Wine Tasting
On This Page:
Wine Tasting |
Bookable Dates |
Practical Details |
Tailor Made |
Print 
- Circle of Misse Creative Holidays & Courses rated "excellent" by travelers
WINE TASTING
We are passionate about wine at Misse. This house was chosen because of its location, nestled amid the great wine regions of Anjou, Saumur, Chinon, Touraine and the lesser known Vins du Thouarsais and Haut Poitou.
Whether you would like to learn more about wine or the wines of the region, you want a better understanding of the wine making process or you want to learn how to match wine with food, come join us for a one-day, two-day or weekend course.
LOIRE VALLEY WINE MAP
On one-day courses we start by demystifying the tasting process and by establishing language that can help you identify good from bad and more importantly flavours you particularly like. We talk about the soils and prevailing conditions in the region, and throughout the day we will taste a selection of the best wines of the region, accompanied by foods that show them off well. We end the day with a visit to a local winery.
Two-day courses and Misse wine weekends are about getting to know and love the region and its wines. We will enjoy a couple of wine tasting sessions accompanied by French style Tapas designed to compliment the wines. We will take some time to talk about the variety of grapes and wines in the region and discuss some of the changes to wine-making in the last century. We will take lunch out, in Chinon or Saumur, and spend an afternoon visiting wineries in the region. We will also visit a selected winery and have the winemaker take us out to the vines and talk through their work (as long as he or she is not in the middle of harvesting grapes).
One-Day Courses - Bookable Dates:
April 6
September 4 7 9 11 14 16 18 21 23 25 30
October 2
Two-Day Courses - Bookable Dates:
May 29-30
August 2-3
September 28-29
Weekend Courses - Bookable Dates:
March 29-1 April - Salon des Vins et Terroirs à Thouars - (three nights)
July 6-8 - (two nights)
October 5-7 - (two nights)
XX indicates that a course has limited places XX indicates that a course is full
One-day courses cost £95 per participant, two-day courses cost £185 and wine weekends cost £275. All wines and food consumed during the course are included in the price. To secure places a deposit of £50, per participant, is due at the time of booking; the balance is due 45 days before the course starts.
Bed & breakfast can be arranged either at the house or in nearby hotels from £60 per room (up two people sharing). Dinner can also be arranged.
Other Dates
We host many courses during the year. If the dates above do not work and you are looking to book a class for at least two people, let us know the date\s that you are interested in, whether you'd like to do a one or two-day course and we'll be happy to put something together.
Practical Details
For your enjoyment and to ensure enough one-to-one time and attention we limit wine-tasting courses to a maximum of eight participants.
Tailor Made
Specific dates in mind? Like to arrange something special or simply arrange accommodation? Just contact us and if we are able, we'll be happy to help.
Private courses can sometimes be arranged, just give us a ring.
Loire Wine Facts
Principle grape varieties:
White
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Chenin Blanc
- Chardonnay
Rosé
- Groleau
- Gamay
- Cabernet Franc
Red
- Cabernet Franc
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Gamay
- Côt (Malbec)
Celebrated for its "Saumur sparkling wines", many of the Loire's great still wines are less easy to find outside the region and more difficult to source outside of France. The reason for this is that so many wines are made by small independent producers who simply don't make enough wine to interest large suppliers and supermarket chains.
Celine and Benoit Blet are an excellent example. They tend eight and half hectares of vines, in neighbouring Oiron, production is biodynamic and there are just three people involved in running the whole operation. Their wines can be found in many of the best restaurants locally and are stocked by a number of Cavistes (specialist wine shops) in the region, particularly those with an interest in organic and biodynamic production. Beyond that they supply a small number of enthusiastic distributors both in France and abroad.