NEW - French Lifestyle Weekends at Rigaud 2025
9th to 12th October
30th October to 2nd November
13th to 16th November
“A relaxed celebration of everything we love about French country living”
Book a room & join us for an all inclusive weekend of good food, good wine and good company. Over three days you could be tasting more than 30 Bordeaux wines & 20 artisan cheeses, learning to perfect a classic tarte tatin in the château kitchen, exploring a Premiere Grand Cru Classé vineyard & shucking oysters on the Rigaud terrace. There’s shopping for our chef at our local food market & for yourself in the village brocante. Anyone for a game of boules?
No French stereotype will be left unturned!
Arrival day
Afternoon arrival at Rigaud, for crémant & cake on the lawns. Time to unpack & unwind, then meet fellow guests in the bar, or pull up a stool at the kitchen counter & watch your canapés being prepared. Dinner is four courses filled with typical Bordelais ingredients & a wide selection of local wines.
Day two - a wander around St Emilion
After a lazy breakfast, the minibuses will start to leave the chateau at around 11am for a trip to St Emilion. A chance to wander around the cobbled streets & shops before an informal wine bar lunch.
During the afternoon you can choose a cultural tour of the Hermitage & Monolithic Church, or visit a Premier Grande Cru Classé vineyard, or simply return to Rigaud for a sleep. Afternoon tea is around 4pm followed by a cookery demo from Head Chef John Grabecki. We might try matching some new wines this evening with a menu of small plates.
Day three - shopping the markets
It’s Market Day in St Foy La Grande & the buses are ready to take you with a shopping list from the chef. Back to the chateau for lunch, then there’s the option of a flea market in the afternoon, with time after tea for boules on the quad, propping up the bar or helping the chefs shuck oysters for dinner.
The evening might start with Lillet Cocktails, before four courses of fine dining to round off three excellent days ‘in the chateau life’.
Final morning departure after breakfast
Rooms & Pricing
Boudoir : Super king bed & ensuite shower room 1350 euros
Bourgie & Jardin : Super king bedrooms with ensuite shower rooms 1550 euros
Dauphin : Super king bedroom with bath in the room 1550 euros
Aquitaine : King sized bedroom with ensuite bath and shower 1550 euros
Ballroom : Superior super king room with ensuite bath 1580 euros
Prussian : Superior super king room with bath in the room and ensuite shower 1550 euros
Maroc : Superior super king room, ensuite bathroom with bath & shower 1780 euros
Tower : Superior super king room, ensuite bathroom with bath & shower 1780 euros
To book a room email HERE
Fully inclusive package includes
Dinner, bed and breakfast accommodation for two people for three nights. Open bar throughout the weekend with limitless house wines and fizz. Lunch on days two and three. Cake and crémant (or tea if you prefer) each afternoon. Transport for trips out,
Does not include
Airport transfers (€40pp return), vineyard or monument entrance fees (allow 25 euros pp on average), or massage treatments
FAQ’s
Do I have to join in? There’s no schedule to stick to & no pressure to join in. Whether you dip into every activity or simply curl up in front of the fire with a book & a glass of St Emilion, the chateau is yours to enjoy for the weekend.
Can I come in the summer months? These weekends are only available in the spring and autumn. It’s not quite swimming pool weather, but with any luck you’ll still be lunching outdoors. Jeans and jumpers in the sunshine weather.
How many guests will there be? We keep it to just 16 guests & we don’t usually take more than four couples from one group unless you can bring a group of 12 in which case you can privatise the chateau.
If you’ve been meaning to come back to Rigaud – or have friends who need a bit of French spoiling – we’d love to have you. First weekends launch this autumn.
