About Us

 Wine Expert Staff          Team of Wine Hosts          Office Staff

Extraordinary experiences - your wine tour will be filled with them.  Imagine gazing over 1000 barrels of a renowned First Growth wine . . . tasting by candlelight in vaulted 12th century cellars . . . staying at a private Classified Growth chateau as their exclusive guests  . . . or walking through a Grand Cru vineyard with a world-famous winemaker.  A warm welcome awaits you at renowned chateaux and exclusive boutique producers that the average traveler cannot access.  Would you like to taste the latest vintage in the barrel, or a library wine the cellarmaster just brought out?  For wine lovers, it just doesn’t get any better than this.

On the wine road, each day holds new and exciting explorations. One day will combine winery visits with a cheese or olive oil tasting, while the next day you'll explore a charming medieval village, Roman ruins or beautiful gardens.  Your travels take you down the backroads, past ancient villages and romantic castles to discover all the authenticity and flavor of the wine regions along your route.

Between tastings, it's time to indulge.  Enjoy the good cheer of your travel companions during sumptuous Michelin-starred meals with superb premium wines, and revel in the most beautiful luxury hotel, villa or chateaux accommodations. Stretch out in air-conditioned comfort on a deluxe coach, as your guide answers your wine questions with impressive expertise and a smile.  Every detail is carefully planned to make your wine vacation an exquisite, unforgettable experience.

Jean-Pierre is one of the most charming, fun and knowledgeable hosts you will ever have the pleasure of touring with. He is a member of the French Sommelier's Union. A two-time finalist in the French national wine tasting championships, and recipient of the prestigious diploma of Sommelier-Conseil from l'Université du Vin at Suze-la-Rousse, Jean-Pierre has traveled extensively in the French wine regions for many years and has developed close relationships with the leading French wine estates. For over ten years, he organized wine tasting tours for the Enological Club of the French Senate, for which he also has taught wine tasting classes and trains wine service personnel. Jean-Pierre is a well-known and respected sommelier in Paris, where he regularly organizes and leads wine tastings for major French corporations and private events, and participates as a judge at French wine competitions.  Recent engagements include presiding at a tasting organized by "Voiles et Voiliers" magazine of wines that went around the world with the winner of the Vendée Globe international sailing competition.  Les Champagnes de Vignerons, the Champagne independent winemakers' union, recently engaged Jean-Pierre as sommelier-spokesperson to lead tastings for the press and public to promote Champagne's best smaller producers.  He has also been featured several times on French national primetime television (France 2 and TF1), presenting educational segments about wine.  Jean-Pierre's contributions to French wine were recognized when he was inducted as member of two of France's famous wine brotherhoods: l'Echansonnerie des Papes in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and Les Compagnons de Beaujolais.

What sets Jean-Pierre apart is not only his vast knowledge of French wine, but also his ability to convey his love and enthusiasm for wine to others. His warmth and humor "put the bubble in the Champagne" for our guests.

Our Team of Wine Expert Hosts

After a scrupulous search process, we have put together a small, elite staff of knowledgeable, personable wine expert hosts.  These trusted collaborators are either native English speakers or speak English fluently, possess excellent customer service skills, know the wine regions, their history, culture and wines inside and out, and have extensive professional experience in the French wine business.  They are passionate about wine, and about showing you the best the French wine regions have to offer.  See bios and pictures of our team of wine expert hosts.

Our Office Staff

Pamela Strawgate

Pamela has had a long and successful career in the food and hospitality industries.  A native of New York who grew up in Los Angeles, Pamela graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Sociology. After further studies and graduation from Paris' famous Cordon Bleu cooking school, Pamela decided to settle in Paris and pursue her career there.  She spent the following 20 years working in restaurants, hotels and private clubs as General Manager, Catering Director and Operations Manager with companies like Hilton, Sofitel, Sodexho and the Costes chain of restaurants.  During that time, she traveled extensively through Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and North America, and lived for a time in Tahiti and Monaco.  She is particularly proud of her work with the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.  

As a result of her extensive experience, Pamela has superlative customer service and organization skills. Our clients greatly appreciate her expertise, her willingness to go beyond the call of duty to help them, and her pleasant, positive attitude.  We're very lucky to have Pamela as a member of our team!