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Luxury Farmhouse gite – suitably located for Blaye, Bourg-sur-Gironde, the Bordeaux wine region including St Emilion, the Medoc , as well as Gironde Estuary and beyond such as Royan, La Rochelle, Il de Re. A short ferry ride from all the Atlantic beaches of Aquitaine, SW France. French Vineyard Vacations – a well-priced, comfortable and blissfully, relaxing holiday retreat, with use of a secluded pool and vineyard. So whether you are relaxing by the pool, surrounding yourself with “soul food”, wandering through the vines or or seizing the moment and taking part in one of the many activities in the surroundin...Luxury Farmhouse gite – suitably located for Blaye, Bourg-sur-Gironde, the Bordeaux wine region including St Emilion, the Medoc , as well as Gironde Estuary and beyond such as Royan, La Rochelle, Il de Re. A short ferry ride from all the Atlantic beaches of Aquitaine, SW France. French Vineyard Vacations – a well-priced, comfortable and blissfully, relaxing holiday retreat, with use of a secluded pool and vineyard. So whether you are relaxing by the pool, surrounding yourself with “soul food”, wandering through the vines or or seizing the moment and taking part in one of the many activities in the surrounding area; we'd like to think our holiday accommodation includes all the right things to ensure your stay with us is really special and full of things to boost your get up and go. We also specialise in a more bespoke holiday experience by offering additional add on packages such as wine tastings and various wine tours of the world famous Bordeaux wine region. We aim to go that extra “mile” to help provide a more unique experience for each and every one of our guests. This includes other shopping packages like food, toiletries and wine and is particularly well suited to wine lovers who are interested in exploring this majestic wine region.
La Grande Etouble is a lovingly restored, traditional stone Girondian Farm house with use of a pool and accommodating up to eight guests, depending on your group's dynamics. Ground Floor Entrance hall, shower room and toilet, Small utility area + washing machine + tall fridge Farmhouse kitchen - well equipped - see additional info listed Roomy sitting room with Satellite TV, DVD player, DVDs, Wi-Fi, books and games
First Floor ( All bedding is top quality and every bed has with soft fluffy pillows and crispy, thick white egyptian cotton bedding + mattress toppers help you very pampered and special.) Family Suite - Double bedroom with lounge area + DVD player (sofa converting into another double bed if required) Ensuite Bathroom, with bath, shower and toilet Golden bedroom with Louis Style bed Ivory bedroom with Louis style bed Shower Room + toilet with double sinks, mirrors, shaving socket
Please note: Prices exclude fees and can vary depending on when you stay and how long for. Prices are also subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.
Tourist License / Licencia de turismo N °: 14004
House Rules
Pets not allowedNot suitable for childrenNo smoking
As a general rule our property may not suit 'toddlers', and due to some of our guests having pet allergies we tend to reluctantly say 'no' to allowing dogs or cats. However, we appreciate arrangements cannot always be 'yes' or 'no' and so request you contact us in order for us consider each of our holiday requests on an individual basis.
Bedrooms
1 Super King1 King1 Double1 Sofa
Bathrooms
1 Attached (ensuite)2 Showers
Meet the host
Gill B
Hosting since November 2014
Languages spoken: English, French
Response Time: Within a few hours
Interaction with guests: As the owners of our holiday retreat, we are happy to stay in the back ground of your holiday. Simply handing the keys over and handing over our Holiday information pack for you to explore the area on your own. Equally we are happy to make suggestions which might suit your interests and provide the occasional taxi service perhaps to allow all members of your group to enjoy the wine and gourmet food which is abundant in our area.
Absolutely the best hosts in a wonderful rustic vineyard home. Totally updated comfort with country French charm.
We stayed for a week and appreciated the hospitality,great location, spacious home and grounds. The helpfulness in recommendations for activities and restaurants made our stay in the area memorable. Living in a vineyard at harvest time was fabulous.
The private vineyard tour and wine tasting was enjoyed by all. Our hosts were always available if we needed any directions. Truly a relaxing and fun accommodation. Highly recommended
.we have already recommended 6 friends to share the experience
Visited September 2017
Written 7 October 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hi All, thank you so much for taking the time to submit a review - we really appreciate your comments.
I think you were the most adventurous of all all guests, travelling out and about to visit all the top Chateaux within this area. We're so pleased you enjoyed visits to Saint Emillion and the Médoc - Mouton Rothschilds and Chateau Pape-Clément. Hopefully the bottle of wine you created to suit your own individual tastes made it all the way back to Canada!
It's been lovely helping you make the most of the time you spent in our area - thanks for the recommendations. We wish you many more exciting adventures
Gill and Ben
Written 10 October 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
steve_twister
London, United Kingdom1 contribution
Wonderful experience
We all enjoy our hard earned holidays and adventures, however sometimes we come across people and places that make an impact creating lasting memories. Gill and Ben from French Vineyard Vacation are those people and their lovingly restore Chateau La Grande Etouble is that place.
