An impression of some JoliSoleil wine tours.

Team building and senior management strategy retreats 2020 - 2021

Are you planning a business presentation or a management meeting in Alsace, Burgundy or Tuscany? 

We partner with exquisite (chateau) hotels and restaurants in these area's that provide the right atmosphere and have all the facilities you might need.

We can help you organize your stay and of course your lunches and dinners but also (wine) excursions in the area. Of course we can also design a "partner program" or help you find a speaker for your congress.

We can help you setup Zoom or WebEx.

More on our website or mail us. 

Gourmet getaways

Which wineries to visit
On our private wine tours we first of all offer our clients a general overview of what the region has to offer. That means they will get to know and taste all official grapes that are allowed in the area.
And then of course we compare many wines: grand cru's of Alsace, premier and grand cru's from Burgundy and docg's from Tuscany.

We always end a tour in the afternoon at one of the top wineries in the area. The customer having tasted and learned a lot during the tour day(s), often knows which wines would be most worthwhile to finish with.
I, as a wine guide spending the time with my clients getting to know them, can often predict which wines would be most interesting for them to try and buy at the end.
These are some great advantages of a private tour with a knowledgeable wine guide (...)

Maybe I should stress the fact that I do not do the same tour every day. I select the wineries to visit in a more or less logical order for driving but I also will build up a variety. If communicated before, my selection of wineries for the visits is also based on the clients preferences and suggestions.

Lunch and dinner

For lunch I always select at least a good restaurant. I want to present my customers the great (local) food that the region has to offer.  And quality goes over quantity! Too much food for lunch can ruin the following afternoon tastings. And people need to save some space for dinner in the evening too of course.

Michelin stars

A lot of my clients ask me for the possibility to include lunch and/or dinner in a Michelin starred restaurant. After all they are on vacation and doing an exclusive wine tasting, so often they are in the mood to give their taste buds a food treat too.
In some cases they just want to experience the having been in a famous Michelin starred restaurant. In other cases they have read about a special menu, the chef, a dish etc..
Last but not least: in such a restaurant a wine and food pairing will be perfect!

I often discuss possibilities with the restaurants sommelier beforehand and also sur place we can discuss wine pairing details with the very knowledgable sommeliers.

Budget
Here is another advantage of a private tour. In a mixed group I cannot force people to spend more money then they might have expected for let us say "just a pizza" or a "tarte flambee".
Normally we spend 25-30 Euro p.p. without drinks.

In a private group we can discuss things beforehand and reserve an exclusive table..
By the way: many Michelin starred restaurants offer lunch menu's for about 45-55 Euro p.p. during the week. Sure, a little more expensive, but a pleasant surprise for lots of people.

Michelin in Alsace, Burgundy and Tuscany
The Michelin restaurant guides are well known all over the world. In countries like France and Italy they are very important.
I sometimes go to dine there in private, but thanks to you: "the JoliSoleil wine tour customers" I have visited a lot of them in my area's quite a few times now.
Over the years I got to know a lot of chefs and sommeliers personally, which absolutely adds to my job satisfaction.

Gourmet Getaways
As a logical answer to the demands of a group of customers JoliSoleil now also offers: "Gourmet Getaways".
This is something special  for a special occasions like a romantic weekend, a wedding, a special business achivement, etc.
They are always private events

In a 3 -, 4- or 5- day Gourmet Getaway  you will enjoy:

- lunches at Michelin "Bib Gourmand" or "Star restaurants"
- an introduction and wine tasting and at your hotel
- visits and tastings of the top wineries of the area (4 per tasting day, so for example 8 visits on a 3- day Getaway
- at least one 5-course dinner with matching wines in a top Michelin * restaurant.
- you will meet many wine makers and chefs personally

We can assist you in booking a room in a 5-star hotel either in a city like:

• Colmar or Strasbourg in Alsace
• Beaune or Dijon in Burgundy
• Siena or Florence in Tuscany

In all areas are also beautiful resorts in the country site.

To give you an idea: prices for a 3 day Getaway start at Euro 1.250,= p.p., but better mail us to get a personal proposal for your private tailor made Gourmet Getaway.

Tuscany's Dolce Vita - JSwinetours tours at least twice a year in this beautiful part of Italy.

JoliSoleil does 3- or more day private tours in Tuscany at least twice a year.
We take you to the Chianti area , Montalcino and Montepulciano. We will let you taste the best Chianti's, Brunello's, Super Tuscans and more.
You will stay in cozy little hotels and have dinner in the best (often Michelin starred) restaurants.


For more information just mail us or call +33672120319.

Impressions of a lovely May tour in Tuscany

On our May tour in Tuscany we visited some great wineries in the Chianti region like. Gagliole, Castellare and Ricasoli. 

We had some wonderful lunches and dinners in Siena and near Montalcino.

Around Montalcino we visited Altesino and Banfi, among others.

In a tasting sesssion we compared these 3 Brunello's:

• Pian delle Quercy 2006
• La Poderina 2007
• La Togata 2007

Life can be good. We cannot wait to go back :).
Join us next time?

Ciao from Terry & Pieter

The Black Rooster story 'Gallo Nero' and Chianti Classico

Chianti sounds ...
During the middle ages there was a rivalry between Siena and Florence. This resulted in a lot of fighting, in fact the area of Chianti takes its name from the sound of the fighting being heard across the land (like the sound of the clanging of swords).

Knight do not be late
To end the fighting the people decided that knights would leave their home towns at the cock's crow.
Florence had a black rooster and they did not feed him. Siena had a white rooster and they fed him well.

So on the day this was to take place the black rooster of Florence, so hungry, started to crow before the sun came up. As a result the knight of Florence left much earlier arriving in Fonterutoli, meeting the knight from Siena only 12 kilometers from the Siena border. This is why almost all of the Chianti region feel under the rule of the Florentine Republic.

Gallo Nero - the black rooster
So as the story goes since the 14th century, 600 years ago, the black rooster has been the symbol of the Chianti region and this rooster is the official emblem of certification of the wine from the Consortium.

This represents 9 municipalities, 4 of which are in the original black rooster region which are labeled 'in Chianti'and 5 of which are partially in the region and represents a total of 7,000 hectares of land between Siena and Florence.

Did I say that there are some yummy "polio" recipes in Tuscany? Of course with a Gallo Nero certified Chianti Classico wine.