Being lovers of food & wine, this itinerary really excited us. Bordeaux is ground zero for wine and our time there was appropriately soaked in grapes. Xavier, our tour leader in Bordeaux, is a native and has rich experience in the wine business and production. He knows the left and right banks like the back of his hand. His knowledge of the rich history of the area is impressive. Our walking tours of this architectural wonder were laced with lively stories that brought the place to life. Xavier arranged a lovely lunch on a beautiful wooden river boat that blew our minds. This crew provided nice wines and food while we cruised. Xavier also has full access to the chateaus in Bordeaux. Our walking tour of St Emilion was filled with history and our visits to area chateaus give us the chance to taste some great wines. Our right bank visit to Chateau Dauphine was very special with our "picnic lunch" held in the chateaus main dining room. This "picnic" was a delicious spread that included beautiful wine pairings. Quite unforgettable to be sitting in this room with views of the vineyards was like stepping back in time. Our left bank visit to Chateau Dauzac was also memorable. This Margaux and Haut Medoc producer has excellent wine products and an impressive estate. We cooked lunch with the house chef and enjoyed our lunch in their large dining and event space overlooking the estate. We were of course joined by some delicious Chateau Dauzac first and second wines. We definitely had the right leader in Xavier during our time in Bordeaux to be in the know. His suggestions for dining spots and things to do with our free time were spot on. Xavier accompanied us to Biarritz in the French Basque. Just when we thought we would miss Xavier, our Basque guide, Ana, took over. Her bubbly personality won over our group immediately as we traveled to several spots in the French Basque before landing in San Sebastián, her home base. Ana has an amazing grasp on the area, from the history, the Basque culture and every square inch of San Sebastián. Our lodging in Bordeaux and Biarritz was fabulous but I must say the Hotel Maria Cristina in San Sebastián was over the top in luxury and what a great location. San Sebastián quickly fell in love with us and visa versa. Our walking and driving tour of the city was informative and filled with ideas for things to do on or own time. WOW! MIMO Cook School was a spectacular day!! Patricio our chef leader took us shopping in the market for the fresh ingredients. That alone was an eye-opener. Back in the well equipped kitchen at MIMO, Patricio got everyone in our group involved in the preparations. I cook a lot but I must admit that I learned plenty during this experience. We ended up with a four-course meal paired with wines that was delightful. It was also loads of fun. Our tour of La Rioja was a good introduction to the wines of the area. This was our first booking with Premier and our first trip where all the planning and access to culinary and cultural activities were prearranged. It was fantastic with ample amounts of free time to slip in some romantic meals. The accommodations were top notch and we got to know some very nice folks both fellow touring guests and our tour leaders. It was better than we expected and we can now recommend Premier to all our friends.

A great experience! Our hosts in Italy made the trip feel like we were visiting family, not just there as tourists!