Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises will, for the very first time, offer a limited number of guests, the opportunity to taste the 33 Grands Crus of Burgundy with a unique week-long cruise aboard the luxury barge, Napoléon.
Accompanied by wine experts with visits to four exclusive family-owned vineyards, the Semaine des Grands Crus, will depart from Macon on Sunday, July 20 and conclude in Dijon on Saturday, July 26, 2008.
A must for wine aficionados, the unique experience begins in London’s new international gateway, the restored St. Pancras terminus, where guests board the Eurostar for their journey to Paris and onward via the TGV through the French countryside to Macon. There, guests will board the Napoléon, considered one of the most luxurious peniché-hotels in France, for a week of exclusive wine classes, tastings and excursions as it slowly meanders up the picturesque Saône River. The Napoléon comfortably accommodates an intimate group of just twelve passengers with a high crew-to-guest ratio and a Cordon Bleu chef to enhance the experience.
A Grand Cru (French for "great growth") is a regional wine classification that designates a vineyard known for its favourable reputation of producing wine and is the highest classification of AOC (appellation d'origine contrôllée or "certification of authenticity") wines in Burgundy. It refers to the quality of the land and its potential for excellence, not specifically to the wine ultimately produced.
During the Semaine des Grands Crus, guests visit four of Burgundy's most distinguished vineyards including Maison Joseph Drouhin (where the King of France and the Duke of Burgundy used to store their wines), the Drouhin-Laroze Estate, Domaine Ponsot and a fourth surprise vineyard that will only be revealed at the time of the cruise.
The tour also includes a visit to Beaune, the capital of the wine region of Burgundy, and a walking exploration of Dijon with a stop at the famed "Maille" mustard shop. Bicycles are available for rides through cornfields to nearby villages, and a minibus is always at the ready for jaunts to local châteaux, abbeys, monuments and markets.
The Semaine des Grands Crus is priced from £3,510 per person including return travel from London to Paris via Eurostar in the Leisure Select class, round-trip first class TGV train travel from Paris, accommodation on board the Napoléon including all meals, wines, tastings and tours. For more information, visit www.orient-express.com or call 0845 077 2222.
For further media information regarding the Semaine des Grands Crus, please contact Anna Nash on 0207 921 4050 anna.nash@orient-express.com or Lisa Sharland on 0207 921 4064 lisa.sharland@orient-express.com
Note to editors:
Napoleon is one of five of Orient-Express’ fleet of luxurious peniché-hotels that ply France’s enchanting canals and waterways. They accommodate between 4 to 12 guests and all are available for private hire with a number also available on a per cabin basis. All itineraries are fully inclusive and tailor-made to reach into the heart of rural France, with Burgundy, Provence, Languedoc-Roussillon and the Rhone Valley feature in the 2008 schedule. The 2008 season runs from April to October with most departures on Sundays.
Language: English 
