New and Enhanced Wine Tours in 2023

When it comes to wine, few countries can compete in quality and popularity with the wines of France, and our guest discover quickly why. Each cruise includes at least one excursion to some of the most prestigious vineyards in the world, while every gastronomic meal aboard the hotel barges is paired with carefully selected local vintages. The excursions are always a top highlight in itineraries already filled with guided tours that reveal the cultural, historical, culinary and wine traditions of the regions.

In France, it’s not only about enjoying wine with every meal but also about sharing the moment at the table with the travelling companions around you. As a highlight of our cruises we are continuously enhancing our wine excursions to ensure they are of the highest quality and because they are one of the best ways for our guests to understand the ‘spirit’ of the French people and their passion for the grape.

Hotel barge Finesse cruising past Burgundy vineyards
Hotel barge Finesse cruising past Burgundy vineyards

A Fine Romance

The 8-passenger Finesse features two wine excursions during its six-night cruise in Southern Burgundy. Its newest excursion is also to one of Burgundy’s oldest wine companies, Maison Champy, which was established more than three centuries ago. Guests drive through the UNESCO-listed Cote de Beaune vineyards to the namesake town itself, the capital of Burgundy’s wine country. Maison Champy is known for its award-winning wines, with its Grand Crus among its most prestigious. Guests enjoy a private tour of its cellars and learn from an expert about the production of the region’s finest Premier and Grand Cru wines. Afterward, they indulge in a private lunch in the winery’s most unique room – a huge wooden wine vat or “cuve” that has been converted for dining.

This ultra-deluxe hotel barge Finesse is one of European Waterways’ most contemporary in style and most spacious vessels. Cruising the River Saône and Canal du Centre it features panoramic windows, a large sun deck that’s perfect for alfresco dining, and a spa pool. It also offers a demonstration galley where guests can watch the on board master chef prepare their daily gourmet meals.

The Finesse also features a tour and private tasting at the Domaine Chanzy. Founded nearly a century ago, it is one of Burgundy’s largest wine estates with 80 hectares of wine growing over three hillsides.

Maison Champy wine cellars with barrels
Maison Champy wine cellars

Reviving the Spirit

The spacious eight-passenger hotel barge Renaissance cruises the Canal de Briare, France’s oldest canal. It connects the valleys of the Seine and the Loire as it weaves through a landscape of elegant chateaux, picturesque villages and vineyards. It also crosses the River Loire on the longest steel canal aqueduct in France, built by Gustave Eiffel. New for 2023 is a wine excursion to the Domaine de la Perrière in Sancerre, which includes a tasting of its best vintages. It also includes a private tour of its impressive underground cellars, which are set in huge natural caves estimated to have been formed some 200 million years ago.

Vineyards of Domaine de la Perrière in Sancerre
Domaine de la Perrière in Sancerre

One of the first to join our  extensive fleet, the eight-passenger hotel barge Anjodi has been cruising the Canal du Midi for more than 35 years. Its new wine excursion takes guest to the Château Pech-Celeyran to enjoy a Languedoc wine tasting and a tour of its 145-hectare plot. The vineyard has been owned by the Saint-Exupéry family for five generations, during which time they have earned a reputation for producing an exceptional variety of vintages. Other highlights include cruising through the world’s oldest canal tunnel at Malpas and a tour of Carcassonne – the most complete medieval fortified city in existence.

Chateau Pech Celeyran
Château Pech-Celeyran

Living the Life

Cruising the Canal du Nivernais in Burgundy, European Waterways’ eight-passenger L’Art de Vivre is one of the company’s oldest barges, whose “life” began as a supply barge to Allied troops in World War One. Today it is a luxurious “floating boutique hotel” with wood and brass trimmings and all the modern conveniences. In 2023 guests will visit the renowned village of Chablis and enjoy a private wine tasting at the prestigious Domaine Laroche. This is followed by a tour of the 1000-year-old Obediencerie, where the wines are aged. Once part of the monastery of St. Martin, this is the site where the monks developed the craft of winemaking in the Middle Ages. Lunch is served by a private chef in the Domaine’s dining hall.

Domaine Laroche in Chablis

Ready to try these for yourself?

For more information on our itineraries, and the rest of our collection of luxury hotel barge cruises, why not order a free copy of our brochure today, or speak to a member of our team directly using our handy Contact Form.

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