from uh from people from countries who who don't necessarily learn French. Um, do visitors need to speak French? Um, and are tasters like if doing the wine tasting, is it kind of beginner-friendly? So if somebody who's never done a wine tasting before, um they go to it and they feel like you know, I'm not gonna understand the language, I'm not sure what to do. Um, yeah, how will it work for those sort of people?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Well, domains uh welcoming visitors usually speak English, or at least one person speaks English. And uh, for example, if you go to Alsace, uh chances are they also speak German. And in the Langdog, you may also find places close to the border where people speak Catalan and Spanish, so there is no problem. And uh you don't need to know anything about wine to enjoy uh wine tasting. The best visits are about asking questions, exchanging with the other participants, uh discovering new things. And uh, wine professionals love sharing their passion, so beginners are always welcome.

SPEAKER_02 13:20

That's really nice. And does do tastings? I don't know how many tastings you would kind of do in a day, but um do they cost a lot or do they vary in cost? Um, and is there an expectation to buy wine when you when you've done tasting?

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Um it can be anything from free tastings to 100 plus euros, depending on the prestige of the domain and the wines you taste. Uh, in general, you're not expected to buy wine at the end of the visit unless it was a free tasting. Um but of course, uh many visitors like to take home a few bottles from the domains they loved. And to be honest, you won't find these wines cheaper than at the domain itself, so it's always good if you really like a wine. And uh also for smaller appellations, the wines are mostly enjoyed locally, so they can be very difficult to find elsewhere. I'm thinking about tiny appellations like uh Cassie or Belet in southern France. So every time I travel to these places, I always come back with a couple of bottles because it's very difficult to find them even in Paris. So I bet you've got a pretty good wine seller, Elisa, then. No, not at all. I live in a small apartment in Paris, so I cannot uh store many bottles. So I guess you bring them home and enjoy

Getting Around Without Driving

SPEAKER_01 14:40

them. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 14:42

Now, um, obviously, if you're tasting wine, um, you're gonna get a little bit tipsy. Uh that's gonna happen. So obviously getting around is important because you don't want to be driving around and drinking it. So, what is the best way if you're gonna be doing some wine tastings to get around? Is it best to do a tour? Is it best to, you know, obviously you you do tours yourself? Is it possible um by train to reach some of these places? How would you organize to go and do wine tastings?

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Uh I would say it depends on the wine region, but in most cases you need a car to explore because vineyards and domains are often far from train stations and villages. If you want to taste without worrying about driving, a guide tour or a private diver is the best option. Of course, a private driver is more expensive, but you can choose the domains you want to visit and decide how much time you want to spend on each one. And uh, for example, if you decide to visit uh the Val de Loire wine region, you can travel by bike, following the famous Loire à Velo, which is the Loire by Bike itinerary. I've done part of it, it's mostly flat and it's a wonderful experience.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

That sounds amazing. I'd never I had never heard of that. That sounds really good. Now, obviously, if you do and if you if you're on your bicycle cycling around and you want to buy wine, I guess that's that could be a little bit more difficult unless you've got a panier, you can shove it in the basket.

Shipping Bottles And Packing Tips

SPEAKER_02 16:07

Um, do if you're gonna buy a wine when you go around, because I and I because I just know I can hear I can hear listeners going, but I might want to buy some of these wines and I might want to send them back to America or might want to send them back to Australia. Is there a way that some of these um places will send the wines back? Or if people buy a couple of bottles, is a kind of way that you say um this is a good way to get the wines back. Um I mean I know that you can buy some some uh pack-in on Amazon, for example, if you want to put uh wines uh to take wines home with you, but I'm always a little bit worried about that.

SPEAKER_01 16:39

Uh yes, many domains offer international shipping, and uh some, if you buy a certain number of bottles, offer free shipping, or eventually you can grab a couple of bottles in a towel and bring them home in your suitcase. Just uh remember that the transportation is stressful for wines, so it's better to wait a couple of months to let it settle before opening the bottle.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

Oh, that's a really good

Best Seasons Harvest And Festivals

SPEAKER_02 17:06

tip. Um so if anybody's planning to go to France and thinking, you know, want to add some wine travel into their itinerary, is there a best time of year to do that? Uh is there a, you know, for example, is harvest season a you know a magical time to visit, or is that a time to avoid?

SPEAKER_01 17:25

Uh each season offers a different experience in the bandas and the cellars, so it really depends on what you're looking for. Uh harvest season is always as magical as it sounds because people are extremely busy. And uh, for example, in Alsace, most of the hiking trails through the Bangas are closed to visitors during the harvest. Um, personally, I love visiting just before the harvest when the grapes are fully developed and you can take nice pictures, or right after when the sellers are in full activity. It's also a great time for the Fed de Vendance, which are the harvest festivals.

SPEAKER_02 18:04

Uh yeah, I was gonna ask you: are there any particular wine festivals that are events that are worth planning a trip around?