Set amongst their own vineyards, the location is truly amazing. The tastefully restore Chateau is very spacious and has all the comforts of home. Ben kindly gave us a tour (and tasting) of their vineyard, giving us an understanding of the process and passion that goes into wine making (which by the way is delicious).
I can't recommend this place highly enough. I wish them well for their future harvests and look forward to visiting again.
Visited September 2017
Written 12 September 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hi Both
Yes, we can't agree more, how long and hard everyone works towards their adventures and holidays these days - and we do aim to fulfil expectations. It's great to hear you enjoyed your stay here and our latest optional addition to our holidays - your own bespoke wine tour.
It was brilliant to meet you both and to be able to welcome your very well behaved dog Spiro too. We're so pleased we could meet your request for you to be able to bring him. Thanks so much for this very kind review and the time you have taken to submit it - we really appreciate it. We wish you both a very fulfilling and rewarding future - wherever life may lead you both. It was lovely for our paths to cross and for you to enjoy all this area offers. All the best Gill and Ben
Written 12 September 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Cathy M
Newark-on-Trent, United Kingdom47 contributions
Wonderful Summer Break!
We stayed at the French Vineyards Vacation for a week to visit friends and family living in the area.
The house has been beautifully refurbished and it is decorated with taste.
All our relatives were very impressed by the property and the outdoor space. The pool area is amazing with a lovely pergola that provides shade on very hot days.
My husband did a tour of the vineyards and it was very interesting. We have purchased a few bottles from the property to drink and enjoy with everyone. It was really good!
The children really enjoyed the house and played a lot in the pool.
Gill and Ben have been in touch before we arrived and we thought that was very nice.
They have been helpful throughout our stay. This was a top customer service.
We will definitely go back as we visit the area often and this property offers everything that we need. It really felt like a holiday this time round!
And we definitely recommend it!
Visited August 2017
Written 24 August 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hi Cathy and Family
It was a real pleasure to welcome you, your gorgeous family and your friends as well. It's lovely to hear you felt like you had had a proper holiday as well as creating treasured memories of family visits.
It's great to receive all those compliments, thank you so much for the time and effort you've put into your review. We truly hope we do get to welcome you here again. Wishing you a happy and successful rest of 2017. Kind regards
Gill and Ben x
Written 27 August 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
polly596
Shropshire, United Kingdom2 contributions
The hosts with the most!
We stayed at Ben and Gill’s vineyard gite for a week in late July 2017 as a party of five with three older teenage girls. We have holidayed in a fair few gites in France over the years and we would say without hesitation that Ben and Gill’s wins over all of the others both in terms of the facilities offered and how comfortable we were made to feel.
The house itself has a real country farmhouse feel and the renovations have been thoughtfully completed so that the place feels warm, clean, nicely lit and is tastefully decorated and furnished. The result is a property that feels very spacious (even if you are a bit untidy, as we are) and offers many different places to relax. With five occupants, it’s possible to find your own space in the living room (whose doors open for a cool breeze onto the garden), the large kitchen, shady garden, sunny lawn and pool area. Equally, there is enough room in each of these spaces for everyone comfortably to eat, drink, play catch or swim. I think there is quite a lot of bats-and-ball stuff that we didn’t use, as we were happy with our tennis ball. Gill and Ben gave us four bikes and offered to rustle up a fifth if we all wanted to take a trip out together.
Specifically, the pool is pristine and offers a shaded area as well as lots of recliners around the pool. The ping-pong table was a hit as was the lawn for improving our ball skills. The plums from the garden made a lovely pie. The barbeque is spotless and Ben took the trouble to coach our girls in the use of the gas burner.
We do a lot of cooking and one usually expects to have to improvise when you go away, as most places have a few things missing that you would have at home, but here there is just about anything you would find at home and in abundance.
Gill and Ben are the most natural of hosts. Everything feels personal. Gill knew that we would be going to the supermarket en route, so decided to complement our shopping with some fresh bread and cheese and some of the Garagiste wine from their own vineyard – the perfect choice. (Ben also later gave us a freshly bottled rosé – quite delicious.) Wherever you look in the house there are signs of thoughtfulness: there is a whole rack of spices and ingredients to make dressings with; there is shampoo, shower gel and loo roll in every bathroom in case you forget to buy any or take something with you; there are dishwasher tablets and washing powder by the machine; and milk and tea till you can get to the shops; loads of books, videos and box sets of all different kinds (and I’m really picky about books) if it rains. Gill even offered our girls robes to keep warm round the pool one time when they’d left their towels in the house!
We asked Ben to show us round the vineyard, which was a real pleasure. We asked lots of daft questions and got lots of sensible answers, as you might expect. We recommend you do the same.
