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Use this form to send us all information concerning your travel to France, our team will get back to you rapidly and send you a personalized quoteBordeaux
Cognac Lover's Escape: Private Shore Excursion & Distillery Tour
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shore excursions
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Shore Excursions
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08 hours
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Small Groups ( 1~8 )
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Quiet
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Multi-languages
English Español Français Italiano
- Highlights
- Program
- Gallery
- Know before
- Meeting point
- Reviews
- Inc. / Exc.
- FAQ
Select options and Book
Check availability
2024/09/23 and 2024/12/31
Highlights
- Visit Two Famed Houses of Cognac
- Stop for Lunch in the Historic City of Cognac
- Local Tour Guide, Expert in Bordeaux Wines and Cognac
- Tour can be customized to suit your interests
Program & Itinerary
Embark on a vibrant Shore Excursion from Bordeaux or Bassens Port of Call and visit the most famous brandy producing region of France - Cognac
Pick up at your Cruise Ship in Bordeaux
Departing from Bordeaux Cruise Port, this Atlantic Coast full day private shore excursion will take you to the Cognac brandy producing region. First, we will come and pick you up at your cruise ship in Bordeaux or Bassens Cruise Port.
Meet your local guide driver
Meet your English speaking driver guide who will go over the itinerary and program of the day with you. Then, board your air conditioned vehicle and depart for the Cognac vineyards in the Charente region. Today’s day tour destination is the town of Cognac, which lies to the northeast of Bordeaux region and lends its name to the famous brandy that has been produced in the surrounding wine region for the last 300 years.
Travel in a spacious premium minivan
Your private Bordeaux Day Trip to Cognac will take place in one of our very spacious premium Minivans. This vehicle can take up to 8 persons normally but on this occasion, the vehicle will only be for you. This allows you to choose the seat that you think best in terms of social distancing while still enjoying the information passed on by your guide.
All our vehicles are equipped with an on board P/A system that allows you to hear the commentary of your driver/guide no matter where you are seated. Also, there is free Wi-Fi access in all vehicles. Bottled water is also available in all our vehicles.
Get a Taste of the History of Two Famous Houses of Cognac
Travel to Cognac to discover one of the world’s most famous Brandies. We will pre-book your visits & tastings in 2 famous distilleries such as Otard, Hennessy, Camus, Rémy Martin… Whether a novice or an expert, we will adapt the tours and tastings accordingly. This unique day is conducted by a professional wine guide that will be happy to explain all things Cognac from soils to aromas!
Today’s destination is the town of Cognac located on the Charente River, which lies to the northeast of Bordeaux and lends its name to the famous brandy that has been produced in the surrounding wine region for the last 300 years.
Your excursion will include a visit and tasting at two different Cognac distilleries: one with a name that is known all over the world like Hennessy, Martel or Camus, and one that is lesser-known and is still family-owned and operated. The two visits will allow you to compare the differences between large and small-scale productions of Cognac and will cover topics such as the grape varieties used, the fermentation and distillation methods, and the aging and blending process.
After each visit, you will have the chance to taste several different kinds of brandy produced by the distillery. Between visits, enjoy lunch in a local restaurant where you will sample typical cuisine and wine from the region. Since this tour is a private guided tour, we can also organize a walking tour of Cognac, a very pleasant small town.
After the visits and tastings, we will take you back to the port of Bordeaux or Bassens and this will be the end of our services.
More information on Cognac Brandy
The region authorized to produce cognac is divided into six zones, including five crus. The six zones are Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois, and Bois Ordinaire. A blend of Grande and Petite Champagne Cognacs, with at least half coming from Grande Champagne, is known as Fine Champagne.
The wine is very dry, acidic, and thin, “virtually undrinkable”, but excellent for distillation and aging. It may be made only from a strict list of grape varieties, if it is to carry the name of one of the crus then it must be at least 90% Ugni Blanc (known in Italy as Trebbiano), Folle Blanche and Colombard, although 10% of the grapes used can be Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François (also called Blanc Ramé), Sélect, Monfils or Sémillon.
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Pick up at Your Ship in Bordeaux or Bassens Cruise Port
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Visit and tasting session in the 1st Cognac House
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Free time for lunch in the town of Cognac
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Visit and tasting at the 2nd Cognac House
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Return to Cruise Ship in Bordeaux or Bassens
Gallery
Know before you book
- If you want to share your tour with others, you can put it on Cruise Critic. Most of the time this gives good results. You must do this yourself as we are not accepted on their site as a professional business. We accept split payment transactions by credit card.
- Tour available all year round (except May 1st, Dec 25th and Jan 1st)
- 8 hour Cognac wine tour from Bordeaux
- Cognac tasting fees can be included during the booking process
- Lunch in a Cognac House can be included during the booking process
- Tour is operated in English, other languages on request
- Prices are per group from 2 to 8 persons - Larger groups please contact us
- Cognac Houses will be booked once you have made your reservation
- Tour is not wheelchair accessible
- Currency is in Euros
Meeting point
Departure
Please proceed to exit where your guide will be waiting for you with a sign bearing lead traveler name.
