Signature tour · 7 days
Alpine wines, AOC cheeses, lakeside gastronomy and mountain panoramas, from Annecy to Chamonix
A personally designed seven-day journey through the French Alps’ most picturesque region: AOC Beaufort and Reblochon cheese dairies, Savoie AOC tastings with winemakers, winding mountain roads to private chalets, a fondue savoyarde cookery workshop, Lake Annecy and gorges.
A PERSONAL APPROACH
‘Savoie is more than the Alps. It is a land where cheese and wine are created according to the same laws: terroir and time. I will show you the Savoie the French keep for themselves."YOUR SOMMELIER GUIDE’Your guide-sommelier
Annecy · Chambéry · Aix-les-Bains · Yvoire · Albertville · Chamonix-Mont-Blanc
Every address in the programme has been personally selected. AOC Vin de Savoie and Roussette de Savoie estates where one family has made Jacquère and Altesse for five generations. Beaufort and Reblochon AOC cheesemakers: only those using milk from cows grazing on Alpine meadows.
Take part in making Beaufort at a mountain dairy. Prepare traditional fondue savoyarde and tartiflette with a local chef. A private tasting of Alpine wines: Jacquère, Altesse and Mondeuse. A workshop on serving raclette ‘the Savoie way’: you will never eat it any other way again.
By advance request · Limited places
WHY SAVOIE
Jacquère, fresh as glacial water; Altesse (Roussette de Savoie), with honeyed depth; and Mondeuse, with the mountains’ spicy character. Private tastings with winemakers whose families have worked the Alpine slopes for centuries.
Savoie is France's cheese capital. Beaufort, the 'prince of Gruyères', aged 12–18 months. Reblochon, Savoie's creamy, melting symbol. Tomme de Savoie, the soul of Alpine meadows. You will see how all this is made.
Fondue savoyarde, raclette, tartiflette, diots au vin blanc and croûte au fromage: dishes made to keep you warm in the mountains. Each has a story you will hear from the locals.
Lake Annecy, one of Europe’s cleanest lakes. The Fier gorges and Devil’s Bridge, Alpine meadows with Abondance cows and Mont Blanc’s snowy peaks. Savoie is postcard France made real.
Your profile
A romantic journey through Alpine villages and lakes. A candlelit dinner in a chalet d’alpage overlooking Mont Blanc, a boat trip on Lake Annecy and an evening of fondue by the fire. Seven days you will remember together.
An immersion in Alpine culture at your own pace. Cheesemakers, wine tastings, mountain walks and meditation beside the lake. Ideal for those who value peace and authenticity.
Up to 8 people, a group of friends or a family. A shared fondue workshop, Alpine wine tastings and a boat on Lake Annecy. An ideal format for celebrating important occasions with loved ones.
An adapted programme for families with children of any age. Meeting cows on Alpine meadows, a children's cheesemaking workshop, a boat trip on the lake and a cable car to the glaciers: Savoie is made for family adventures.
Programme ·7 days
Scroll through the programme and the map follows you: the day’s point lights up and the route continues. Click a number on the map to jump to that day.
Day1FRANCE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL LAKE AND A TOWN YOU FALL FOR AT FIRST SIGHT
Your journey begins in Annecy, the town known as ‘Alpine Venice’. Meet at Geneva Airport, 40 minutes from Annecy, and transfer to a lakeside hotel. A first walk through the old town: narrow canals, flower-decked bridges and the Palais de l’Isle, a twelfth-century medieval fortress on an island. Lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake: féra, whitefish from Lake Annecy, and a glass of ice-cold Jacquère. In the afternoon, a walk through the Jardins de l’Europe and across the Pont des Amours, the lovers’ bridge. A boat trip on Lake Annecy with a 360° Alpine panorama. An evening tasting of three AOC Vin de Savoie wines: Jacquère, Roussanne and Altesse.
Day2A DAY WHEN NINETEENTH-CENTURY ARISTOCRATS AND THE KINGS OF SARDINIA MEET IN ONE ITINERARY
Morning at the market in Aix-les-Bains, the spa town where European aristocracy came to relax. An open-air market with AOC cheeses, Alpine honey, génépi and charcuterie. Tastings and meetings with producers. A walk beside Lac du Bourget, France's largest natural lake. Lunch overlooking the water: omble chevalier (Arctic char) and a glass of Roussette de Savoie. After lunch, Chambéry, historic capital of the Duchy of Savoy. The 14th-century Château des Ducs de Savoie, Saint-François-de-Sales Cathedral with France's largest organ, and Rue de Boigne. An evening tasting of Mondeuse, the red wine called the 'Alpine Syrah'.
