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Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

Adopt a vine in France, visit your French vineyard and receive a wine experience gift box, newsletters and your own personalised bottles of French organic wine.

More than just bottles of wine. It’s your wine, from your vintage, in your name, made using the grapes from your adopted vines. And it’s organic! An original wine gift idea for all wine lovers.

Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

Adopt a vine in France and make your own wine!

The Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience is designed to go beyond the traditional wine tasting, vineyard tours, and wine subscriptions. Adopt some organic vines in France and whether you choose to include one or more wine experience days, or whether you wish to follow the making of your wine virtually, you’ll get behind the scenes to discover what it’s really like to be a winemaker.

You’ll learn about all of the key stages involved in making your organic wine, from the work in the vineyard, through to harvesting the grapes, fermenting and ageing the wine in the cellar, all the way through to the bottling of your wine.  You can even get involved in the hands-on wine courses at the winery, and work alongside the wine-maker to help make your wine, and at the end of the Wine Experience, you’ll get to choose the name of your wine.  For each adopted vine, you’ll receive a personalised bottle of wine from your vintage, made using the grapes from the vineyard where your adopted vines are located.  A unique wine, made for you and by you!

Once you’ve discovered all of the work that goes into making a bottle of wine, you’ll appreciate your wine all the more, and you’ll never taste wine in the same way again!
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Adopt a vine. An original wine gift for any wine connoisseur

 

What’s Included in the Wine Experience?

  • The choice of one of the organic partner vineyards in France carefully chosen by Gourmet Odyssey.   
  • Adopt a vine  in your chosen vineyard for a wine making year. Choose the number of vines that you wish to include in your adopt-a-vine pack (6-36 vines.  1 vine = 1 bottle of wine).  
  • Welcome gift pack containing a wine cooler bag, re-usable glass wine bottle top, personalised certificate and details of the wine experience selected.
  • Choice of up to 3 wine experience days at your vineyard to learn and participate in the different stages of wine making, meet the owner, taste the wines and share a typical winemakers meal. Each visit lasts the whole day , the time necessary to exchange with the winemaker, to participate in and discover his work.  Each day is also valid for 2 people , so bring a guest! 5% discount included for 2 or more experience days ordered !   You can also choose the virtual option if you do not wish to include any wine experience days.
  • Newsletters and customer portal to follow the the evolution of your vines, the work behind your bottles of wine, and the challenges of your vintage.
  • Personalised organic bottles of wine (6-36 bottles) that your adopted vines have helped to make. One bottle of personalised wine for each adopted vine.

Read what our customers have to say

 

Discover the spirit of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

Fun, informative, participative, enlightening, surprising, original, authentic...

Watch this short 2 minute video to give you a glimpse of what the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience is all about.

 

The Partner Vineyards in France

Choose to adopt a vine and follow the making of your wine at one of the following organic vineyards in the heart of the main wine making regions of France. They are all independent and organically certified.  If you need help choosing, contact us, and rest assured that you or the recipient can always change winery if necessary..

 
  Original organic wine gift. Adopt-a-vine in Alsace, France   Adopt-a-vine in south of France, Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc   Adopt-a-vine in Chinon, the Loire Valley, France
 

Domaine Stentz-Buecher, Wettolsheim, Alsace 

An organic winery in the heart of the Alsace wine route, producing the full range of Alsation white wines... 

From € 169 

En savoir plus

 

Château de Jonquières, Jonquières, Languedoc-Roussillon 

An organic winery and listed château run by the same family for 900 years...

From € 169 

En savoir plus

 

Château de la Bonnelière, Chinon, Loire Valley 

Organic and historic vineyard with its wine cellar underneath the Château de Chinon... 

From € 169 

En savoir plus

  Rent-a-vine in the Côtes du Rhône and participate in making your personalised bottles of wine   Adopt-a-vine in Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux   Rent-a-vine in Burgundy and participate in wine experience days
 

Château Cohola, Sablet, Côtes du Rhône

An organic winery making delightful wines that express their unique Côtes du Rhône terroir...

