An intimate 11-night wine journey across Sussex, Burgundy, Umbria, Rioja and a final mystery wine destination, limited to 20 guests and shaped around private air, rare tastings, winemaker access and hosted dining.
Europe’s great wine regions are best understood through the people, cellars, landscapes and tables that give them meaning. This journey brings together five distinct wine cultures in the form of a private tasting menu, moving from the rising elegance of Sussex to the revered terroirs of Burgundy, the quiet craftsmanship of Umbria, the heritage of Rioja and a final mystery destination devoted to dessert wine tradition.
Taking place from 22 May to 2 June 2027, the programme is limited to a maximum of 20 guests and is designed for collectors, serious wine lovers and culturally curious travellers who value privileged access, hosted tastings, exceptional dining and the human stories behind rare bottles.
Private air travel connects the itinerary throughout, allowing the journey to unfold with continuity across Sussex, Burgundy, Umbria, Rioja, a mystery destination and London. The aircraft is not the centre of the experience; it is the discreet structure that makes this rare sequence of wine regions possible within 11 nights.
The defining character of the journey lies in private introductions, selected wines, vineyard access, heritage cellars, winemaker conversations and meals where wine becomes a cultural language.
Journey Concept
The itinerary follows the structure of a tasting menu, with each destination presented as a separate course.
Course One: Cocktail, Sussex, England
The journey opens in Sussex, where English wine is presented through a new lens of confidence and small-production ambition. Guests visit Artelium, a Sussex estate in a region where several Champagne houses have quietly invested. The experience includes lunch and a guided tasting.
Course Two: Appetizer, Burgundy, France
Burgundy forms the emotional centre of the journey. Guests explore its celebrated terroirs through access to producers and conversations that place vineyard, bottle and table in direct relationship.
Highlights include Domaine Génot-Boulanger, with winemaker Guillaume Lavollée, tasting across the Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise. Another key moment is a hosted tasting at Château de la Tour, set within the revered vineyard of Clos Vougeot, followed by lunch with winemaker Edouard Labet and wines selected for the group.
Course Three: Intermezzo, Umbria, Italy
In Umbria, the tone shifts to medieval landscapes, craft and Italian cultural texture. The journey includes rare access to Brunello Cucinelli’s Castello di Solomeo, with a private immersion into the village, winery and philosophy of craftsmanship that shapes the place.
Course Four: Main Course, Rioja, Spain
Rioja introduces one of Europe’s most distinctive wine traditions. Guests experience the region through iconic producers and architecture, including a tasting and tour at La Rioja Alta, S.A., as well as a stay at Hotel Marqués de Riscal.
Course Five: Mystery Destination
The final course is intentionally kept unrevealed. It is described as a heritage cellar and a celebrated dessert wine tradition, selected by the La Paulée team as the journey’s closing gesture.
Private Air
Private air travel is included throughout the programme aboard an Embraer ERJ135 aircraft, connecting the journey between Sussex, Burgundy, Umbria, Rioja, the mystery destination and London.
For a group of no more than 20 guests, private air creates a sense of continuity across multiple countries, reducing transfer fatigue and allowing more time for tastings, meals, cultural visits and conversations with producers.
Services Included
The programme includes:
- 11 nights’ luxury accommodation across Sussex, Burgundy, Umbria, Rioja, the mystery destination and London, at 5-star hotels
- Private air travel between programme destinations aboard an Embraer ERJ135 aircraft
- Special welcome and farewell receptions
- 11 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 10 dinners
- Welcome dinner at South Lodge
- Hosting throughout by the La Paulée team, led by Wine Director Edouard Bourgeois
- Curated winery visits and tastings
- Private invitations and exclusive group access according to the itinerary
- Premium wines poured at tastings and paired with meals as featured in the programme
- All transfers and on-tour transportation
- Chauffeured cars to and from London Heathrow on arrival and departure
- Cultural visits and local experiences included in the itinerary
- Pre-departure materials and dedicated guest support
- Luggage concierge service between hotels, airports and aircraft
- On-tour support from the guest services and journey delivery team
- All gratuities throughout the journey
Pricing
The journey is offered on an all-inclusive basis, starting from:
$74,995 per person, double occupancy
$84,995 per person, single occupancy
Final terms and availability are subject to confirmation at the time of request.
Destinations
The journey connects several of Europe’s most important wine and cultural geographies.
Sussex, England
A rising English wine region with growing international attention, explored through estate access, tasting and lunch.
Burgundy, France
One of the world’s most revered wine landscapes, presented through producer access, vineyard context and hosted tastings.
Umbria, Italy
A quieter Italian chapter shaped by medieval villages, craft, culture and a private immersion in Solomeo.
Rioja, Spain
A region of living tradition, cellar heritage and architectural identity, including La Rioja Alta and Hotel Marqués de Riscal.
Mystery Destination
A final wine chapter focused on heritage cellars and dessert wine tradition.
London
The arrival and departure framework for the journey, with chauffeured transfers connected to London Heathrow.
Exclusive Elite Travel Perspective
For Exclusive Elite Travel clients, this journey belongs naturally within Wine & Time as a collector-level exploration of Europe’s wine cultures. It is defined by terroir, intimacy, access and the rare privilege of experiencing several regions through the lens of serious hospitality and expert wine direction.
Private air gives the programme its rhythm, but the true value lies in the encounters: winemakers, estates, vineyards, private tables, heritage cellars and conversations that would be difficult to assemble independently.
This journey is suited to travellers who collect wine, study wine, entertain around wine, or understand that Europe’s great bottles are inseparable from landscape, craft and human relationships.
A request begins with availability, guest profile and the level of pre- or post-journey private travel the client wishes to add around the programme.