Although you need a car to make the most of the area, we like walking and very much enjoyed wandering the lanes nearby, popping into Berson for odd provisions (though do check the opening times) and chatting to the neighbours. We had planned to do quite a lot in the surrounding area, but mostly we just relaxed around the house and garden, as it was a nice place to be. One evening we joined Ben and Gill in the Bar du Sport in Blaye for a very pleasant hour, during which Ben and some friends play songs and we soaked up the atmosphere and that was in fact the only evening we went out at all!
Before booking our holiday, like most people, we read the reviews and couldn’t find a single negative comment among them – having now stayed, that does not surprise us, as I cannot think of a single thing Ben and Gill might have done differently and improved our experience.
Visited July 2017
Written 16 August 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Wow, what a fabulous review Polly, we are so thrilled you enjoyed your holiday here. Your review is so very helpful and detailed for other potential guests, we really appreciate the time and effort you have put into it. It's true we do think about each and every group of guests individually, everyone seems to have different requirements.It's our hope that all of our guests to get the best of what they want from this area. Some guests like to discover things themselves - others like to chat and hear about what's available. We just hope everyone goes away with the best memories possible from their holiday with us. Lots of guests arrive "as guests" and more often than not, like yourselves, we part as friends. We really enjoyed our talks around the pool in the mornings. I'm smiling now, as I remember the surprise of discovering a mutual friend. Who would have thought that! We are so very pleased you mention coming back to visit us again, we'd loved to welcome you all here again. We're hoping to create a quarterly news letter about our wine adventure and so we can keep in touch a few times a year in the meantime. We wish you and your lovely family a wonderful second half of 2017.
Salut Polly, jusqu'a la prochaine fois xx.
Written 21 August 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ann C
8 contributions
Living as God in France @ La Grande Etouble with Gill & Ben!
This wonderful place Gill & Ben created is the most fantastic place in the 4 years we've rent a house for our family holiday where we all felt like coming at home as from the very first moment. Every thing you could wish or need is there. Great rooms, adorable kitchen, the pool with his environment, the Vineyard just next to you where Ben's splendid wine is coming from, space enough for everyone, . And last but not least the perfect hosts! This if for sure not a 1 time stay although we are not used to this, and can only advise to make a booking here.
We all loved it!
Visited August 2017
Written 15 August 2017. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Thank you for your very kind review and in English too! We really appreciate you taking the time and effort to submit a report. We too, have wonderful memories of you and your thoughtful, happy and interesting family. We really enjoyed our "evening of aperitifs and chatting". We're so pleased to hear we will get an opportunity to welcome you here again and look forward to seeing you all again at sometime in the future.
Written 16 August 2017. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
kw6202
Birmingham, United Kingdom11 contributions
Perfect!
The gite is situated on a beautiful vineyard, run by Gill and Ben, who are the most wonderful hosts. There is a pretty village within easy walking/ cycling distance , where we bought delicious bread and croissants every morning. The gite was finished to the highest spec, with every attention to detail, and we wanted for nothing. The pool is glorious, and there are plentiful sunloungers,and a lovely shady area . We borrowed bikes, played tabletennis and boules and relaxed by the pool - recharging our batteries.
Our holiday could not have been better, and we will always be grateful to Gill and Ben for sharing their beautiful home with us.
Visited September 2016
Written 4 October 2016. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hello Penny and Family
Thank you so very much for taking some time out of your busy day to review your holiday. We really appreciate your kind and positive comments. Likewise , we really enjoyed meeting you and your family and helping to you to get the most out of your holiday and time spent here. Hopefully one day you will come and re-visit us.
Kindest Regards
Gill and Ben
Written 6 October 2016. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
nicolaistarfeldt
Stavanger, Norway3 contributions
A fantastic place - we enjoyed this so much
We stayed 10 days in August 2016; 2 adults and 4 youngsters around 20 years of age. We had a fantastic time. The place is in the middle of the wine yeards with a very nice swimingpool and a good opportunity to cook you own food if you like (both inside and outside). And there are also good possibility to explore the surrounding - many things to do. And not to forget Gill and Ben, who rent out the house: They was so helpful and kind that it was clearly far above expectations. And they helped to make our stay unforgettable. Thank you so much.
Visited August 2016 Travelled with family
Written 7 September 2016. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hello Stov-Brit and Nicolai
Thank you so very much for taking the time to post a review of your stay with us, it was a real pleasure to meet your family. We have some wonderful memories of your stay - especially the delicious meal you kindly cooked for us. It was a real treat!
We enjoyed our chats on those warm evenings and we hope our paths will cross again in the future. We have now closed French Vineyard Vacations in readiness for this year's grape harvest.
