A 9 day technical study tour of Alsace, Burgundy and Champagne, will be conducted by Professors Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech, and Pascal Durand, University of Burgundy. The study tour will be to the most famous vineyards, and will feature wine and great food from some of the most prestigious winemakers of these regions. Also featured will be the gastronomic pleasures of each area.

Dates: December 5-13, 2013

This is the 8th technical tour that we have conducted. Previous travels have included Bordeaux, Spain, Provence, the Loire, the Rhone, and Burgundy.

Several write-ups about our Technical Study Tours are posted at www.vtwines.info under Enology Notes.

For additional information or questions regarding this tour, contact me at bzoeckle@vt.edu or call me at 540 998 9025.

Who Should Attend: This is a technical tour and designed for commercial grape growers and winemakers.

Tour Schedule  

  • Thursday Dec 5 : the participants meet at Reims, capital of Champagne for a first tasting in the afternoon and a dinner at the hotel.
  • Friday Dec 6 : Morning at Reims for touring Roederer/Pommery, lunch and afternoon on “Côte des rouges” touring small wineries, Tasting and dinner by Veuev Clicquot. Night in Reims
  • Saturday Dec 7: Early departure for Epernay and the “Cote des Blancs”. Tour and tasting at Moet/Perrier Jouet. Lunch and departure for Alsace and Strasbourg
  • Sunday Dec 8: Relaxed morning to visit Strasbourg (Cathedral/Christmas market). Lunch and afternoon in the vineyards next to Strasbourg. Dinner and night at Strasbourg
  • Monday Dec 9: The wine route of Alsace to Colmar. Stops at Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr. Winemaker dinner at Kienstein.
  • Tuesday Dec 10: Early departure to Burgundy and Côte de Beaune vineyards (Puligny Montrachet/Volnay/Beaune/Corton). Night at Dijon
  • Wednesday Dec 11: Day in Côte de Nuits (Gevrey Chambertin, Vougeot, Vosne Romanée).
  • Thursday Dec 12: Early departure for Chablis (visit and lunch William Fevre). Farewell dinner.
  • Friday Dec 13: Tour downtown Dijon in morning (farmer market…) depart for Paris airport by train.

Additional details regarding specific hotels, etc. will be forthcoming.

 Cost:  Cost includes all in-country expenses (hotel lodging, transport, food, all expenses expect personal items), and is is based on single vs. double room occupancy as follows:

$3800 for a single room

$3200 for sharing a room (two people per room, double beds)

Because participants will have different airline schedules your are responsible for lining up your train transport from Paris airport to Reims (our starting point) and your return from Dijon back to Paris. Both trips are relatively short. We will reimburse each traveler 50 Euros for each trip (which is the cost of this transportation if lined-up a month before travel). I can help you with this booking, if needed.

Cost does not include transportation to and from France.

 Registration:

  • Reservations can be made by sending a non-refundable, $250 deposit to:

Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060.

  • No slots will be held without a deposit check.
  • Technical Study Tours are restricted to commercial grape growers and winemakers.
  • The maximum enrollment is 16.