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- 3rd Jul 2026
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The best French wine retreats for women travelling solo or with a bestie in 2026
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Bordeaux, Provence, Paris and Alsace – solo-friendly, best-friend-approved and no wine degree required.
We all have a group chat that’s been promising a girls’ trip for approximately three years. The “we should definitely do it this year” that never quite becomes a booking. The friend who’s buying a house, the one who just had a baby and the one whose annual leave is already accounted for through 2027.
Here’s the thing: none of that should stop you from making your dream girls’ trip a reality.
A RETREAT BUILT AROUND YOU – WHETHER YOU’RE GOING SOLO OR WITH YOUR BESTIE
Amica Vina is a series of curated wine retreats through France’s most iconic regions, built specifically for women who want to actually go. You can book solo or join as a duo, and arrive into a small, intentional group of like-minded women who showed up the same way you did – ready for good wine, beautiful places and the kind of friendships you can’t manufacture on a screen.
The solo experience is considered here, not an afterthought. Rooming is thoughtfully arranged, every activity is designed for connection and the small group size (six to 12 women per retreat) means you’re not lost in a crowd. But if you have a bestie who’s actually managed to clear her diary, bringing her makes it even better. Amica Vina works beautifully for both.
“You may join solo, but you’ll never feel alone.”
MEET YOUR WINE-LOVING, WELL-TRAVELLED HOST
Samantha Faloon, founder of Amica Vina, is a WSET Level 3 certified wine enthusiast who spent her 20s living across Canada, France, Australia and the UK. Amica Vina grew directly out of that experience – specifically, the very real difficulty of making deep friendships as an adult, and the even greater challenge of convincing existing ones to commit to a trip together.
Samantha has personally scouted every itinerary on research trips before a single spot goes on sale. She is present on every retreat, every day – not a faceless operator but the person who’ll pour your first glass, know your name before you arrive and make sure the week feels exactly as good as it looks on the page.
Solo travel and wine retreats still carry an unnecessary stigma, and Samantha is on a mission to change that.
WHAT’S ON THE WINE RETREAT CALENDAR FOR 2026
Bordeaux – Left Bank, Right Bank and everything in between
Tuesday 1st – Sunday 6th September 2026 (6 days)
Cost: from £2,000 per person (including a £500 deposit). Payment plans available.
The experience
Six days in one of the world’s greatest wine cities. Château visits across both the Left and Right Banks, the UNESCO-listed streets of Saint-Émilion, a bike tour of the riverside city, the extraordinary Cité du Vin museum and a golden hour cruise on the Garonne to close out the week. You’ll stay in a four-star hotel, enjoy a welcome dinner on arrival and leave with a far deeper appreciation for what Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon can actually do.
No need to be a wine connoisseur to fall in love with Bordeaux. While this world-famous wine region can seem a little intimidating, Amica Vina strips away the jargon and makes it all about discovering, tasting and enjoying great wine – one glass at a time.
Why it works for solo travellers
Bordeaux is the first retreat to run this year, which means it’s the earliest opportunity to meet Samantha and the group in a city that genuinely rewards slow, curious exploration. If you’ve been building up to booking a solo trip, this is the one to start with.
Provence – rosé, a private villa and the Mediterranean Sea
Sunday 20th – Saturday 26th September 2026 (7 days)
Cost: from £2,850 per person (including a £850 deposit). Payment plans available.
The experience
Seven days based in a private Luberon villa with a pool, moving through rosé country, the bold reds of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a coastal morning in Cassis with a boat tour of the Calanques and the sun-drenched markets and cafés of Aix-en-Provence. A private chef handles welcome and farewell dinners at the villa. Samantha hosts every day. No shared coaches, no rushing. It’s Provence at its fullest – the kind of week that looks like a film set and feels even better in person.
Perfect for a bestie trip
Sharing a private villa with a small group of women you’ve just met sounds like a gamble, but the intimacy of the setting is exactly what makes it work. Plus, private transport was organised for the group, meaning no shared coaches or long drop-offs with multiple stops. And if you’re coming with a best friend, you’ll have the perfect mix of old and new company. By day three, you’ll all feel like you’ve known each other for years.
Paris, Champagne and the Loire Valley – 3 regions, 7 days
Monday 5th – Sunday 11th October 2026 (7 days)
Cost: from £2,700 per person (including a £500 deposit). Payment plans available.
The experience
If your dream girls’ getaway involves Champagne, charming cafés and fairytale châteaux, this one’s for you. Spend three nights soaking up the magic of Paris before heading off on a full-day Champagne tasting adventure in Reims. Then, unwind with three nights in a beautiful Loire Valley villa, where you’ll sip your way through local wineries and explore storybook châteaux in one of France’s most picturesque wine regions.
For solo travellers who want it all
For women who’ve always wanted to go to Paris, Champagne, and the Loire Valley but never wanted to do it completely on their own, this is the one for you. No need to decide between the city and the French countryside. Once you arrive in Paris, solo or with your bestie, everything is taken care of.
Alsace at Christmas – the most festive retreat on the calendar
Tuesday 1st – Saturday 5th December 2026 (5 days)
Cost: from £1,650 per person (including a £500 deposit). Payment plans available.
The experience
Five days along the Alsace Wine Route – storybook villages, Christmas markets, twinkling streets, six winery visits, tasting everything from dry and mineral to sweet and aromatic to sparkling and celebratory. Alsace has such a wide range of wines; everyone is bound to find their new favourite. Spend the afternoon at Les Violettes Spa to properly unwind. The base is a private villa with a sauna near Colmar. It ends with an ornament exchange over breakfast.
The girls’ trip the group never gets around to booking
How many times has “Christmas markets in Europe” come up in your group chat? Amica Vina’s Alsace retreat is the version that actually happens as no one is facing the stress of planning the whole trip. If you’ve always wanted a festive trip with women who get it, this is the one to book. Solo or with your best friend, December in Alsace is genuinely something else.
Not ready for France? There are UK options too
August 2026
Cost: from £560 per person (including a £150 deposit). Payment plans available.
Amica Vina is also running UK Wine Weekends in Yorkshire and Kent this August – a shorter, closer-to-home version of the experience. Think a comfortable Airbnb base, winery visits, shared dinners and a group of women who are more likely to live near enough to actually meet again on a random Thursday.
WATCH THIS SPACE
If the 2026 dates don’t work for you, make sure to sign up for the Amica Vina Waitlist to know when new dates for 2027 are launched and you’ll have first access to book before bookings go live to the public.
Samantha has also been fielding a growing number of enquiries from women in their 50s and over asking whether Amica Vina is for them. The current retreats are designed with a millennial core in mind, but dedicated retreats for women 50-plus are very much in the works, with plans firming up for 2027.
Whether your dream is Bordeaux in September or Alsace at Christmas, these retreats are built around one central idea: the trip shouldn’t stay in the group chat. You deserve to actually go.
To stay up to date with any new and upcoming retreats, follow Amica Vina on Instagram.
Rachael Ellis
Head of Content
After gaining a first in her BA Media and Journalism degree at Northumbria University, Rachael worked at Newcastle’s leading regional newspaper with her stories being picked up in national and global newspapers. She spent two very successful years giving a voice to those communities across the North East who otherwise…
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