Consider visiting Champagne, the French region where the sparkling wine that gave origin to the name is exclusively produced, or Bordeaux, home to the famous red wine. The Burgundy region, and especially the Côte d'Or department, is famous for its wineries, many of which are housed in old abbeys or castles.
Make sure the trip includes lots of visits to vineyards, cellars and bottling plants. You want a wine tour that brings you through all the steps of wine production and showcases the best examples in the country, rather than one that just takes you to tastings in restaurants or bars.
Book a trip with a company that is fully licensed and registered. The French Wine Explorers Company has been considered the top wine tour operator in the world for the past few years. The company offers customized trips that include first-class accommodations in castles and chateaux, plus access to top experts, exclusive entrance to cellars and visits to historical places connected to the wine industry.
Make sure the trip is all inclusive. Because many of the wine-tasting trips include tours to distant destinations outside of the main cities, you should book a tour that offers full accommodations, meals and transportation. Trying to book these things separately would end up costing you much more and making the trip much more difficult.
Choose a tour that offers small groups. Part of the charm of wine tasting tours is the ability to communicate with others around you. Since many people take wine tours on their own without friends or partner, a small group will foment a feeling of community and make the overall experience much more comfortable.
