Following on from a lively lunch amongst friends at the Wine Library in November, we are planning to organise a charity wine run in the Rhone between Thursday 28th and Saturday 30th July.
Participants will largely be from the Property and FM sector, but not exclusively so.
The tour committee is Jeremy and Bill from Incentive, Jeremy Day of King Sturge, Robert Scull from Boon Godbold, Stephen Waud from OCS and Martin Athey from Bayhams Solicitors. We have provisional sign up for the event from the committee with co-pilots, plus property teams from Lend Lease Retail, Munroe K and two others.
We have verbal agreement from Decanter Magazine and Estates Gazette as media partners to provide some coverage, and we are raising money for a charity that helps sufferers from a rare and cruel set of diseases called Myositis. We are raising money this time for the Myositis Support Group – www.myositis.org.uk
Maximum 20 cars, and 40 people (Hired Citroen 2CVs are planned!). Flying into Lyon on Thursday morning (Gatwick EasyJet 07.30 arrives 10.15). Hotel TBA, provisionally just north of Valence.
Outline schedule
Day 1 – Thursday 28th July (Northern Rhone)
1. Lyon Airport to Ampuis (35 miles / 47 minutes) Arrive 12.00 noon –tasting at one of the famous Condrieu providers (perhaps Cluseloch as he does Cote Rôtie as well)
2. Lunch in Ampuis 12.30-13.30 (Guigal is a possibility)
3. Drive to Tain/Roches de Glun and visit Paul Jaboulet (42 miles / 1 hour 22 minutes) Arrive 3.15 – tasting and tour – leave 4.15pm
4. Alternative to 3 (or in addition if time permits) – Visit Bernard Grippa for St Joseph/Cornas and St Peray tasting?
5. Drive to hotel in Valence – (4 miles / 10 minutes) 5.00pm
6. Dinner 7.30 at hotel or local restaurant of choice
Day 2 – Friday 29th July (Southern Rhone)
1. Start 09.00 – drive to Rasteau ( 65 miles / 1 hour 50 minutes) Arrive 11.00 am at Domaine Trapidas – short tasting, leave 11.30am
2. Drive to Vacqueyras, (15.4 miles / 26 minutes) 12.00 Arrive at Les Sang De Cailloux, short tasting – leave, 1.00pm
3. Drive to CNDP – (5.1 miles / 10 minutes) 1.30 Arrive at Chateau Beaucastel for lunch followed by tour and tasting – leave 3.00pm
4. Drive to Orange (CNDP) – (4.7 miles / 10 minutes) 3.15 Arrive at Domaine Charvin – short tasting – leave, 3.45pm
5. Drive back to hotel in Valence – (67 miles / 2 hours) Arrive at hotel, 5.45-6.15pm
6. Dinner Locally 7.30pm
Day 3
Breakfast and head back to Lyon Airport for flight at 10.15, arriving back at Gatwick at 10.45 local time on Saturday 30th July (back home in time for lunch!).
The likely cost for a team will be just under £1,000 plus the cheap flights. We have space for another ten teams at this stage, so please let Jeremy Waud know if you are interested in joining in this great fun, informative and worthwhile event.
