Welcome to Villa St Simon, gateway to the essence of Bordeaux!

Whether you are a wine buff or simply enjoy wine, we have something for you.

Most evenings guests have the opportunity to join Les in the wine cellar where he presents Debunking de wine, a light-hearted ramble through Bordeaux wines and wine tasting.

For the serious wine buffs – Les offers the Blaye Wine Academy course. Please see details below

Debunking de wine

This hour and a half coached tasting and wine presentation is aimed at people who simply enjoy wine and are interested in enriching this pleasure.

We debunk all things pretentious and get down to basics. You will learn -

• How to read Bordeaux wine labels
• How to store, present and serve wine
• How to see the age and alcohol intensity of wine
• How to liberate and capture the bouquet of wine
• The anatomy and the techniques of tasting
• About pairing food with wine

The wines we focus on are the classic red Bordeaux blends, but much of what we cover is equally applicable to other wines. We meet in the cellar at 6:30pm most evenings, except Saturdays. The presentation includes tasting at least three Bordeaux wines, whereafter we often stroll to a nearby restaurant for dinner. The cost is €25.00 per person.

Wines of Bordeaux – A Blaye Wine Academy course

This two day course is aimed at wine aficionados who wish to advance their knowledge in depth, specifically as regards the wines of Bordeaux. We cover the following aspects-

• History of French wine
• How to read French labels
• Wine laws and AOC
• Terroir and Viniculture
• Vinification – techniques and trends
• Grapes varieties and the art of blending
• Chateaux that shaped Bordeaux
• Food paring with Bordeaux blends

The program starts at 10:00am on each of two consecutive days.

Course content reading precedes and interposes lectures/discussions.

The course fee is €245 per person which excludes accommodation and includes course material as well as the Bordeaux wines tasted.

Participants will receive a Blaye Wine Academy course completion certificate.

The course is presented by Les Kellen by arrangement.

Courses are scheduled on demand.

Please inquire when the next courses are scheduled.

Participants arrive on Friday evenings and course duration is from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon.

Course dates can be scheduled to your convenience for groups of at least four participants.

Please email your preferences to Les Kellen who will call you to discuss arrangements.