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A wine study tour is planned for November 26 to December 5, 2007.

The group will experience the new terroirs in the hills of Languedoc (modern blended varieties), the wines of Listel, the success of Mourvedre and Viognier in the “Montagne Ste Victoire” around Aix en Provence, the new fashion for rosé wines in the rolling hills of Provence, the rare Tiburen grape variety, and finish the study tour in Nice. The tour will also include a day at SITEVI, the equipment show in Montpellier.

The itinerary is as follows.

• Leave the US on Monday, November 26, 2007 for Montpellier, France (we hope to have all participants depart together from Washington-Dulles).
• Arrive at Montpellier airport Tuesday morning – to Hotel.
• Tuesday afternoon, November 27 and Wednesday, November 28 – Western Languedoc: Focus on new styles of Languedoc wines (varieties, techniques) with stops at Skalli-Sète (Fortant de France), Institut Coopératif du Vin (experimental labs), Coop-Florensac (new blends) and Mas-de-Saporta (South of France Wine Alliance).
• Thursday, November 29 – SITEVI at Montpellier: Focus on new equipment for small wineries. In the afternoon, stop at Listel-Vin des Sables along the sea.
• Friday, November 30 - Eastern Languedoc: Focus on successful wines of the Southern East Bank of the river Rhône at Beaucaire and Tavel. Stop at Arles.
• Saturday, December 1 - The Left Bank: gate of Provence: Matching Mediterranean food and wines in the foothills of Alpilles and Luberon, from the antique city of Les Baux to Aix en Provence, along the olive trees. Stop at Château de Beaulieu, a key player in the new Provence styles.
• Sunday, December 2 – The Appellations of Provence 1: A diversity of "terroirs". Visit two wineries along the beaches at Bandol and Lalonde Les Maures producing whites (Rolle, Ugni blanc, Clairette, Grenache blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Semillon and Marsanne), rosés (Tiburen) and reds (Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet franc).
• Monday, December 3 – The Appellations of Provence 2: Focus on the rosé phenomenon. Day with the Association of Producers of Provence, visit and tasting at the new Experiment center and at Château St Martin. Last tasting late afternoon at St Tropez, the hotspot for the European jetset.
• Tuesday, December 4 – Back to the origin: At St Honorat, tour of the first vineyards settled by the Greeks twenty-five hundred years ago, nestled along a monastery since the Middle Ages. Relax or some shopping in the afternoon. Goodbye dinner at a winery (Folle Noire and Braquet) around Nice. End of the tour.
• Wednesday, December 5 – Depart from Nice airport (or additional tour on your own along the French Riviera).

General schedule

Dates:
In France from Tuesday morning, November 27th at Montpellier Airport to Wednesday morning, December 5th at Nice Airport.

Air Transportation (not included):
The most convenient is Air France, leaving Washington-Dulles Monday afternoon, November 26th, with a direct connection at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport to Montpellier (direct reservation). Same direct connection on the way back from Nice, via Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. We hope to travel as a group to France, but this is not required.

General conditions for the tour

Price includes

• all domestic transportation in France, from airport to airport, by Pullman bus
• three-star hotels
• beverages and meals, visits, tastings, translation, and documents

Not included:

• the round trip air ticket from the US
• telephone calls, extra beverages, and other personal expenses during the tour

 For a single room: 2,300 Euros per person

For couples or sharing a room: 2,100 Euros per person

Registration. Registration is on a first-come first-served basis. Space is reserved only after the receipt of your non-refundable deposit check of $250 per person, payable to Bruce Zoecklein, and mailed to Bruce Zoecklein, Department of Food Science and Technology (0418), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061. Any questions can be directed to me at 540-231-5325 or email at .

You must provide the following with your registration payment:

• Name
• Complete address
• Home phone number
• Daytime phone number
• Email address
• Passport number

Registration must be received by October 31, 2007.

This study tour has as maximum limit of 20 people.

For added insight to the nature of these study tours, check On-Line Publications, France Study Tour 2002, or click Enology Notes Index, France, both at www.vtwines.info. To date, four trips to France have been organized.