Gourmet Journey through the Charentes
You will not understand Cognac from a glass. You understand it in a family cellar in the vineyards, in a cooperage where oak is charred over an open flame, in the barrels a craftsman reuses to age his vinegars. This four-day journey starts there, then follows the river Charente down to the Atlantic.
Eight encounters, two hotels only, four Michelin-listed tables including a three-star restaurant facing the ocean. And, in the middle of it, a farmhouse lunch in a manor house that has not changed in seventy years.
4-day / 3-night stay details
What you will see
- A Charentais truffle grove: the host oak, the limestone that makes it possible, and how to read the aromas. Almost nobody knows the Charente grows truffles
- La Compagnie de Bouteville, in the Grande Champagne: vinegars and balsamics made from Ugni Blanc must and aged in former Cognac barrels, tasted with oysters. A Michelin Green Guide favourite
- A family estate in the Petite Champagne, a few kilometres from our own offices: the vines, the Charentais still, the ageing cellars, buildings representative of the local architecture of past centuries, and the house’s own Cognacs and Pineau des Charentes
- A Charentais cooperage: the stave wood, the splitting, the steam bending, then the charring over flame, the moment the cooper decides what the barrel will give the spirit
- A family fish farm fed by a natural spring, raising its own sturgeon and producing its own caviar for more than ten years
- A Haute-Saintonge farm and its duck and foie gras, from the raising to the tasting
- An oyster village on the Île d’Oléron: timber huts, tidal channels and claires, and what finishing in a claire does to the taste of an oyster
- A Gillardeau oyster tasting at Bourcefranc-le-Chapus, looking out over the marshes
A trip that works for two
Of the eight experiences, seven involve no alcohol at all. One half-day ends with a spirits tasting, and it comes with its own alternative: an aroma workshop reading the aromatic families of Cognac from scent strips, led by the producer, followed by a tasting of the estate’s grape juice. Nobody spends four days waiting for their partner.
Where you will stay
Two bases, one unpacking. Two nights at the Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa, five stars in Cognac, a former trading house and cellar complex. One night at La Villa Grand Voile, a five-star Relais & Châteaux in the heart of La Rochelle, eleven rooms and suites. These properties or of equivalent standard, subject to availability on your dates.
Where you will eat
Four lunches and three dinners are included. Among them, four Michelin-listed tables, including Christopher Coutanceau, three stars, seafood served facing the Atlantic on the Plage de la Concurrence.
Two ways to travel
On a self-drive basis, you drive and we handle everything else: bookings, tables, a personal roadbook and telephone assistance throughout.
On a privately guided basis, a bilingual French and English driver-guide accompanies you for the four days. The tastings can then be enjoyed without a designated driver.
Prestige collection
Highlights of the stay
– Discovering Charentais gastronomy
– Meeting passionate producers
– Tasting exceptional products
– Two visits a day, without turning the trip into a marathon.
Duration
4 days / 3 nights
Number of guests
2 people
Rates
From € 2,750
The package includes
- Three nights in 5-star hotels, breakfast included
- 4 lunches and 3 dinners, including four Michelin-recognized restaurants (drinks excluded)
- 8 scheduled experiences, with reservations included
- A personalized travel booklet (in French or English) containing itineraries, GPS coordinates, and meeting times
- Vouchers
- Telephone support from Cognac Tasting Tour throughout the stay
The package does not include
- Transportation to Angoulême and from La Rochelle
- Vehicle rental
- Fuel, tolls, and parking fees
Meals not listed in the program - Beverages (including those accompanying included meals) and wine pairings not explicitly specified
- Personal purchases from producers
- Spa treatments
- Cancellation, assistance, and repatriation insurance
- Tourist tax (where payable locally)
- Any service not explicitly mentioned
Starting and ending points
The trip begins in Angoulême, which is directly accessible from Paris by TGV. It ends in La Rochelle, also accessible from Paris by TGV.
The starting and ending points can be reversed, allowing you to travel from Angoulême to Bordeaux by TGV.
Naturally, the duration and itinerary of this trip can be adjusted to suit your needs.
Variations
The balance of the journey is set at quotation stage, without changing the route or the hotels.
- Prestige alternative. A private tour of one of the major Cognac houses (Hennessy, Rémy Martin, Martell, or Courvoisier) replaces the cooperage visit. Room upgrades in Cognac and dedicated concierge service throughout the stay. Supplement available upon request.
- Light Cognac alternative. The cooperage visit is replaced by a visit to an artisan’s workshop. Price adjustment upon request.
- Group of Six alternative. One dinner takes place at a traditional distillery, featuring a menu with food, Cognac, and Pineau des Charentes pairings. Available for groups of six and private guided tours. Supplement quoted upon request.
- Extension. One or two additional nights in La Rochelle or on the Île de Ré, with or without an organized itinerary.
Choose your travel package
Self-drive package from € 2,750 per person
Based on two people sharing, three nights with breakfast, seven meals included, eight experiences with all bookings made. Self-drive, April to June and September to October. July and August on request.
The privately guided version is quoted as a package for the group, from € 10,290 for two. Indicative 2026 rates, subject to revision, not contractual.
The journey operates from April to October. The full day-by-day itinerary is sent to you on request.
Request the full itinerary and a quote or write to us directly.