From € 189

En savoir plus

 

Château Coutet, Saint-Emilion, Bordeaux 

A charming organic winery in the heart of the Saint-Emilion grand cru vineyards... 

From € 219 

En savoir plus

 

Domaine Chapelle, Santenay, Burgundy

Organic vineyard in the south of the Côte de Beaune producing top quality Burgundy wines...

From € 219

En savoir plus


Location of our organic adopt-a-vine partner vineyards in France

Adopt-a-vine in an organic French vineyard in Alsace, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Languedoc-Roussillon, the Loire Valley, or the Rhone Valley


How are our Partner Vineyards chosen?

Each partner has been carefully selected to conform to the following standards:

  • Quality wine. The wines from all of the partners have won numerous awards and accolades from the wine industry.
  • Authentic independent producers. Each Gourmet Odyssey partner controls all stages of wine making from growing the vines, harvesting the grapes, vinifying and bottling the wine, through to its commercialisation. Most partners are members of the well known Vigneron Indépendant association that has become the symbol for authentic, individually expressive wines in France.
  • Organic certification. Each Winemaker uses methods, treatments and processes that respect the surrounding environment and natural composition of their wine.  All of our partner vineyards have been awarded official French organic wine producer status, and some also have biodynamic certification.
  • Generous and warm hospitality. Each vineyard partner relishes welcoming you to their winery, and takes pride in sharing their passion and knowledge of their wine making profession.
  • Charm and character of winery and region. Each of the venues has also been chosen for being a place where you will be happy to spend your time and explore. There is plenty to see and do in each of the selected areas of France when visiting on a Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience day.

 

Why choose Gourmet Odyssey ?

  • A gift that makes sense. The Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience is an eco-friendly and very thoughtful gift for wine lovers.  You’ll be enchanted by the passion and devotion of our partner wine-makers for their profession and their surrounding environment.  By choosing Gourmet Odyssey, you’re supporting our partner winemakers who are all organically certified, as well as our small independent business
  • Flexibility. Our raison d’être is to please our clients, and so we try to be as flexible as possible.  Not sure which winery or Wine Experience days to choose?  No problem - they can be changed!  Not sure when the recipient will be able to participate in the Wine Experience Days?  Not a problem either - the days can be carried over or exchanged for another type of day if needed!
  • Authenticity. Our Wine Experience days last a whole day from 09:30 to 16:00, the time needed to really immerse you in the life of a winemaker.  And it’s the winemakers themselves that make themselves available to explain their work and to exchange with you.  All of our days are participative, so you’ll learn in the best possible way; by doing, touching, seeing, and tasting!
Do you have any questions ?

Take a look at the answers to our most frequently asked questions. If you have any others, don't hesitate to contact us!

Adopt Your Own Vines in France

For the duration of the wine making year, you will adopt your choice of between 6 and 36 vines. You will be informed of the exact location of your vines in the vineyard so that you can visit them during a Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience Day. You receive a personalised bottle of wine at the end of your wine experience for each vine you adopt. 

Follow the progress and journey of your grapes as they bud and flourish until being harvested, where they are taken to the winery, carefully sorted, and placed into the vats to begin the fermentation and vinification process. Please note that your adopted vines remain the property of the winery at all times, so unfortunately you can’t dig them up and take them with you!

Adopt a vine wine making experience gift packs available from 6 to 36 vines with the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience

 

Welcome Pack

Each customer receives a welcome pack containing:

  • Wine cooler bag
  • Vinolok re-usable glass wine bottle top
  • Personalised certificate
  • Details of the Wine Experience chosen
  • Access to their private customer portal

You can choose whether to have the pack sent to you, or delivered directly to someone else if being offered as a present. Gift-wrapping and personalised message options are also available.
more details on delivery options.