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Um there are many. Again, uh, I actually have a wine festival calendar by month on my Instagram profile, and I will soon publish a more detailed article on my travel blog. Personally, I never missed the grand tasting fair in Paris in December, where you can find uh all kinds of uh French wines. And I've also already booked my ticket for the wine fair in Bonn in November, which is dedicated 100% to Bourgogne wines. And uh, you know this uh the arrival of Boujolet Nouveau on the Thursday of November, it's always a fun event to celebrate, even if the the wines are not the best.

SPEAKER_02 18:49

It just sounds like a lot of fun though. I'll I will link um to your um calendar on your Instagram, and when you've got that um that article on your website as well, um Elisa will will link to that as well so you can we can share that in the show notes because that'll be uh really helpful to see. Because they do sound like a lot of fun, these wine festivals. Okay, yes.

Mistakes To Avoid And Best Advice

SPEAKER_02 19:09

Now, um, do you have a personal favorite wine region um and a favorite memory from your wine travels? Like are they kind of connected or is it just a favorite region that you love, but you've got something really a lovely memory that you have about uh trying your wines?

SPEAKER_01 19:23

Well, Bourgogne is my personal favorite, that's why I continue studying about these wines. Uh, in my opinion, it produces some of the best wines in France. And uh I would say the wine retreats I have co-hosted are some of my favorite wine treats because I love sharing these experiences with other wine lovers and discovering uh domains altogether.

SPEAKER_02 19:45

That sounds like a lot of fun. Um, do you have an experience or a specific taste in a walk or a village that you tell every wine lover to put on their France bucket list? Is there something that you just go, oh, you you really don't want to miss this?

SPEAKER_01 19:59

I wouldn't talk about a specific experience or wine tasting. My advice would be to be open-minded and go beyond the most famous models because some of the best wine experiences happen in smaller domains where you can meet the people behind the wines and discover places that many visitors miss.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

It sounds it does sound really um interesting, Elisa, to do this. And um, do you think there are um mistakes that people make when planning a wine trip to France?

SPEAKER_01 20:29

I would say the biggest mistakes are a lack of research and a lack of planning. Many people don't realize that wineries are not always open for visitors and you need to book in advance. And you know this well. Uh, logistics are also an important part of trip planning. And uh it's also important to choose the right region for your interests because every wine area has different grape varieties, wine styles, and a different overall experience. For example, I'm thinking about um a sponsor uh wine tour I took in June also. It was a day tour from Paris to Chablis, which is in northern Bourgogne. And I shared this tour with some visitors from overseas. And these visitors didn't know that uh Chablis is all about Chardonnay, so they were a bit disappointed because they were expecting to taste uh red wines, and uh, well, Chablis doesn't have uh red wines, so that's why research is very important.

SPEAKER_02 21:31

Yeah, definitely. I guess that leads me into the last the question I always ask at the end of my podcast. So, Elisa, what's the one tip you'd share with anyone planning their first French wine trip?

SPEAKER_01 21:42

I'd say to look for the full experience. Uh for me, the best wine trip is not just about tasting grape wines, it's about uh getting to know a place, meeting the people behind the bottles, enjoying the local food, and combining wine with unique experiences like uh travel hunting when it's the right season, a hot air balloon right over the vineyards, or uh cycling that uh Loara Velo. That's how you create uh lasting memories.

SPEAKER_02 22:10

So, Elisa, you help travelers plan these trips through your grape escapes and consultations. So, where can people find you and where what do you offer?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Indeed, I offer wine travel consultations with two different packages depending on what kind of help you need. You can find all my offers on my website, France Packet List, under wine travel planning section in the menu.

SPEAKER_02 22:33

Perfect. And we're gonna link to that in the show notes, and that's not gonna be a problem at globaltravelplanning.com forward slash episode 101. But thanks so much uh for Elisa for coming on this week and sharing about your passion for French wine. And uh I hope to meet up with you when I get to France next time.

SPEAKER_01 22:49

My pleasure. I love talking about wine, so I enjoyed this conversation a lot.

SPEAKER_02 22:55

And that brings us to the end of another episode of the Global Travel Planet Podcast and our very first taste of wine travel here on the podcast. If Elisa has you dreaming of vineyards and long French lunches, you will find everything mentioned today over in the show notes at globaltravelplanet.com forward slash episode 101, including where to find Elisa, her blog, and her wine travel consultations. If you know someone who is planning a trip to France or who simply loves a good glass of wine, do share this episode with them. And if you enjoy the podcast, a review really does help other travelers find us. But that just leaves me to say until next time on the Global Travel Planner Podcast. Happy Global Travel Planning. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Global Travel Planning Podcast. For more details and links to everything we discussed today, check out the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com. Remember, if you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast app because your feedback helps us reach more travel enthusiasts just like you. Anyway, that leaves me to say, as always, happy global travel planning.