Return
Reviews
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Benzy Ko
30, Apr 2022
The tour was great. The driver Ilia was wonderful. He was very cooperative, he adjusted the tour for our needs. Please send our thanks to him.
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Greta K
15, Jun 2021
My boyfriend has always wanted to go to Cognac to experience house of Cognac, to see how they produce Cognac. So for his 30th birthday, I wanted to give...
Included / excluded
Included
- Reservation for 2 selected Cognac Houses
- Cognac tasting fees
- English-speaking driver/guide
- Travel in premium, spacious vehicles
- Bottled water in the minivan
- Free WiFi access on board
Excluded
- Entrance fees to monuments or attractions
- Personal travel insurance & expenses
- Meals & drinks
- Gratuities for the driver/guide
FAQ
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What should I expect on a Shore Excursion with Ophorus?
As a specialized France Tour Operator and tours & activities provider, we organize worry free shore excursions departing from all cruise ports in France. Our professional team of travel advisors, drivers and guides speak fluent English, are experts in the destination and all our shore excursions take place on board premium vehicles.
All our shore excursions in France include pick up and drop off at your ship, once you have exited the Cruise Port terminal. We will always indicate where your driver/guide will be waiting for you. Our itineraries and programs are customized to suit your needs and never include side visits or stops that you had not confirmed. We guarantee your return to ship on time and have a very flexible cancellation policy. All tours can be cancelled up to 48 hours before the tour.
All our shore excursions are for small groups only, we do not cater for groups larger than 20 persons. Typically, we use premium minivans that will take up to 7 or 8 persons maximum. If your group is larger, then we will provide a small minibus but no larger than 20 passenger seats. -
What can we expect on this private Cognac Tour from Bordeaux?
On our Cognac private tour you can expect to be in good hands with one of our English speaking local guide that is an expert in Cognac. Ask all the questions you always wanted to as you drive from Bordeaux to Cognac. If you are a novice and booked the tour as an introduction to Cognac, then listen to your guide as he explains during the driving time the origins of Cognac, how it is distilled and what to expect during the tasting sessions. All this is done safely thanks to our on-board P/A system that allows everyone to hear even if you are seated at the back.
Then, depending on the Cognac Houses you have booked, we will take you directly there where you will follow the tours & tastings. If you have not made any choices we will include the visit & tastings in two Cognac Houses for you. For lunch you will have some free time in the historical town of Cognac. Don't hesitate to ask your guide for some recommendations. -
What type of vehicles are used during your Bordeaux private tours?
Our company uses only premium cars & minivans that are recent, comfortable and fully equipped including individual A/C, shaded windows and large leg space. -
Who conducts your private tours from Bordeaux?
We only employ accredited and licensed tour guides that are also the drivers for all tours that need visits to be conducted by certified guides. Good examples are: the visit of museums, guided walking tours in cities, visit of historical monuments and so on.
In some regions, where wine tours prevail (Bordeaux, Alsace, Burgundy) the tours are conducted by professional local guides or sommeliers, that are experts in Wines. On this particular tour, we will include the services of one of our guides, expert in Cognac. -
Is it possible to visit or choose some famous Cognac Houses on this Tour from Bordeaux?
Yes, absolutely. You will be able to choose one of our selected visits in the some of the most prestigious Cognac Houses during your booking process. From tours that will introduce you to Cognac to high-end luxury tastings, we have included visits to Hennessy, Martell, Meukow, Rémy Martin and Camus. If the Cognac House you wish to visit is not on this list, just let us know and our team of travel advisors will contact them directly to find out if it is possible to organize a visit for you and your party. -
Are the Cognac Houses Tours private on this shore excursion from Bordeaux?
This all depends on the tour that you have chosen. For the introductory tours, these are usually grouped tours but in general the numbers remain low as the Cognac Houses privatize larger group tours. In that case you might follow the tour with other guests.
On the more exclusive tours, the visits and the tastings will be for you and your party only. -
Is lunch included on this Shore Excursion from Bordeaux?
No, we never include lunch on our private tours. If you would like to include lunch then just let us know and our team of travel designers will be happy to select a local restaurant for you and make the necessary arrangements. It is also possible for you to ask your guide for suggestions in the morning, on the day of the tour. -
Should I bring something specific for this Shore Excursion?
Always check the weather before you follow one of our shore excursions. By doing so, adapt your clothing to the local weather conditions. On one of our shore excursions we will not require you to bring your passport but it is always better to have some type of ID just in case. We strongly recommend that you bring with you a photocopy of any ID. Good walking shoes are always recommended in France as you never know on what type of grounds you might be walking. -
Where does the name Cognac come from?
Cognac is the name of a small French town located in southwestern France. Here, local winemakers have been distilling wines since the 16th century. The spirit (Brandy) was then simply referred to by the name of the town where it was produced - Cognac. -
What is Cognac made of?
In order to qualify as cognac, the brandy must be produced using white grapes from one of six different terroirs in the Cognac region of Southwest France. The juice must be double-distilled in a copper pot still and aged in French oak barrels for a minimum of two years. -
What is difference between Cognac and Brandy?
In the same sense that Scotch is a type of whisky, cognac is a specific type of brandy that’s made in accordance with strict regulations.
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