It's a very exciting time for us, the wine chai is all ready and been approved by the Bordeaux wine making organisation. All we need now a perfectly ripened and balanced grapes :-)
We wish you and your children good health, much success and happiness. Kindest Regards
Gill and Ben xx
Written 4 October 2016. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
AgentAJ
Moulton, United Kingdom36 contributions
The Hosts with the most
As said by many other reviewers Ben and Gill are the most wonderful hosts. They have created a lovely oasis within the wonderful wine growing region of Bourg. There is plenty to see and do. We loved our visit to the market of Blaye and our trip to the wine shops of St Emillion. Ben is an accomplished guitar player and can be encouraged to get it out of an evening for some impromptu music under the stars!! I hear the Grande Etouble wine may be making an appearance soon!
Visited July 2016
Written 31 July 2016. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hello AJ,
Ben and I are so pleased you enjoyed our oasis retreat. It was a very enjoyable week. As hosts here, we're very fortunate that often our guests become good friends and return the next year. We hope you have plans for a reunion with us in 2017, if not sooner. The musical evenings have already become very fond memories. We hope to see you and your wonderful wife and friends here again. Kindest wishes for the rest 2016 and any other holidays for have planned.
We toast your good health too
Gill and Ben
Written 3 August 2016. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paul201960
Leeds, United Kingdom143 contributions
a lovely gite anf great hosts
The gite is in a lovely setting amidst the vineyards. It is very well refurbished, modern with an authentic feel. Ben and Gill are great hosts being responsive, friendly and extremely helpful but also hppy to leave you totally alone if that's what you prefer. We had a lovely week and would happily reccomend
Visited June 2016 Travelled with family
Written 14 July 2016. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hi Paul,
We really enjoyed welcoming you and your family to French Vineyard Vacations. It's very rewarding to here you would happily recommend us. We do aim to happy our guests enjoy their holidays with as much or as little input from us as requested by them. It's great you found our input helpful. Kindest regards
Gill and Ben
Written 3 August 2016. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lisa B
Northampton, United Kingdom6 contributions
Idyllic setting, luxury accommodation and perfect hosts
We were made to feel immediately at home as soon as we arrived - we were given a lovely traditional french welcome meal and a cold glass of local wine! Ben and Gill were such gracious hosts and nothing was too much trouble. As I was travelling with my sister and my teenage nieces we had thought we would go out exploring more than we did - and there was plenty that we could have done - and the pool area was so inviting we spent most of our time relaxing and sunbathing - taking in peaceful surroundings and just chilling out. The accommodation was quintessentially french and had so many perfect little touches that if felt it had been designed with love. Ben was a font of knowledge about the vineyard and wine making - it was fascinating learning all about how they produce their own wine. I am definitely going back!
Visited July 2015 Travelled with family
Written 19 November 2015. This review is the subjective opinion of an individual traveller and not of Tripadvisor LLC nor of its partners. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
gillandben
Hi Lisa
It's touching to read your kind words, we really appreciate the time you've taken to review our holiday retreat. It was a privilege to welcome you all here to our holiday retreat. I'm smiling now at the pleasure of meeting you, your sister and her two delightful daughters. We're looking forward to seeing you again next year - the pool will be ready and waiting, together with a glass of chilled white wine. Warmest wishes Gill and Ben
Written 20 November 2015. This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The local area offers plenty of leisure activities to suit everyone and most of them are with a 5 to 25 minute drive including:Fishing, jet skiing, boat trips, cycling, walking, bird spotting, visits to local historic world UNESCO heritage site. There's always plenty of opportunity to enjoy a wine tasting / tour in many of the local or perhaps further afield. Many of our guests enjoy simply relaxing within our idyllic oasis , followed by a delicious meal at one of the great local restaurant. Or a homemade BBQ evening, sampling the delights of the wine from our vineyard.
Getting around
Ways to explore our area: by car, in less than an hour you can be tasting the mouth watering Grand Cru's of St Emilion, Medoc, Pomerol etc.
We include the use of 4 bikes for the duration of your visit - great for getting the morning croissants or going to Blaye or Bourg to the farmers markets. Bikes rentals are also available within Bordeaux. Boat trips are also very popular.
teaux' offers plenty of leisure activities to suit everyone and so many within a 5 to 45 minute drive including:
• fishing
• jet skiing
• boat trips
• cycling
• walking
• bird spotting
• historic UNESCO sites
• golf
• tennis
• horse riding
• drawing, painting and taking photographs
• bespoke wine tours & tastings
•
Access
Car advised
How to get there
Once you are fully booked we have maps and directions which we forward to you to help you locate us. We centrally located for Bordeaux airport, Train stations. We recommend the hiring of a vehicle as the local bus service and taxi's are limited.
100% refund within 24 hours after booking (provided the stay is at least 60 days away).
50% refund* if you cancel at least 8 weeks before check-in
25% refund* if you cancel at least 4 weeks before check-in
No refund available once booking is confirmed
About this property
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