What is Insider Access & Insider Photos from Provence & Burgundy

What is "insider access"?

and why you should care!

Insider experiences are things that you can't do on your own. They are little known, out of the way experiences, or they are things not open to the general public (and arranged especial for you).

As you can see from our photos, that's what Bliss Travels is all about.

Perhaps you'd like to eat at a restaurant that isn't filled with tourists --maybe one that is only opened for you?

Or experience a custom wine tasting in a private venue?

Have a Michelin starred restaurant prepare a special tasting menu or private room?

Visit the bell tower of a Knight's Templar church (not open to the public) with the curate?

Have a Provencal cooking class on a farm instead of a "sterile" kitchen?

Have a private chef prepare a superb picnic for a train ride to the South of France or to eat under a Roman bridge?

Enjoy a custom barrel tasting in a cellar with the winemaker?

Visit a tiny little known gem of a village?

We think this makes travel special and that's why we do it. And we do it for very small groups --usually 6-8 people. Never more than 12.

Not every exclusive access experience is about "money" or big names. Though sometimes they include those sorts of destinations. These are really the sorts of things you can't "buy" with a deluxe credit card because they are not mass market (even platinum and black cards) and they are not about commerce. They are about time and effort and relationships.

You get them because you've got a "friend" with an "in"! So, if you want to have an authentic, hard to find cultural experience and interact with people in a way that goes beyond having them make change for you when you purchase a souvenir, then you want to experience Bliss!

September: all rooms full. 1 suite left (closing out May 10th)

October: 4 rooms only

June 10 -full

June 29: 1 room

July and August: 3 rooms.

wendy jaeger 5/2/12 wendy jaeger 5/2/12

A Perfect Day in Provence with "Insider Access"

One of our favorite days...A lunch in a small village, following a private wine tasting, in a cave from the 1400's. The meal is custom to the group and the company is amazing. It's Bliss. The amazing photos were taken by Anthony Bianciella (he co leads our photography trips and chronicles our adventures).

Our group of 8 was welcomed to a candle lit room with music playing. We had 4 wines from the Cote du Rhone. This tasting focuses on Chateauneuf du Pape. Some focus on Provencal Roses. We design each one for the people who are attending.

From the Kitchen area of our chef

Her private work space!

A special meal was prepared for everyone. Some had a duck confit. Some had orange and fennel salad with a fish wrapped in parchment.

Our fabulous host came to see us off!

wendy jaeger 10/9/11 wendy jaeger 10/9/11

7 "Musts" for the Ultimate Wine Tasting in Burgundy

Want to have the "ultimate" experience in Burgundy, tasting wines and visiting vineyards? Who doesn't! Here are some tried and true tips for ensuring your trip is over the top fabulous!1. Location, Location, Location! Experience the "terroir". Find someone to take you around and "introduce you" to the various parcels of land. You know that fabulous Chardonnay you love? The one from "Les Charmes" (perhaps). Well, visit that plot. See where it's grown. It's all about real estate. 2. Think Small! Some of the best vineyards, and best wine production in Burgundy is from small parcels of land. Just cause it's tiny and just cause you haven't heard of it means nothing. Good things often come from small packages!3. Timing is everything! Yep, that's right. The year's very important. And not just because it might be a "good" or a "bad" year. It's more complicated than that. A wine from one year might be fabulous and open immediately. A wine from another year might be fabulous (and open) 10 years later. Knowing the year of your wine and when to open that wine, is very important.4. Talk to the winemaker. You must find a wine maker to take you through his or her cellars and discuss their philosophy and methods. Nothing (and I mean nothing) beats that! If you don't have any personal connections (and let's face it, most of us don't) then find someone who does. Do you have a friend in the business? Can you join someone who's already doing this? Whatever it takes, as the saying goes, "just do it"!5. It's all about You! Trust yourself. Often people are bamboozled by the expert or the name. You're the one drinking the wine. So, you are the one who has to like it. Do a blind tasting so that you're not overly influenced by extraneous factors. You'll be surprised by how much you know and how consistent your taste really is.6. Learn to Read a Label. It's more than art. Each word has a reason, and helps you identify the wine. It includes things like vineyard, ranking, year, winemaker etc. Can you imagine how you might choose a wine if there was no label? Well, that's what you're doing when you don't know how to read the label! Information is power!7. Relax. Everyone is just too intense about wine. It's meant to be enjoyed. So, enjoy yourselfWant to learn more about our photos or a trip to Burgundy visit www.blisstravels.com. Or contact wendy@blisstravels.com.