Day3THE DAY YOU BECOME A CHEESEMAKER AND COOK SAVOIE'S SIGNATURE DISH
The journey’s most cheese-filled day. Morning in an Alpine meadow in the Massif des Aravis, home of AOC Reblochon. You climb to a chalet d’alpage, a mountain chalet where a fourth-generation farming family makes Reblochon by hand. A workshop in which you take part in every stage, from warming the milk to moulding the cheese. You learn Reblochon’s history: how resourceful fourteenth-century farmers milked their cows again after the tax had been collected to obtain a second, richer milk. Hence the name, re-blocher, ‘to milk again’. Lunch in the meadow: Reblochon of different ages, saucisson, bread from the village bakery and a glass of Jacquère. After lunch, a cooking workshop: you make tartiflette, the legendary bake of Reblochon, potatoes, bacon and onions. The chef explains why real tartiflette was invented only in the 1980s. In the evening, dinner on your own creations in a chalet with a fireplace.
Day4MEETING THE KING OF SAVOIE CHEESES AND TASTING WINES WITH A VIEW OF MONT BLANC
A day devoted to Beaufort, the 'prince of Gruyères', a cheese with 2,000 years of history. Morning at a cooperative cheesemaker, or fruitière, in the Beaufortain Valley: huge copper vats, 500 litres of milk from Abondance and Tarentaise cows, and an explanation of why one kilogram of Beaufort requires ten litres of milk. A tasting of Beaufort aged five months (light), twelve months (classic) and eighteen months (a challenge for food lovers). Lunch in a restaurant overlooking Mont Blanc: fondue savoyarde with Beaufort. After lunch, Vin de Savoie vineyards on slopes descending into the valley. A winery and cellar visit to learn how Jacquère and Mondeuse grow on dizzyingly steep slopes. A tasting among the barrels.
Day5DRAMATIC GEOLOGY AND WINE BORN OF GLACIERS
A day when geology meets oenology. Morning in the Gorges du Fier, one of France's most impressive gorges: a 250-metre suspended gallery carved into the rock above the rushing river. The Pont du Diable, or Devil's Bridge: legend says the devil built it in one night in exchange for a soul. Views of giant potholes cut into the rock by water over 10,000 years. Then Seyssel, a tiny appellation on the border of Savoie and Bugey. Meet a winemaker making one of France's rarest whites, Roussette de Savoie from Altesse grown on limestone slopes. A private tasting. Lunch beside the Rhône: diots au vin blanc, Savoyard sausages in white wine, one of the region's signature dishes.
Day6A DAY AT THE TOP OF EUROPE, 3,842 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL
The day people come to the Alps for. Ride the Aiguille du Midi cable car to 3,842 metres, one of Europe’s highest. In 20 minutes, you climb from the valley at 1,035 metres to a summit where temperatures are always around zero, with a panorama across the Alps: Mont Blanc (4,808 m), Grandes Jorasses and the Matterhorn on a clear day. Step into the Void, a glass cabin above a 1,000-metre drop, for the brave. After descending, lunch in a restaurant overlooking the Mer de Glace glacier: croûte au fromage, cheese toast baked in wine, and diots de Savoie. After lunch, a walk through Chamonix: Alpine elegance, boutiques and pâtisseries. Taste génépi, the legendary mountain liqueur made from Alpine herbs.
Day7A MEDIEVAL VILLAGE BY THE WATER: THE END OF AN ALPINE JOURNEY
The final day is elegant and moving. Morning in Yvoire, a medieval village on Lake Geneva and one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. A 14th-century castle, narrow flower-filled streets and the Jardin des Cinq Sens, a garden of five senses inspired by medieval monastic gardens. A boat trip on Lake Geneva, Europe’s largest Alpine lake. A final gastronomic lunch, a farewell Savoyard feast of fondue, raclette, féra du lac and tarte aux myrtilles. A final tasting from three Savoie AOCs: Vin de Savoie, Roussette de Savoie and Seyssel. Farewell transfer to Geneva airport (25 minutes). Take home your Reblochon, if it has ripened, génépi and seven unforgettable Alpine days.
EXPERIENCES
A cable-car ascent to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi. A panorama of the Alps: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Grandes Jorasses. Step into the Void, a glass cabin above a sheer drop.
An AOC Reblochon workshop in a chalet d'alpage at 1,600 metres. You take part in the full cycle, from milking to moulding. Your cheese will be waiting in the cellar.
A cable-car ascent to the summit of the Aiguille du Midi. A panorama of the Alps: Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Grandes Jorasses. Step into the Void, a glass cabin above a sheer drop.
Prepare Savoie’s two main dishes in an Alpine chalet. Tartiflette with Reblochon AOC, three-cheese fondue savoyarde and a chef who knows every secret.
Jacquère, Altesse, Mondeuse and Roussette de Savoie, tasted in winemakers’ own cellars. Seyssel AOC, France’s rarest white wine. Sparkling méthode traditionnelle.
The Gorges du Fier with the Devil's Bridge; Lake Annecy, one of Europe’s cleanest lakes; and Lac du Bourget, France's largest. Yvoire and Annecy, two Plus Beaux Villages de France.
SAVOIE GASTRONOMY
An Alpine classic: melted Beaufort, Comté and Abondance with white wine, garlic and kirsch. Everyone dips a piece of bread into the bubbling pot, and whoever drops it must fulfil the group’s wish. Equally sacred in winter and summer.
