Reconverted into a three-star hotel with a gourmet restaurant, the Chateau des Comtes de Challes offers an exceptional stay where you can taste the wines and fine food of the Savoie region.

With its fifteenth-century chimneys and beams and its romantic garden, the Chateau des Comtes de Challes, near Chambéry, has been reconverted into a charming three-star hotel. In the magnificent original wine cellar, where some 15,000 bottles are stored, the sommelier, or wine steward, will reveal the secrets of tasting the wines of the Savoie region.

In the evening continue your introduction to wine appreciation during a dinner prepared by a renowned chef. The hotel can also add to the pleasure of your stay with a relaxing health treatment or a helicopter or glider flight over the Savoie vineyards.

Literature and wine expert Evelyne Léard-Viboux is a child of the Maurienne mountain region who went on to become a literature teacher. She shares her passion for the wines and countryside of the Savoie region in words and photographs. A scenic wine region combining diversity and quality. 

Why did you produce the book Wines and Vineyards in Savoie Mont Blanc?

This book arose out of a meeting with the photographer Laurent Madelon, who, like me, has a passion for the mountains and the vineyards of Savoie. My intention is to enhance the image of Savoie wines. These are remarkable wines which age very well; some of them are rare, while others are delicate and very original.

What did you intend to show to readers?

We wanted to reveal the scenic vineyards, marked by history, as well as their bracing climate and chaotic geography, all of which give the wines their character. In short, we wanted to reexamine the clichés and the assumptions about Savoie, such as its rustic nature or the coarseness of the wines. These clichés are still too widespread. 

Why did you give such a prominent place to photography?

The Savoie vineyards are extremely photogenic: the abrupt slopes, the well-defined seasons, the proximity of the lakes and the mountains. All this contributes to making it a sublime place, and the photography highlights its originality. The text provides complementary information to showcase the great diversity of grape varieties present in the Savoie vineyards.

What else have you done to champion Savoie wines?

I present wines during tasting sessions, I am on the judging panels of the major wine competitions and I produce wines for the Savoie winemakers with whom I collaborate to further improve the quality of the wines. 

In the heart of the Provençal vineyards, introduce yourself to the thousand-year-old tradition of the grape harvest and enjoy a friendly social experience with the winemakers during your stay. 

A haven of greenery in the heart of the Provençal vineyards next to Fréjus, the Clos des Roses vineyard has a modern wine cellar filled with huge sculptures, as well as an authentic Provençal house. You will savour the gourmet tastes of Mediterranean- and Provençal-style cuisine and relax in one of the eight stylishly decorated rooms. During the grape harvest, go with the team for a morning of grape picking, then taste the first juice of the crushed grapes and have lunch with the pickers.

Walks in the vineyards around historical local sites and interesting discoveries on signposted paths. With a visit to the wine cellars and a tasting of Provencal wines when you finish. 

Walk in the vineyards of Provence and taste the best wines of Provence in the wine cellars. The Winegrowers’ Paths offer you signposted walks, varying from 5 to 13 km in length, which start from four cooperative wine cellars (guidebooks can be obtained at Puyloubier, Trets, Rognes and Lambesc). On these round trips you will discover the different varieties of grapes and the work of the winegrowers.

Another option, available from May to November at the four wine cellar cooperatives of the Bouches-du-Rhône, is to do a guided 5-km walk of local historic sites with a wine grower. This is available each first Saturday of the month. The Winegrowers’ Walks conclude with a tasting in the wine cellar.

The members of the Massin family enjoy showing you the magic of their champagne bubbles, which they have produced for four generations. An informative and friendly champagne-tasting workshop.

Carole Massin welcomes you to the wine cellar, in person, for a two-hour discovery tour. She provides expert commentary about the equipment and reveals the secrets of how to make champagne bubbles. At the foot of the impressive fermentation tanks, you taste the still wines, with no bubbles (made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes), and taste the blends.

The visit ends in a friendly family setting in the tasting room, where you will taste six champagnes, including the special Solera, composed of 14 different types of grape, as well as a dry rosé and a vintage champagne. The champagnes are accompanied by a selection of delicious tiny cakes known as petit fours. 

In a unique wine workshop, learn how to taste still wines and create your own blend of champagne! After a few years maturing in the cellar, the champagne you created will be dispatched to you.

In the Marne Valley, the House of J. de Telmont welcomes you to the Damery vineyard for an exceptional wine workshop. After a presentation of the Champagne region, the different grape varieties and winemaking, comes the much-anticipated moment. You taste the still wines, without bubbles, then blend the wines and create your own champagne! Your creation is ready.

After a few years in the cellar, your champagne will be ready to taste among friends. A special experience lasting three and a half hours, which concludes with a glass of champagne and delicious tiny cakes known as petits fours.

Winner of the Wine Tourism Trophies Golden Prize 2021 in the “Creative and Original Activities” category, the Champagne house puts on other activities where you can take part in some sparkling discoveries!