PRESS REVIEWS

Conde Nast Traveller. The chrome spoke wheels of my black convertible Jaguar E-Type crunched the gravel on the drive and the sound made me grin like a child popping bubble wrap. The sat nav had transported me between these places along idyllic, winding country lanes with little traffic and through villages not yet bruised by tourism. In one village she had not only taken me to the best place to get a decent glass of wine and some cheese, but also knew the name of the proprietor. This exhaustive research is what gives Gourmet Touring the edge.

The Guardian. Their idea is brilliantly simple: book guests into stylish accommodation, lend them a classic and/or a modern sports car equipped with satellite navigation, then (having discussed their interests beforehand) devise a bespoke itinerary. And voilà! A gloriously indulgent tailor-made holiday without any of the anxieties that usually accompany visiting somewhere new.

Times Online. In these few days I have become a satellite navigation convert. Setting the destination and without fretting over maps, we can drive at a relaxed pace, soaking up the countryside, driving down lanes which we would never touch otherwise.
The final delight today is dinner in one of St Emilion’s top restaurants, the Michelin starred Hostellerie de Plaisance. John and Sian come and chauffeur us home – they know how to give guests a good time – so we can indulge in the sommelier’s recommendations.

The Mail on Sunday. The best thing about Gourmet Touring is that you are very much the master of your itinerary. If there are certain places or activities of specific interest on your list – a particular château’s vineyard, for instance, or a restaurant – Gourmet Touring’s staff will prepare an à la carte travel plan for you based on their thorough local knowledge and personal connections.

The Sunday Telegraph. Before the trip we were asked what sort of holiday we wanted – how much culture, how much wine tasting, how much gluttony, and so on. The results of our choices were then made into specially constructed pocket-sized booklets, with every destination given a code which could then be programmed into Grace’s satellite navigation. And if that isn’t France without tears, then I don’t know what is. And when we came back, approximately two hours and six courses later, the world was, in some indefinable way a permanently better place. I’m afraid there are times when even the most grudging Englishman must admit it: France has a greatness which no other country can match.

Olive magazine. World-class food, some of the best wineries in existence, beautiful countryside, excellent accommodation, two fab cars – the trip couldn’t be chicer.

Food & Travel. It’s a trip that lets you live in fine style for five days: you get to sample gourmet food, taste fine wines and drive one of the company’s fleet of classic sports cars down Bordeaux’s glorious open roads.

Evening Standard. The sat nav had done it again. This was my third day touring Bordeaux and she hadn’t once pointed me in the wrong direction. What’s more, she had only taken me to destinations that I actually wanted to visit: the most suitable restaurants, the most intriguing vineyards, the most enchanting châteaux: to the seaside for oysters; into bars full of weathered locals whose eyes twinkled like crystals in a dry riverbed.

Vogue (Entertaining & Travel) Australia. Once you’ve chosen your car, the Mears’ work on your itinerary, gauging your priorities from an informal chat on the telephone. Would you like a cooking lesson? A private tour of a vineyard? A trip to the coast to spend an afternoon with oyster fisherman? A morning with a wine producer? Lunch in the city of Bordeaux? They will provide short reviews of all the restaurants in the region worth visiting, often highlighting restaurants run by the same owners as a nearby Michelin starred establishment which, in many cases, use the same kitchens. This is canny as the food is invariably excellent, half the price and often not as fiddly.

CLIENT FEEDBACK

Endre & Mimi, Norway, Norway, 2011. Coming to a new part of the gourmet world you need a local contact who does not only know what is available, but also can understand what your needs are, and tailor the experience accordingly. A group of 8 of us, all food & wine enthusiasts, wanted to learn more about St. Emilion and Bordeaux. Gourmet Touring organised the planning from the start and delivered to the last hour of the long weekend. We really enjoyed our stay, and can only recommend their services!!

Georgina & James, London, 2011. What's unique about the approach of Gourmet Touring is the combination of personal research and technology. It quickly became clear that the recommendations for restaurants, markets or even the view, were spot on and couldn't be improved upon. The pre-programmed sat nav took all the stress out of everything and allowed us to enjoy the area like locals. Couldn't recommend GT enough.

