Full-Day Limoux & the Malepère Vineyard Private Tour

The Limoux & the Malepère Vineyard Tour is for lovers of still & sparkling wines. Just 20 minutes from Carcassonne is the little know appellation of Malepère where fabulous red and rosé wines are produced using famous grape varieties such as Syrah, Grenache and Merlot. White wines are also produced here and you will taste some excellent examples of Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier and Chardonnay.

We start the tour with a visit to one of the leading producers of these wines where you will enjoy a private tour of the winery and learn the fascinating process of vineyard to bottle followed by an extensive tasting of their distinctive wines. During the visit you will learn about wine production in the Languedoc and visit the barrel room to discover how maturing wine in barrel is not just about oak flavour.

The pretty town of Limoux is a short distance away and this is where we will head for lunch which is a 3-course meal made from local and seasonal produce accompanied by delicious wines of the region. Afterwards you will have time for a short stroll around the town before we head off to our next visit.

Limoux is famous for its sparkling wines and many say they rival Champagne. We will visit a top-class producer of these wines and learn the intriguing way sparkling wines are made using the traditional method, just like Champagne. However, unlike the Champagne area this region makes 3 styles of sparkling wines; Blanquette du Limoux, Crémant du Limoux and Blanquette Ancestral, a delicious sweet sparkling wine, very unusual and very palatable!

Our final visit of the day is to the Abbey of St Hilaire where the first sparkling wine in the world was created by the monks in 1531. This is a beautiful abbey and we will spend a little time visiting the historical wine cellar and the other ancient buildings including the church and enjoying a peaceful moment in the beautiful cloister watching the pretty fountain.