Each Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience client receives a personalised welcome gift pack containing a sommelier's apron, Drop Stop and adopt a vine certificate


Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience Days

The most popular aspect of the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience is the time spent at the vineyard – although some would argue that it’s drinking the wine at the end! Read what our customers have to say

You can choose between the Wine Discovery Experience Day , the Harvest Experience Day , and the Vinification Experience DayNot sure which day to choose?  The recipient can always change it if necessary. 

These wine making experience days get you involved in helping to make your wine. You'll spend a whole day from 9:30 to 16:00 at your winery where you'll also get to visit your vines, and meet the winemakers who will share with you their passion and know-how. You will savour a typical winemaker’s meal, and of course there will be a wine tasting session at each visit to sample a previous vintage of the wine chosen for your cuvée, and other wines produced by the winery.

The Wine Experience Days are also a great excuse to get away and explore some of France’s most charming regions. Each customer is allowed to bring along a guest on each of the experience days. If the idea of spending a day in a vineyard and getting their hands dirty isn’t your traveling partner’s idea of fun, then there are plenty of other ways for them to spend a great day in each of the locations (go to the "Practical Information" Section on each of the winery description pages: Alsace , Bordeaux , Burgundy , Languedoc , Loire Valley , Rhône Valley).

Each region of France has a host of gourmet and cultural treasures to discover. During your visit for one of the Gourmet Odyssey Experience Days, you could explore the Alsace wine route and savour the local culinary delights. In Bordeaux , visit some of the many wine châteaux and the Cité du Vin. In the southern French region of Languedoc-Roussillon , wander around the medieval villages and discover the talents of the region’s young winemakers. In Burgundy , visit the abbeys that are intertwined with the region’s wine heritage, and try out different food and wine pairings with the high quality of the local gastronomy. The Loire Valley offers the spectacular châteaux that housed France’s royalty, and breathtaking scenery of the vineyards and rivers. In the Rhone Valley , soak up the sun, and treat your taste buds to an explosion of sensations with the variety of fresh food. Turn your Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience into a week-end or short break, and make the most of your visit to your chosen wine-growing region.

Please note that travel and accommodation are not included in the Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience package, leaving you the freedom to stay where and for however long you like. Gourmet Odyssey will however provide you with a list of recommended hotels, B&Bs and useful contact details to help you in your choice (go to the "Practical Information" Section on each of the winery description pages: Alsace , Bordeaux , Burgundy , Languedoc , Loire Valley , Rhône Valley ).

5% discount included for 2 or more experience days ordered !

 

Wine Discovery Experience Day

Choice of dates typically available during the weekend from March to July.  9:30 to 16:00.

Designed to learn about all of the work that goes on in the vineyard to produce the best quality grapes at harvest time, and to give you an introduction to the winery, the winemakers, and their philosophy in making wine.  You will get to:

  • Visit the vineyard and your vines
  • Learn about all of the work needed throughout the vine lifecycle
  • Participate in some of the activities such as pruning, de-budding, or raising the training wires. This isn’t just a normal vineyard tour remember!
  • Discover the benefits and challenges of working organically
  • Learn about the region in general, the terroir, and the grape varietals used
  • Taste the wines produced at the winery and enjoy the winemaker’s lunch
  • Visit the fermentation hall and cellar

Discover the highlights from the latest Wine Discovery Experience Day at:

5% discount included for 2 or more experience days ordered !

Get the behind the scenes vineyard tour in France and get involved in your own wine making experience

Harvest Experience Day

Choice of dates typically available during the weekend in September or October depending on the winery.  9:30 to 16:00.

Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the harvest.  Secateurs in one hand, a basket in the other, you will roll your sleeves up and get involved in harvesting the grapes.  During the day you will:

  • Visit your adopted vines and the vineyard
  • Harvest the grapes, learning which grapes to pick and which to leave
  • Follow the grapes on their journey to the vat as you help them on their way through the sorting table, de-stemming machine, and press
  • Learn about the process that turns the grape juice into wine
  • Discover the work in the cellar at harvest time.  There’s more to do than just picking grapes!
  • Taste the grape juice and wine at different stages of fermentation

After all that effort, you’ll welcome the “repas des vendengeurs” (harvesters meal), and wine tasting!