WHY IT IS WORTH IT
The programme is a framework, not a rigid rule. Want more cheese? We arrange an extra tasting. Prefer the mountains? We add hiking. The tour adapts to you, not the other way round.
Reblochon AOC cheesemaking in a chalet d’alpage, a tartiflette and fondue cooking class, wine tasting like a sommelier and a génépi tasting. No other Savoie tour offers this combination.
A family cheesemaker in the Massif des Aravis opens its cellar. A Seyssel winemaker greets you personally. A chalet d'alpage at 1,600 metres just for you. We do not follow the crowds.
The programme is a framework, not a rigid rule. Want more cheese? We arrange an extra tasting. Prefer the mountains? We add hiking. The tour adapts to you, not the other way round.
What the tour includes
Accommodation is not included. The price is calculated for your dates and group.
Accommodation is not included. The price is calculated for your dates and group.
Tour on request
from €1,100 per day
Per group per day. Accommodation is not included. The price is calculated for your dates and group.
Request a personalised proposal
Your guide
My name is Kirill, and I help travellers discover the authentic taste of France — its wine, gastronomy and culture. My work goes beyond excursions and tours: it is a deep immersion in a region’s atmosphere, getting to know its traditions, history and people.
I was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, but have lived in France since the age of 13. This country has become my second home and a true source of inspiration. For 25 years, I have studied its culture and wine regions, turning that knowledge into my profession.
My education underpins my professionalism:
ADAPTATION
Simple
Complete the form below with your dates, group and wishes. I will receive your enquiry instantly.
Within 24 hours, I will prepare a detailed programme, format and quote especially for you.
Once the details are agreed, the hotel, restaurant and activity bookings are confirmed.
I will meet you at Geneva Airport. Everything else is already organised, so simply enjoy the Alps.
Our guests’ voices
Savoie exceeded every expectation. A dairy at 1,600 metres is magical: we made Reblochon ourselves and are now waiting for our cheese to arrive. And the tartiflette we cooked in a chalet with a fireplace was the best dinner of our lives.
I travelled alone and felt as if I were visiting friends. Our guide knows every dairy and winery in the region. The Seyssel tasting was the discovery of the year: I did not know Savoie made such elegant white wine. I will return with friends.
We came with two teenagers and worried they would be bored. But they are still telling their friends about the Aiguille du Midi cable car—3,842 metres! Children's cheesemaking and fondue for dinner made it the perfect family format. I recommend it to everyone.
I have visited every ski resort in Europe, but Savoie in summer is another dimension. Fondue in a chalet after a boat trip on Lake Annecy, 18-month Beaufort and Mont Blanc within touching distance. Seven days in Savoie are worth a month in the Pyrenees. Art Wine Guide changed how I see the Alps.
Savoie exceeded every expectation. A dairy at 1,600 metres is magical: we made Reblochon ourselves and are now waiting for our cheese to arrive. And the tartiflette we cooked in a chalet with a fireplace was the best dinner of our lives.
I travelled alone and felt as if I were visiting friends. Our guide knows every dairy and winery in the region. The Seyssel tasting was the discovery of the year: I did not know Savoie made such elegant white wine. I will return with friends.
We came with two teenagers and worried they would be bored. But they are still telling their friends about the Aiguille du Midi cable car—3,842 metres! Children's cheesemaking and fondue for dinner made it the perfect family format. I recommend it to everyone.
I have visited every ski resort in Europe, but Savoie in summer is another dimension. Fondue in a chalet after a boat trip on Lake Annecy, 18-month Beaufort and Mont Blanc within touching distance. Seven days in Savoie are worth a month in the Pyrenees. Art Wine Guide changed how I see the Alps.
FAQ
Answers to the main questions before booking.
The price is calculated for your dates and group. Send a request through the form below and I will prepare a detailed personal quote within 24 hours. From €1,100 per day. Per group per day. Accommodation is not included. The price is calculated for your dates and group.
Savoie is beautiful year-round. Summer (June–September): Alpine meadows in flower, ideal outdoor conditions and boats running. Autumn (October–November): golden larches, the grape harvest and peace. Winter: skiing, fondue and raclette by the fire, and Christmas markets. Spring (April–May): the Alps wake up and the new season's first cheeses appear. Every season has its own Savoie.
Minimal. Most days involve comfortable walks through towns and villages. The Aiguille du Midi cable car is accessible to everyone. Mountain walks are optional. If you prefer less walking, the programme is adapted.
Yes, we adapt the programme for families. A children’s cheesemaking workshop, meeting Alpine cows, a boat trip on the lake and the cable car: children love these even more than adults. For children under 12, the programme is shortened and more entertaining activities are added.
All wine tastings can be replaced by tastings of cheese, Alpine honey, alcohol-free versions of génépi or local syrups. Savoyard cuisine offers not just wine but wonderful herbal infusions, juices and mineral water.
Art Wine Guide
Seven days that will change how you think about the Alps. Cheese, wine, mountains and Alpine cuisine on a personally designed tour with your own guide.
