Private wine tour and Saint-Paul-de-Vence

A day in the hills of the French Riviera for those who enjoy good wine, local food and beautiful landscapes: two wine estates, a long lunch and a medieval art village.

Stop 1: Château de Crémat, Nice

The day starts on the sunny heights of Nice, at Château de Crémat.

• The building: built in 1906 in a Tuscan Revival style, with views of the Mediterranean and the Alps.
• A story: the château’s « CC » logo is said to have inspired Coco Chanel‘s famous monogram.
• The tasting: limited-production wines from the Bellet appellation, grown in the hills of Nice.

Stop 2: Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Next comes the medieval walled village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, long a refuge for artists like Marc Chagall and Jacques Prévert.

• Lunch: a relaxed meal at a local bistro we have chosen, with a planche of regional cheeses, artisan charcuterie and Provençal specialties.
• Art and history: after lunch, wander the narrow stone streets, the art galleries and the 16th-century ramparts. A good moment for a digestif and a slow walk.

Stop 3: Domaine des Hautes Collines, Saint-Jeannet

We end at the foot of the Baou de Saint-Jeannet, at the Domaine des Hautes Collines. The estate dates back to Roman times and the Rasse family has looked after it for generations.

• Wine aged in the sun: a rare, ancient method where wine is aged in large glass demijohns (bonbonnes) left out in the Provençal sun. The result tastes like nothing else.
• The grapes: Merlot, Mourvèdre, Syrah and rare local varieties, a real find for wine lovers.

Why choose this private tour

• Exclusive estates that do not welcome large tour groups.
• The scenery: hilltop châteaux and dramatic cliffs all day.
• The winemakers: meet them and hear the stories behind the labels.
• We drive, you taste: enjoy every tasting while we handle the mountain roads.

A few French wine words

Useful at Château de Crémat:

• Terroir (ter-wahr): the mix of soil, climate and sunlight that makes a wine from Nice taste different from a wine from Provence.
• Appellation (ah-peh-la-syohn): a protected area. Bellet is one of the smallest and most prestigious AOCs in France.
• Cuvée (koo-vay): a specific blend or batch. A « Cuvée Prestige » is the winemaker’s best.
• Robe (rohb): the wine’s « dress », meaning its color and clarity in the light.
• Bonbonnes (bohn-bohn): the large glass demijohns used at Domaine des Hautes Collines, left in the sun to age the wine naturally.

Ready to taste the Côte d’Azur? Contact us to book your private wine and history tour.

Guy Alfonsi. Born in Nice, 20+ years of guiding. TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence since 2014.