DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND DISCOVERY
- Arrival to Montpellier.
- A guided tour in Béziers, one of the oldest cities in France (575 BC).
- Arrival to the magnificent Château St. Pierre de Serjac in Puissalicon, a beautiful Mediterranean countryside of the Languedoc.
- Free time and relaxation in the vineyards and stunning surroundings.
- 8:30 pm: Gastronomic dinner concocted by chef Ludovic Laurenty, the one Michelin-starred chef at Château St. Pierre de Serjac. A food and wine pairing experience around regional products and the wines of Bonfils.
DAY 2: THE TRUFFLE HUNTING EXPERIENCE
- 7:30 am: Breakfast in a setting overlooking the truffle hunting woodland.
- 9:00 am: Hunting techniques session: A stroll in the forest accompanied by the farmer and his dogs to hunt the black truffle (The real tuber melanosporum, the black diamond). A truffles’ cooking workshop.
- 1:00 pm: Tasting experience around truffle meals and wine pairing (The PDO wines of the Clape region).
- 3:30 pm: Relaxation and free time.
- 9:00 pm: Diner à La Table de Saint Crescent- 1 étoile au guide Michelin. Chef Lionel Giraud.
DAY 3 : THE THAU LAGOON.
- Breakfast
- 9:00 am: Departure to Marseillan. Discovery of the oyster farming parks. Meet the farmers, Annie and Henri Rouquette and discover the farming techniques in this part of the South of France. Participate in an interactive culinary workshop around the oysters and mussels of the lagoon.
- 1:00 pm: Tasting of the oysters and Picpoul de Pinet, the famous regional white wine- AOC (The largest white wine regions of the Languedoc).
- 3:00 pm: Visit of Château Saint Martin de la Garrigue. Built around 1557, the Château is an ensemble of Renaissance buildings, that has benefited from the considerable inspired additions and modifications. It hosts a chapel dating from the year 987.
- Return to the farmhouse.
- Relaxation and free time.
- Dinner at the « Grands buffets de Narbonne » (An unparalleled gourmet experience of the French classical feast).
- Breakfast
- Farewell and Goodbye. Return to Beirut
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The 3Ds OF THE CULINARY AND WINE JOURNEY
(Découverte, Dégustation et Développement).
GASTRONOMY | PRODUCTS | SPECIALTIES
- Oysters
- Mussels
- Truffles (the black diamond – the Tuber Melanosporum)
- Olive oil and the “Lucques” green table olives of the Languedoc-Roussillon.
- Cassoulet
- PDO Cheeses; Roquefort | Rocamadour | Bleu de Causses | Pélardon
- Agneau Allaiton de l’Averyron
- Picpoul de Pinet Wine
- La Clape Wine; the largest PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) conservation area.
- Blanquette de Limoux; PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)
OUTDOOR EXPLORATION
- Vineyards exploration.
- Castles’ visits.
- Farms’ visits
- Oysters and Mussels production parks and tables.
- Medieval Cities.
- Most beautiful villages and Towns of France.
- UNESCO World heritage sites.
TOWNS | CITIES | HERITAGE
- Puissalicon.
- The pond of Thau (L’étang de Thau)
- Bézier
- Massif de la Clape
- Narbonne
- Canal du Midi (or Canal royal en Languedoc): An UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. The Canal connects the Garonne to the Mediterranean Sea with its starting point in Toulouse and ending point in the Etang de Thau. Founder: Paul Riquet.
ART OF TASTING ACTIVITIES
- Truffles hunting in Argeliers
- Truffles cooking workshop and exquisite tasting experience.
- Oysters and mussels culinary workshop.
- Oysters, mussels and Picpoul de Pinet tasting experience with the farmers in a countryside setting overlooking the pond of Thau.
- An unparalleled dinner experience in the BIG BUFFET OF NARBONNE (Les Grands Buffets de Narbonne).
- An agritourism experience in Argeliers in the heart of the truffles' woddland.
- Gastronomic dinner in a in a Michelin-starred restaurant.
