Minervois Wine Tour from Carcassonne | Private Guided Day in the Languedoc
A Minervois wine tour is one of the finest ways to discover the Languedoc — and one of the easiest to organise from Carcassonne, just a short drive away. The Minervois is a region of outstanding natural beauty, its vineyards among the most picturesque in the south of France, and its wines among the most characterful. This is where the Languedoc produced its first cru, centred on the hilltop village of La Livinière — a place where vines were first cultivated by the Romans and where the tradition has never really stopped.
Your Minervois Wine Tour: A Day in the Vines
We begin with a visit to an independent vigneron whose vineyards sit not far from the Canal du Midi — one of the great engineering achievements of the seventeenth century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site that runs like a ribbon of shade and water through the heart of the Languedoc. Before we taste a drop, we take a gentle stroll through the vines, learning how they are tended through the seasons, what the soils give them, and why this particular corner of the Minervois produces wines of such character. Then comes the reward: a private tasting with the vigneron, whose passion for their land makes for an experience no wine shop or restaurant could replicate.
Lunch in the Minervois — Classic or Gourmet
Lunch is always a highlight of the day. On our Classic Minervois wine tour, you’ll enjoy a delicious three-course meal accompanied by wines of the region — sometimes alfresco among the vines, sometimes at a village restaurant with a Menu du Jour that lets the local kitchen speak for itself.
If you choose our Gourmet Minervois wine tour, the options become exceptional. A gourmet alfresco lunch in a vineyard, or a table at either the Relais Chatovent or Aux 2 Rivières — two beautifully situated restaurants whose terraces overlook the gorges and the rivers Cesse and Brian in Minerve, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France. The food at both is inventive, precise and beautifully presented, and the wine list draws exclusively from the surrounding vineyards.
Minerve — Where the Cathar Story Meets the Vines
Whichever lunch you choose, the afternoon begins with free time in Minerve itself — a tiny ancient settlement perched on a limestone rock above deep river gorges, as dramatic a setting as the Languedoc offers. Your guide will bring to life the Cathar siege that took place here over eight hundred years ago, one of the defining moments in the brutal history of this region.
A Second Winery and the Diversity of the Minervois
The second winery of the day offers a fascinating contrast to the morning visit. The wines are Minervois again, but grown on subtly different terroir — and that difference tells you everything about how much the land shapes the wine. We taste through the full range: reds built on Syrah, Grenache and Carignan; whites drawing on Grenache Blanc, Marsanne and Viognier. By the end of the day, you will have a genuine understanding of what makes a Minervois wine tour unlike anything else in the Languedoc.
Full Day Classic Tour
PRIVATE TOUR PRICES ARE DEPENDANT ON HOW MANY PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY:
Full Day Gourmet Tour
A 35€ supplement per person will be added for the Gourmet option.
