Jetsettersblog

Go Barging is adding charter wine-tasting cruises on all its barges in France for the 2009 season. Wine expert Brendan Moore will accompany guests on explorations of wine-producing regions, including Burgundy and the South of France.

Tours feature meetings with traditional wine-making families, visits to private cellars, and barrel tastings. Prices for chartering a wine cruise start at $4,200 per person, based on an eight-person charter, and vary depending on the size of the vessel. Go Barging offers 12 cruise itineraries in France.

Among the eligible vessels are 12-passenger La Belle Époque, Anjodi and L’Impressioniste. Seven-day tours through Burgundy onboard L’Impressioniste, for example, allow guests to sample wines from vineyards and wineries such as Domaine Jafflin, Clos Vougeot and Maison Champy in Beaune.

Typical wines tasted include those from Vosne Romanee, Gevrey Chambertin, Nuits St. Georges and Cotes de Nuits. Go Barging’s La Belle Epoque takes guests on a tour of vineyards such as Domaine Laroche, Clos Vougeot, and Romanee Conti. Wines include Chablis Premier Cru, Chablis Grand Cru, and Puligny Montrachet. The Anjodi cruises the Languedoc region, visiting vineyards such as Domaine de Guery and Mas de Chevaliere. Wine tastings include Corbieres and Pomerol.

Moore, who leads each tour, has lived in France for almost 25 years. Originally crossing over from England to help run a hotel barge, he found his passion in wine and has been converting wine novices and connoisseurs to the pleasures of French wines. Barges are air-conditioned and have spacious suites and private baths. They also feature lounge areas above and below deck. Go Barging pays commission to travel agents on all bookings. Go Barging is a subsidiary of European Waterways, the largest luxury barging vacation company in Europe, offering vacations in seven countries and carrying approximately 2,000 passengers a year.

For more information, call 800-394-8630 or visit www.gobarging.com