The best way to
get to know France is through French wine.
Experience the fine wine regions of France. Now booking through 2025.
The Grande Krewe
Abroad Experience
All Grande Krewe adventures begin in Paris and take you to wine country to visit both historic vineyards and hidden gems that Bob and Jane have discovered in their travels. You’ll learn about the regions and their wines, enjoying the sights, tastes and people that make them unique.
Check out our upcoming trips or get in touch to create your own custom adventure!
How We Travel
As the passionate owners of a wine and spirits store, your guides Jane and Bob bring industry expertise and a love of travel to every Grande Krewe Abroad adventure. To ensure an intimate experience, group size is limited to 8 adults – plus Deuce and Pearl of course. They offer the complete package – including hotels, transportation, wine tastings, and all meals except one. (Everyone needs a little alone time!)
Paris to Champagne
This 7-day adventure starts blocks from the Eiffel Tour and includes a jaunt through the charming hilltop village where Dom Pierre Perignon lived and worked. Join Jane and Bob in touring some of their favorite champagne houses, local gems, and historic sites.
3 nights at a
4-star hotel
in Paris
4 nights at a
5 star hotel
in Epernay
Delicious daily breakfasts
Dinner at a
1 star Michelin restaurant
3 food & wine pairing experiences
6-7 private
wine tastings
Unique access to industry experts and local guides
All in-country
transportation
“Each day of the trip I was certain that
it was as good as it could get….but the
next day was even better!
No detail was overlooked and the food was as good as the wine! I will
definitely be going again.”
Carrie
The Rhone Valley
This 7-day adventure begins in Paris and takes us to the Rhone Valley by way of Avignon. Highlights include a private tour of the Pope’s summer residence, the Avignon Cathedral, and private wine tastings at Jane and Bob’s favorite wineries in Rhone’s Chateauneuf du Pape and Vasqueyras regions.
3 nights at
a 4-star hotel
in Paris
4 nights at
a 5 star hotel
in Avignon
Delicious daily breakfasts
Dinner at a
1 star Michelin restaurant
3 food & wine pairing experiences
6-7 private
wine tastings
Unique access to industry experts and local guides
All in-country
transportation
Looking Ahead
Burgundy 2025
May 19th-25th, 2025
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When you visit Burgundy (Bourgogne in French), you travel back to a simpler time. It’s a large wine region with hundreds of individual producers across several distinct and eminent wine regions – Cote d’Or, Chablis, Beaujolais, Pouilly Fuisse, and the Maconnais, to name a few. Burgundy wine is made from two main grapes: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Because the grower’s plots are small and spread across numerous vineyards, the wines can be surprisingly unpredictable and often a wonderful surprise. It’s worth noting that these wines pair exceptionally well with food.
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Our home away from home is the Hostellerie Cedre Spa in the heart of Burgundy, the town of Beaune. An elegant five star hotel that was once a hospital faces the ramparts of the ancient city. Today this 40 room hotel offers unimaginable comforts, including a comfy bar with a fireplace and leather chairs.
Everyone will enjoy a 5 course dinner paired with champagne and wine in their Michelin star restaurant on site. It’s a 2 minute walk to dinner!
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This trip takes us to 7 Bob and Jane’s favorite wineries for private tastings, including an amazing small producer Jean Jacque Girard in Savigny Les Beaune.
Jean Jacque Girard is family-owned and they produce the most delicious Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines, including some truly spectacular vintages.
Remember, you’ll be able to buy all of these wines from Grande Krewe when you get home. We’ll even ship to you if you don’t live in New Orleans! -
Like all Grande Krewe Abroad experiences, this trip begins and ends in Paris. Your $5500 investment covers the cost of hotels, in-country transportation, daily breakfasts, all but one of your dinners, and the many wine tastings along the way.
June 2nd-8th and October 5th-11th, 2025
Champagne 2025
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Famous for its namesake sparkling wines, Champagne is one of the coolest growing regions in France. It features gorgeous vineyards with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.
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Grande Krewe Abroad does not move every night from hotel to hotel. We like to find a fabulous home away from home and settle in to enjoy it (when we are not drinking champagne). In Champagne, home is the 5 star Villa Eugene in Epernay.
This charming hotel is a 19 century home that belonged to the Mercier family and was completely renovated to a 15 room hotel. Situated in the middle of a wooded park but still in the heart of the city, it’s the perfect spot for you to relax in the intimate lounge after a hard day of champagne drinking! -
This trip takes us to Bob and Jane’s favorite champagne houses for private tastings, including a 4-hour tour and 5-course food and champagne pairing at Gosset Champagne (pronounced “Go Say”) where you can expect to enjoy:
Foie gras with citrus marmalade and brioche paired with Gosset Grande Rose
Grilled peppered beef filet with gnocchi paired with Gosset Grand Millesime 2015
Chocolate mousse with mango and passion fruit paired with Gosset Petite Douceur Rose
We’ll also enjoy a jaunt through the charming hilltop village where Dom Pierre Perignon lived and worked!
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Like all Grande Krewe Abroad experiences, this trip begins and ends in Paris. Your $5500 investment covers the cost of hotels, in-country transportation, daily breakfasts, all but one of your dinners, and the many champagne tastings along the way.
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The Loire Valley is a very long wine region, stretching along the Loire River from west to east. Grande Krewe Abroad is most excited about the eastern and upper Loire regions, where over half of the wines are white and light and invigorating, the most famous whites being Sancerre and Pouilly.
Famous red wines include chinon and bourgueil and cabernet franc from the Touraine region. And let’s not forget the renaissance chateaus and ancient towns that where immense wine cellars were owned by the wine-growers of the district!
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Our hotel headquarters will be the Grand Hotel du Lion D’or in Romorantin-Lanthenay, nestled in the heart of the Loire Valley.
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We’ll enjoy private tastings at wineries from Chateau Thauveney in Sancere to Domaine Jaulin Plaisantin le Dolemen in Chinon and visit the charming village of Orleans, a sister city to New Orleans (La Nouvelle Orleans).
We’ll also enjoy a food and wine pairing at the Michelin star restaurant conveniently located in our hotel, which also happens to be one of the oldest restaurants in France. -
Like all Grande Krewe Abroad experiences, this trip begins and ends in Paris. Your $5500 investment covers the cost of hotels, in-country transportation, daily breakfasts, all but one of your dinners, and the many wine tastings along the way.
October 12th-18th, 2025 - SOLD OUT
Sancerre & Loire Valley 2025
Create your own adventure in France!
Wouldn’t you and your family or friends love to script your own unique wine or champagne trip to France?
Perhaps you’d like to pamper yourself with a spa experience. Perhaps you want to include a museum visit every day. Whatever your vacation goals may be, Grande Krewe Abroad can make it happen for you!
All we need is:
6-8 committed travellers
Six months advance notice along with a deposit from everyone to start working on your dream itinerary
People who love wine and champagne!
Contact us.
Do you have questions about our upcoming trips? Are you interested in a custom itinerary for your group? We’re here to help.
redheadneworleans@gmail.com
(504) 330-0231