Kerryn & Mark, Australia, 2011. This has got to be the best way to visit the Bordeaux Region. My husband & I are from Australia and we've just had a terrific, hassle free 4 days in the region all thanks to Gourmet Touring & their wealth of local knowledge, planning & attention to detail. They booked the car, wonderful accommodation, great meals, wine chateau tours & other interesting tours, programmed the GPS and of course, provided informative notes and instructions, so we were independent with the reassuring safety net of GT.

Irma & Manish, USA, 2011. Gourmet Touring is a fantastic small business run by John Mears and his lovely wife. The couple emigrated from England to Bordeaux. Their English roots (timeliness, politeness, efficiency) are complimented by their decade of living in Bordeaux (a deep understanding of the local area (restaurants, wine, chateaux, hotels). John did not give us a templated program. Rather, he asked us about our interests and level of expertise before customizing an itinerary that included a great mix of chateaux, restaurants and perfect hotels.

Samsung, Korea, 2010. Brilliant organisation for our board meeting. Visits to exclusive vineyards very special. Our partners were treated very well and had a fantastic time. Thank you for your thorough organisation.

Mike & Edward, USA, 2010. We are always hesitant to book pre-arranged tours as most of them do exactly what you would do, but tack on additional expenses/fees/service charges to arrange it for you. Gourmet Touring does exactly the opposite! They find all the hidden gems around Bordeaux and take you there (via pre-programmed GPS!) so you experience the real culture, vibrancy and elegance of the area. I can't say enough about how easy and manageable the trip was without it being stressful or cumbersome.

Kay & Brian, USA, 2010. At the recommendation of a friend, my husband and I booked the 4-day Gastronomy tour with Gourmet Touring as part of our honeymoon trip to France. I'm usually not the type of traveler who enjoys booking pre-packaged tours, since planning things yourself usually affords you more flexibility and control over the itinerary. However, this is one of those rare exceptions where I was extremely glad I booked through a touring company.

Francesca & Junxian, Singapore, 2009. We opted to be driven around as neither of us was confident of driving. Our guide's presence did not make us feel like we were on a packaged tour. Anything we did not understand or were curious about, our guide would have the answers on hand. At the end of the trip, we felt like he was a friend to us and we not only appreciated, but enjoyed his presence as well.

James & Charlotte, USA, 2009. We weren't entirely sure what to expect from Gourmet Touring, but we knew that we needed help if we were going to get below the tourist surface of Bordeaux. What John and GT created for us exceeded our expectations in every way.

Dave & Vera, USA, 2008. Nothing compares to this type of service. Aside from the meticulous itinerary provided in the custom touring guidebook there were so many suggestions for alternate routes and places to eat that we were never at a loss to find something to do. There is no way we could have researched the quality of each site on our own.

David & Angela, UK, 2008. This trip shall always be remembered as one uniquely out of the ordinary - exceptional recommendations, loads to see and do and never a dull moment. We recommend GT unreservedly!

Pieter & Liezel, Singapore, 2008. By capitalising on your knowledge and experience we were able to learn an enormous amount about Bordeaux wines and do so much more than we expected in such a short period of time.

Roe group of 14 people, Australia 2007. The Bordeaux leg of our group’s European trip that GT provided was by far the best organised and subsequently the most enjoyable. Your concept is fabulous, just a shame you don’t offer it to other parts of France or Europe!

Ed & Linda, USA, 2007. Your attention to detail was superb and because of your hard work and focus we enjoyed an outstanding vacation. From our hotel accommodation to the wine class, the cookery class and the chateaux, we experienced a variety of sights, tastes and memories. Thanks very much.

Deutsche Bank, Turkey, 2006. We had the most excellent time, filled with pleasures to our palates at every turn. Great food, wonderful choice of accommodation - just a brilliantly organised trip in such a short time. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the intense and efficient enjoyment. We will recommend your services.

Andrew & Dean, UK, 2005. Thank you for looking after us so well. Each experience was memorable from the cookery course to a very unforgettable meal at Hostellerie de Plaisance. The touring guidebook was excellent and was like a well thumbed bible for us.

Sandy & Stella, USA 2005. It was everything we hoped for and then some. We figure it reduces ‘map fights’ and quarrels over being lost by 99.9%. We were also delighted that your taste in wine, food and accommodation met with our vision.

Andy & Lisel, UK, 2004. This week has been everything we could have hoped for as a romantic honeymoon. Even the weather has been great! The food was great but the accommodation and hospitality have been superb.