About Decanter Tours: Experts in Private Wine Tours in Bordeaux and France

DECANTER TOURS is one of the only full service wine tour operators who have extensive experience working in the wine and tourism industries. We organize customized wine tours for wine enthusiasts in BORDEAUX, BURGUNDY, THE LOIRE VALLEY, CHAMPAGNE and the RHONE VALLEY. Your tour may include any or all of the following services: accommodation, transportation, lunches and dinners in the wineries for small groups and wine tastings in the most prestigious wine regions of France.

We have no pre-set pre-packaged programs, you are free to choose the dates that suit you and your schedule.

Some of our previous clients have included wine clubs and wine guilds from several countries, cooking school groups, sommeliers, future wine professionals, wine enthusiasts and major collectors from all backgrounds. The groups range from 2 to 200 people.

We are specialists in high-end clients, we cater to all your needs when touring the vineyards. Every detail of your program will be carefully planned with your input. Whether it be cultural, historical or purely epicurean, your visit to the wine regions will reflect your own desires and tastes. We offer the most luxurious accommodation, the safest and most comfortable chauffeur-driven cars, the finest restaurants and the most knowledgeable English or American guides. Our close relationships with the growers and owners mean that we can pass on to you experiences that the average wine tourist will never see. We promise that your next wine tour will be unforgettable.

We are an independent operator and are not attached to any particular properties so you can suggest your own itinerary. We will do our best to make it happen. You choose what you want to taste and who you taste it with.

But we are not stopping at Bordeaux! We have incredible contacts all over the world, mostly epicurean, some wine makers, some winery owners, some organizers, all of them active. Already Burgundy and Champagne figure prominently in our tours and we have ever-increasing connections in these areas.

Connect with us via twitter, facebook or simply check back here often to see what our future tours will include. Of course you decide the dates and the destination. We put you in touch with the most exciting upmarket culinary travel professionals available today. We intend to bring you along with us every step of the way on this incredible journey.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Barry Otto
“Julie and Veronica are both Rockstars! Thank you Decanter Tours for an amazing week”
Mike Nesteruk
“Amazing tours of fantastic wineries. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational experience that I would highly recommend to any wine enthusiast.”
Jackie Yellen
“My experience with Kelly was amazing. She would walk an extra mile to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome.”
Debora Campbell
“Approachable , refreshing yet powerful, soft.smooth and supple with a long finish. Nothing tight about this tour. Learned so much while tasting top notch wines. A full sensory experience!!!!!”
Greg Carlucci
“Great visits to Chateaus and very well coordinated transfers and excellent guides. Especially would like to thank Veronica for all the chateau tours and Emilene for the Bordeaux tour.”
Kiran Patel
“Janice is an amazing guide. Decanter really took us through multiple chateau's with varied history and style. The whole experience was fun and educational! Overall an amazing experience and I will be back for more!”
Jackie Groves
“Julie-Prune did an amazing job connecting us for professional visits with exactly the people we needed to meet. Our main guide, Veronica stood out for her knowledge, humor and flexibility. It was a truly memorable and incredibly meaningful experience for us.”

see all testimonials Vineyard Estate with Historic Chateau and Scenic Countryside Views

Mary Dardenne, owner of Decanter Tours, smiling in a professional portrait with a grey background, showcasing her expertise in Bordeaux wine tourism.

Mary Dardenne, President

We weren’t the first to this party but we are the best!

Mary Dardenne, the driving force behind Decanter Tours, is an American who has lived in Bordeaux for over twenty years with her two sons, three dogs, assorted cats and her husband. Originally from Texas, she made Bordeaux her home after living in London, Paris and Southern California.

Recently, Mary Dardenne was elected to serve on the French Superior Council of Wine tourism, a think tank created by the French Ministry of tourism in cooperation with winery owners to promote and develop the sector. This latest accolade proves our competence, commitment and dedication to French Wine tourism.

Thanks to her expertise in the Bordeaux area, Mary was chosen to coordinate the tour guides and shore excursions for Viking River Cruises. Since March 2014 this has meant an average of 180 passengers per week with 5 – 6 busses and guides in the wine country every day.

At the same time the US representative for the Conseil des Vins du Medoc, Mary is reponsible for educating sommeliers, merchants and restauranteurs on Medoc wines. Wine educator for the CIVB she also has the responsibility of the Bordeaux Accreditation courses for wine educators in the US.

Learn More About Mary

Julie, a wine expert from Decanter Tours, enjoying a glass of white wine in front of a wall filled with various wine bottles, showcasing her expertise in Bordeaux wines.

Julie Prune Vedrenne

I grew up in the Northern part of France, in beautiful, green Normandie. I moved to Bordeaux ‘the Sleeping Beauty’ to study.

Through my father, an oenologist from the Médoc, I started to discover my origins, deeply rooted in the wine industry; he also kept on pushing me forward in my discoveries of the amazing world. My family made me a traveler at heart.

After a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, I studied the business of wine and spirits. I speak French and English fluently, know how to get what I want in Spanish and have some notions of Portuguese. I can also break the ice in Russian. When I am not with my fellow wine friends tasting wines or visiting places, I truly love to go back to the countryside, to revisit the green and peace that nature affords.

Learn More About Julie