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About Us

French Wine Explorers is a boutique wine tour company specializing in luxury wine vacations in France. French Wine Explorers has become America's leading French wine tour company, featured extensively in the press like Food & Wine Magazine, Travel and Leisure, and Smart Money. We are based in the United States, and are proud members of the French Government Tourist Office, as well as the American Society of Travel Agents and Cruise Line International Organization.

Wine is about pleasure, and we design our programs to be fun and memorable for wine enthusiasts of all ages and levels of wine knowledge and experience. We strive to make our tours informative and exclusive, while keeping the atmosphere light, fun and unpretentious.

We hope you'll join us soon for a great wine and food adventure in France - à bientôt.

Our Team of Wine Expert Hosts (partial list)

Dewey, Bordeaux Specialist >

Dewey was born and raised in New York City. He is a graduate of New York University, with a Bachelor's degree in English and a Master's degree in Cinema. Dewey’s professional direction turned to cuisine, and he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America, the United States' preeminent cooking school. Dewey lived in Paris, where he was a director of the French cooking school L'Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne, introducing a wine studies program to the curriculum. Later he was invited back to the Culinary Institute to teach a series of wine courses, and wrote Wine Basics, an introductory book for the beginning wine drinker.

Olivier, Southern Rhone Specialist >

Olivier resides in Sablet, Provence not far from his maternal roots in Orange. Olivier spent a decade in finance, eventually as a Finance Director for Warner Music. Seeking a career change, Olivier trained with the Wine & Sprits Education Trust and set up a UK merchant business, specialising in the Southern Rhône. In 1999, Olivier started a Côtes du Rhône Villages viticultural project and continues to cultivate and make wines from those vineyards today. It is Olivier’s mission to communicate the magic and diversity of terroir-based wines – wines that reflect the unique characteristics of their vineyards in contrast to “manufactured” wines. Olivier specializes in our Southern Rhone tours.

Alex, Bordeaux Specialist >

After graduating with a law degree from Oxford University Alex spent his early career working in London, first in investment banking then as an executive search consultant. Following a sabbatical spent on his family's vineyard in New Zealand, Alex pursued his passion for wine. He has worked with leading winemakers in Bordeaux and New Zealand, and is an accredited tutor at the Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux. Alex has an Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust.

Mary, Sommelier-Conseil >

Mary has been leading wine tours in France for wine enthusiasts for many years in Champagne, the Loire and Rhône Valleys, Languedoc and Provence. Fully bilingual and of French/American origins, she has earned the prestigious diploma of Sommelier-Conseil. Mary leads our Champagne Tours, and customized tours in Champagne, the Loire Valley and the South of France.

Wendy, Bordeaux Specialist >

Wendy is British-born, and has been involved in the wine business in Paris and Bordeaux for over 20 years. Wendy teaches at Bordeaux's premier wine school, l'Ecole du Bordeaux, and is a true Bordeaux insider who shows our guests a side of the Bordeaux wine business that only a privileged few get to see. We're very pleased to have her as wine expert host for our scheduled and custom Bordeaux tours.

Joel, Enologist/Winemaker >

Joel is a highly enthusiastic person with excellent communication skills which enable him to share his passion: wine! This deeply rooted passion started at a young age, as his father had a small family vineyard in the Douro region of Portugal (the region that produces Port Wine) and made his own wine (Joel still takes care of that vineyard on his frequent trips to Portugal). Joel was born in Paris, and obtained a chemistry degree there and then the National Degree of Oenologist in Montpellier. He then worked a few years in the wine industry in different countries: France, Spain, Portugal and New Zealand.

Colette, Burgundy Specialist >

Colette is a native of Dijon, where she traces her family roots back 200 years. She teaches classes at the Universite de Dijon on the wines of Burgundy, and the history of gastronomy. She has enthusiastically accompanied clients in Burgundy for over 20 years. Colette's extensive knowledge of the wines of Burgundy, vinification and history illuminate our custom and our scheduled Burgundy tours.