Bordeaux Cognac Tour Guide : Private tours to Bordeaux wineries & Cognac distilleries -

Marine Gross

Après cette période mouvementée du printemps 2020, Marie a su nous faire passer une fabuleuse visite pour le jour de mon anniversaire, sortie en famille faite avec toutes les précautions sanitaires d’usage !

Découverte du Territoire autour de Cognac, proposition de visite sur mesure pour varier dégustation des spiritueux et visite du patrimoine, Marie est une guide passionnée qui regorge d’énergie et de gentillesse ! Je conseille à 200% son accompagnement de guide, avec son super VAN du 17 !

Jean-Paul Lubin

Très très bonne journée ce mardi 27 septembre, accompagnés par notre guide Marie qui nous a transporté tous les 8 dans son véhicule et nous a fait profiter de ses riches commentaires tout au long de la journée de visites. Journée terminée à l'apéro avec elle, avec son pineau et sa troussepinète... Merci Marie pour cet excellent souvenir...

Alex P

Excellente expérience, super choix de distilleries à visiter, et très enrichissant grâce aux explications plus que complètes de Marie et des différentes personnes présentes lors des visites. Moment détente, philosophie et culture, au top!

Véronique Hallier

Expérience sympathique pour les châteaux de côte de Bourg. Guide qui n'hésite pas à mêler humour culture historique et anecdotes en tout genre.

Sylvie Dalex

Formidable! Nous étions 3 couples ('frangines et leurs maris') et nous sommes unanimes. Après nous être entretenues au téléphone, Marie a très bien compris et qualifié notre souhait. La réalisation du tour a dépassé nos attentes: timing, rencontres, découvertes, explications, dégustations, visites, repas, conseils, tout était parfait, jusqu'au véhicule! JDe plus, nous avons apprécié les qualités relationnelles de Marie: entente parfaite et belles discussions.
Je recommande vivement Marie pour toute visite de cet ordre : partrimoine, rencontres et dégustations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wonderful! We were 3 couples ("sisters and their husbands") and we are unanimous. After talking to us on the phone, Marie understood and qualified our wishes very well. The tour exceeded our expectations: timing, meetings, discoveries, explanations, tastings, visits, meals, advice, everything was perfect, even the vehicle! In addition, we have appreciated the personal discussions we had with Marie. I highly recommend Marie for any visit related to cultural heritage and related to tastings.

Emmanuel Trottier

Entreprise très sérieuse, guide très sympa et cultivée.

Anthony Boulton

A perfect tour for us in Cognac with Marie Hallier.

Marie is a very experienced tour guide with a degree in tourism from the Universtity of Bordeaux. She has a very positive professional persona, is courteous, amicable, enthusiastic, speaks english perfectly, arrives early, drives carefully (with a licence to transport people), and is knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects relating to the Bordeaux and Cognac regions.

We were in Cognac in April for 3 days, two of which we spent with Marie, and one day in between on our own (because she was already booked that day with another client).

I had told her I was particularly interested in visiting smaller family run distilleries, but that I also wanted to look around and get a feel for the atmosphere of the surrounding area.

Marie took us to five family run Cognac producers in the countryside: Raison Personelle, Dudognon, Bertrand, Paul Girard and Tesseron, each of them being unique in their own way. We were shown around by the owners all of whom were cordial, informative, and generous with their Cognac, the tasting of which is essential to understand the evolution of the eau de vie as it ages in the barrels. It was a fascinating educational experience and I felt that we were privileged to be able to meet these interesting, knowledgeable and congenial people in their own homes, where they have been making Cognac for generations.
Most of them also make Pineau de Charentes so as a bonus we got to taste their version of that as well as their cognac.

Of course we went for lunch (Guileton in Segonzac was relaxed, fun, with good food and free Cognac) and roamed around the countryside looking at castles, churches and Chateau Bourg Charente where Grand Marnier is made. Hennessey, Martell, Otard and Camus are in Cognac but in the lesser known and pretty town of Jarnac we passed by Courvoisier, Hine and Delamain.

On the day that we were on our own Marie arranged for us to visit Maison Bache Gabrielsen in the morning. It was founded by a young Norwegian called Thomas Bache Gabrilesen in 1905, and is run today by his great grandson Hervé Bache-Gabrielsen. The unpretencious house is on a small street and the inside is an intriguing mixture of apothecary-like and stylishly modern. The history is unusual and the cognac is the bestselling in Norway. It was a great way to spend the morning and afterwards we walked back into town to Bistrot de Claude, also suggested by Marie, and had a very good lunch. So good in fact that we returned for dinner on our last night.

We felt very comfortable with Marie and our tour turned out to be exactly what I had asked her to organize, although it far surpassed my expectations.
I have experienced quite a few tour guides over the years. Most were good, some were very good but Marie is outstanding and I highly recommend her to you if you are visiting Bordeaux, Cognac, La Rochelle and/or places in between.

Meredith Fensom

Marie is an absolute pro. We contacted her for a trip that was put together very quickly. She made time for us and designed a thorough full-day agenda of distillery tours and a fabulous grower visit that we could not have done on our own. We enjoyed excellent meals and were treated to a special vinegar factory tour and tasting. She drove us through beautiful country roads and we even did an evening walking tour in Angoulême. The perfect day. Marie also helped with suggestions for the days we were on our own in the Cognac area. Highly recommend Marie without hesitation and hope to tour with her again!