• Reception of guests by our English-speaking guide at Toulouse airport
Transfer by luxury coach to Auch, historic city and ancient capital of the province of Gascony, of musketeer fame.
* Settling in at the Hôtel de France ***, in the upper town opposite the Cathedral: located in an 18th century staging post, its 29 rooms offer a quality rarely found at this level. For a long time held by the Daguin family, the hotel has recently been taken over by the ‘meilleur ouvrier de France’ (a highly prized cuisine status) Roland Garreau. This is one of France’s ‘holy places’ regarding French cuisine and gourmets from the world over make a point of eating here. Garreau is currently marked 15/20 by Gault & Millau’s cuisine guide.
• Dinner in the famed hotel restaurant and overnight at the hotel.

• buffet breakfast and transfer by coach to Eauze (50 kms)
• welcomed by English-speaking oenologist at the BNIA (National Armagnac Bureau)
• short exposé on the Armagnac economy (15000 hectares, 4000 wine-growers, 250 producers, 40 wholesalers, 6 million bottles, 45% of sales exported to 132 countries …), the history of the drink (from the Romans through to today’s AOC status), its miracles (therapeutic virtues as described by the cardinal Vital Dufour in 1313), the three Armagnac ‘territories’, its vinification, distilling, ageing etc.
• Initiation in Armagnac tasting: choice of glass, how to read the label, tasting of traditional armagnacs. Armagnac derivatives: ‘white’ Armagnac, Floc de Gascogne, fruit in Armagnac, cocktails. Cooking with Armagnac.
• Gascony lunch.

• Transfer to Arthez d’Armagnac (35 kms)

• Domaine d’Ognoas, one of the finest estates in the Bas Armagnac region. The estate covers 540 hectares of which 25 are vines. Our (English-speaking) guide is an Armagnac expert who will show us round the estate and the cellars. He will officiate at a tasting which will concentrate on vintage and ‘hors d’âge’ armagnacs from Bas Armagnac.
• Return to Auch at the end of the afternoon.
• Gourmet dinner. An example of the menu (which we will leave in French):

• At the end of the meal Roland Garreau will present each participant with his recipe for the ‘magret en coque de sel’ before discussing French cuisine with everyone.
• overnight in Hôtel de France

• After breakfast transfer to the Chäteau de Busca Maniban at Mansencôme. On the way we pass the famous Château de Pardeilhan, a favourite of the musketeers!
• Reception at the chateau for a tasting session of rare armagnacs.
• Transfer to the little village of St Puy.
• Reception at the farm of ‘Terre Blanche’, famous for its duck foie gras.
• Picnic lunch in the farmyard: an example of the menu:

Armagnac-based aperitif
Duck paté, duck neck stuffed with foie gras, foie gras
Duck Cassoulet
Armagnac ice cream
Wine, Gascon pick-me-up, coffee

• Transfer to the Cistercian Abbey of Flaran, situated on one of the pilgrims’ trails to St Jacques de Compostelle. Visit of the Abbey.
• return to Auch
• Gourmet dinner at the Hôtel de France