Discover the highlights from the latest Harvest Experience Day at:

5% discount included for 2 or more experience days ordered !

Adopt your own vines in France, harvest the grapes and follow them as they start the fermentation process to be turned into French organic wine.

Vinification Experience Day

Choice of dates typically available during the weekend from February to April.  9:30 to 16:00.

The purpose of this wine experience day is to learn about all that happens in the cellar after the harvest until the wine is bottled, labelled, and ready to be drunk.  This is where the skills of the winemaker really come into play as they analyse the wine and make decisions on what needs to be done during the fermentation phases, ageing, and blending of the wine.

During this wine experience day you will:

  • Visit the fermentation hall and cellar
  • Understand how the different fermentation processes change the wine
  • Learn about the multitude of crucial decisions that the winemaker must take to influence the structure, aroma, and flavour of the wine
  • Receive a wine tasting lesson to help develop your senses of sight, smell and taste
  • Taste wines that are still in the ageing process to better understand their evolution
  • Participate in hands-on workshops to learn about the work done to age and blend the wine
  • Enjoy the winemaker’s lunch and wines from the winery
  • Visit the vineyard and your adopted vines
  • Discover the work to prepare the wine for bottling, labelling and packaging

Discover the highlights from the latest Vinification Experience Day at:

5% discount included for 2 or more experience days ordered !

Wine tasting, oenology and practical wine making experience as you learn what it's like to be an oenologist

 

Dates for the Wine Experience Days

Each vineyard has different date options available for the wine experience days according to the customs and climate of the region.

To give you an idea of the timing, please look at the typical timeline.  A selection of exact dates will be published in the Recipient Customer Portal, enabling you to choose the date that best suits you.   Most of the wine experience days take place during weekends.

Should you not be available for any of the dates, not to worry. Just contact us, and we'll find a solution, either by carrying your day over to the following year or at one of our other partner wineries, or by exchanging it for another type of day or bottles of wine.

 

Don't Wish to Participate in Any of the Wine Experience Days?

That’s no problem – just check the “No Experience Days” option when ordering. You will still have the opportunity to follow the evolution of your vintage virtually through the newsletters and private customer portal.

 

Is it possible to add days later on?

Yes.  Should you, or the person to whom you are giving the Wine Experience gift, wish to add one or more experience days at a later date, that's possible too in the recipient’s customer portal or by contacting us.

 

Newsletters and Customer Portal

You can follow the progress of your vines and the making of your wine virtually through newsletters and your private customer portal. Gourmet Odyssey will provide regular news, updates and photos from your winery.

The wine-makers will tell you about the work that has been going on at the winery, the challenges and surprises that your vintage creates. So even if you are physically far away, your Gourmet Odyssey Wine Experience is always close to you.

Use the customer portal to stay informed of your wine experience

 

Personalised Bottles of Wine

Towards the end of the Wine Experience you will:

  • Choose the name of your wine
  • Personalise your wine labels (two designs are available, one that is more traditional and one that is more modern)
  • Receive from  6 to 36 bottles of personalised wine (one bottle = one adopted vine)

Once the wine is ready for bottling, your personalised labels will be applied and you will be notified that your wine is available. You can choose to collect the wine directly from the winery, or pay for the wine to be delivered to you. Please see the Delivery Options section for more information.

Personalise your own wine labels for the wine that the grapes from your adopted vines have helped to make.

 

Typical Timeline for 2023 Vintage

Adopt a Vine Experience Gift Typical Timeline

 

Typical Timeline for 2022 Vintage

Adopt a Vine Experience Gift Typical Timeline

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1 - Product

2 - Range

3 - Region

4 - Producer

5 - Season

6 - Vines

7 - Experience Days

(find out more)

From 169 €

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