Experience the French Art de Vivre at its best

Welcome to Cognac, worldwide capital of a renowned business. On your arrival, in the heart of the vineyards which brought about the famous Cognac VSOP, XO, and even Napoléon and Louis XIII appellations, an english speaking chauffeur will welcome you and get you settled in your 4* hotel, situated in a 19th century castelet overhanging the Charente valley.

A relaxation area with a sauna, Turkish Bath and a Jacuzzi is available for you for a wonderful moment of relaxation and well-being. In a warmly decorated Bar-club, complete with an ancient fireplace, you can give in to your desire to sample some incredible Cognacs and smoke a cigar.

For dinner, your hotel will offer you one of the finest tables in the region. In a room with a hushed atmosphere or on a terrace in an enchanted setting, you will have the opportunity to taste the food of a talented young chef “who knows how to make the best of regional products, with elegance and thoughtfulness”, praises Madame Figaro, to quote just her.

Come to Charente, truly means discovering the secrets of how Cognac is made, this eau-de-vie which is exported to more than 160 countries worldwide. This bordered region is home to the Larges Houses which have a global reputation, supplied by a large part of some 5900 businesses, which provides the Cognac wine and even the eau de vie itself.

After breakfast, you will have the enormous honour of spending the day in the private property of one of the most famous Cognac House, the “Rémy Martin House”, where you can make the most of having a VIP Pass.

You will start the day by discovering the vineyards, before moving onto the distillery where you will witness the birth of Cognac, accompanied by the Master distiller and your English guide.

A private tasting session of the Eaux-de-vie and Cognac in the historic home of Rémy Martin, accompanied by small apperitifs prepared by the house’s head chef, will give you the chance to teach your nose and your palate the different flavours which distinguish Cognac. It will also allow you to try out different ways of drinking this liqueur which is drunk both pure or with various mixers, before, during or after meals throughout many countries in the world.

We then invite you to a lunch in the heart of the distillery, and taste a range of different typical “Charente” meals in an outstanding setting.

François I was born in Cognac and you are invited to visit the famous Château which carries his name and is now home to another large Cognac House. You can stroll up and down the alleyways of the old town, which will take you back to the gates of Saint-Jacques and lead you on to François I Place.

At the end of the afternoon, you will be driven to the family property of Rémy Martin and have the privilege of going inside its doors. In this place, so full of history, you will visit all the first wine-making installations and the historic rock stills.

You will then have the privilege of sitting down to a prestigious dinner in the heart of the historic distillery or in an intimate dining room.

After a generous breakfast, you will visit a working cooperage and witness the making of oak barrels in which Cognac and wines of many appellations are kept and matured. You will notice the highly technical skills used to make them, skills which are passed down from generation to generation, with no room for error. It’s after their slow maturing in the oak barrels that the eau-de-vie acquires its golden yellow colour and a fragrant characteristic which gives it the Cognac name.

You will be welcomed by an enologist from Hennessy House, belonging to the group LVMH, who will take you on an exclusive visit of the wine making installations. You will visit the wine storehouses which are usually closed to the public, and will be privately introduced to the assembling and tasting techniques of their eaux-de vie and Cognac.

If you wish to get right into the heart of the action, don’t forget that the distillation period starts in October and ends in March!

For lunch, depending on your wishes, we can arrange a table for you in a restaurant serving fine regional cuisine.

In the early afternoon, you chauffeur will drive you to Saintes, the capital of of Saintonge, which is home to much beautiful Romanesque Saintonge architecture: The “Abbaye aux Dames” and the church of Saint-Eutrope.
You will visit the Abbaye aux Dames, founded by the Earl of Anjou in 1047, and the first female convent in Saintonge. Since its foundation, the abbey was very prosperous until the 18th century and its influence was felt throughout the Saintonge during the 745 of monastic presence. Renovated in 1973, it became a a place of cultural reference which is home to many festivals.
The Saint-Eutrope church, built in the 11th century by Benedictine monks, was a stopping point for pilgrims on their way to Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle.
The church’s crypt, which is one of the largest in Europe, still holds the remains of Saint Eutrope, evangelist of the Saintonge. The church and its crypt are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Saintes possesses and impressive Roman heritage. The 127 metres long by 102 metre wide amphitheatre, is reminiscent of the town’s Roman origins. Erected uned Emperor Claude (41-54), it’s one of the oldest and best preserved Gaul amphitheatres.

The Arc de Triomphe, known as “Germanicus”, built in the year 19 by Caïus Julius Rufius is an impressive entrance and exit gateway to the town of Saintes, and is located on the very famous Via Agrippa which goes all the way to Lyon.

While walking through the park, you will find an incredible orangery which dates back to the 17th Century.

You may have chosen to extend your stay in this region or in another equally beautifully French region. Whatever your itinerary, take time to enjoy your breakfast at your hotel, after which your guide will take care of your transfer to Angoulême station or Bordeaux Mérignac airport.