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Now that I am off to Decouvertes en Vallee du Rhone next week, I was checking in with Wine & Spirits Educational Trust fellow-graduate Philip Reddaway, a former UK based adman (Mad Man?) who runs a very charming Inn called La Madelene with his wife (and chef) Jude in the Southern Rhone. I spent a weekend there a few years back, with Philip the galent host taking our small group to various wineries and restaurants.

Now Philip tells me he is offering a Truffle hunting weekend, with lots of food and wine and fun. You can read about it below.

Wine domaines, truffle hunting and cooking, truffle feast, and olive oil mill visit and tasting

Here it is, as Philip describes:

Dates: 30th November – 3rd December 2011
Accommodation: One of our best rooms at La Madèlene for 3 nights.

A three-night winter tour hosted by Philip and Jude Reddaway of La Madèlene and Kevan and Jennifer of Leaf Travel

Arrival Wednesday 30th November

Following your late afternoon arrival and settling in, we serve a Champagne reception, followed by a “ fine wine dinner” with us at La Madèlene - 4 courses of typical Provencal fare prepared expertly by Jude and each course accompanied by a different fine Rhone wine from my cellar chosen carefully to pair with the food. We might taste a white Lirac from Mordoreé, an aged Chateau Beaucastel from Chateauneuf du Pape
(2000 or 1999) and a sweet Muscat dessert wine from Domaine des Bernardins.

Thursday 1st December

Kevan and Jennifer of Leaf Travel, experienced professional chefs and gourmet tour guides, will host this day. In the morning you will accompany Kevan, Jennifer, and Max the truffle hunter together with his hunting dogs – in search of the famous “black diamonds”, the Ventoux black trufffle. Late morning Kevan and Jennifer will demonstrate how to clean and prepare the truffles and cook a superb truffle omelette lunch loaded generously with 25gms of truffles per person (the going retail price is around €1000 per Kilo!). In the afternoon you will be driven up into the picturesque hills of the Dentelles de Monmirail. The scenery of limestone crags and steep terraced vineyards is spectacular. You will visit the working Benedictine abbey of La Madeleine de Barroux and afterwards their private olive mill where we should be able to witness the pressing of olives, followed by a comparative tasting tutored by Kevan and Jennifer
In the evening we drive to the nearby town of Carpentras to dine at the restaurant “Chez Serge” – owner and chef Serge Ghoukassian has run this institution with flair since the 80`s - he serves a renowned “truffle feast” menu on Thursday evenings during the truffle season, accompanied by a discerning selection of local wines. Serge is as well known for his Sommelier skills as his cooking – he was French Sommelier of the year in 2008)

Friday 2nd December

This day is devoted to exploring the fine wines of our region, your host for the day Philip Reddaway, Rhone expert and WSET qualified wine instructer.
In the morning we visit the village of Gigondas, one of rthe 7 Cru villages and second only to Chateauneuf in terms of reputation. We visit one of the leading producers Domaine Goubert where we will meet the producers - the Cartier famiily - tour the wine making facilities and taste the range including the top notch “Cuvée de Florence” a barrique aged Gigondas from their best parcels and one of my favourite wines from the appellation. After this we travel to Chateauneuf du Pape where we will make two further Domaine visits, first to “La Nerthe” – the historic estate that Robert Parker has called “ the showpiece of the Rhone”. We will have a private tour of their magnificent C16th cellars , the best in the village, before tasting their range of white and red Chateauneufs, including “Cuvée de Cadettes” their glorious luxury cuvée.

Lunch is at Chteauneuf`s best restaurant “Verger des Papes” located just beneath the ruin of the Pope`s summer palace and with panoramic views of the vineyards, the Rhone river and Avignon in the distance. It’s a stunning setting for great Provencal cooking, with a wine list featuring more than 100 different Chateauneuf producers.
In the afternoon we visit and taste at one more leading estate of the appellation: either to the legendary Chateau Beaucastel or to Laurence Feraud, the village`s most famous female wine maker, at her domaine “Pegau”. Laurence thrives on informality and will likely pour you wines direct from the giant “foudre” barrels containing her various cuvées up to and including the €150 per bottle “de Capo”

We return to La Madelene at around 6pm in time to recharge batteries for another sumptuous Provencal meal prepared by Jude and served in our Chapel dining room in front of a log fire. We will of course be exploring further gems from my cellar.

Saturday 3rd December

Your tour finishes today after breakfast.

If guests wish to stay on at La Madelene to site-see under their own steam they will be most welcome to retain their room at our standard Chambres d`Hotes winter rate

Cost of the tour: €2100 per couple , all inclusive

Relevant web-sites:

http://www.leaf-travel.com/
www.rhonewineholidays.com
http://www.chez-serge.com/
http://www.barroux.org/
http://www.vergerdespapes.com/
http://www.chateaulanerthe.fr/
http://www.beaucastel.com/

http://www.pegau.com/indexe.html

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