Culture & wine with Leysan

It was an unforgettable day for us. We are all seasoned travellers, and our expectations and demands of a guide are considerably higher than usual. Leysan managed to surprise every one of us.

The richness, refinement and variety of her storytelling were of a very high standard. Put simply — charming, engaging and utterly delightful, Leysan made our day. From the moment she met us to the moment we said goodbye, everything was quite wonderful. If you have the choice, book with Leysan — you won’t regret it. Beautiful language, real knowledge, the ability to sense a group’s mood and spirit instantly, an excellent choice of locations. A very high standard — a true professional.

I am delighted to write this review about Leysan! Leysan is a cultured, tactful and thoughtful person! She loves her work and knows the region and its history superbly! On top of that, Leysan is a wine technologist and knows everything about it! What pleasure she takes in talking about wine, how it is made, how it tastes, and about the estates!

The trip to Saint-Émilion with visits to wineries and tastings, and the monolithic church we didn’t want to leave thanks to Leysan’s fascinating narration, was unforgettable! Leysan will recommend restaurants, oyster farms and other places you’ll want to visit on your own. Thank you for a wonderful time, for such rich information and for the elegant service!

If you’re looking for an engaging and knowledgeable guide, it’s Leysan, without question! I’m enormously grateful for such an unforgettable journey! In those two days I learned so much that was new to me! Bravo! You filled in everything I thought I knew about wine!

Leysan is a true professional who knows the trade from the inside: she worked for a long time at one of the finest estates in Bordeaux! She knows the history of the region, gives advice and helps make your stay unforgettable! We will remember these two days for a long time!

I want to write this review straight from the heart, because the impressions still haven’t faded!

It all began long before the trip: we found our guide online, stumbled across her social media by chance and simply fell in love — her passion for what she does was that palpable. Writing to her was easy and we agreed at once. The most valuable part: she took absolutely all our wishes into account, yet gently and kindly adjusted what wasn’t feasible (for which a special thank you — better an honest professional than someone who promises everything).

And then the day came. We were collected from our hotel (and brought back there afterwards) and set off for the Médoc. We visited two estates where we were treated like the most honoured guests: everything explained, everything shown, and the tastings were simply superb. But that wasn’t all! We stopped at several other châteaux where, right on the spot and with history and context, every last stone was explained to us. All the way, Leysan answered our questions and spoke very honestly and in detail about the difficulties and subtleties of winemaking in different regions. It wasn’t just “try this” — it was a genuine immersion into the profession.

Another important detail 🐾 We love animals dearly, and as it turned out the tour was led by... the whole team! Namely, our guide and her wonderful dachshund with the most wine-appropriate name, Pétrus. We were thrilled! In the car, on the walks — it added incredible warmth.

And at the end of the day a double surprise awaited us. First, a mountain of useful advice: where to go in Bordeaux, how to plan the evenings, answers to our personal questions — priceless, when your guide becomes your personal atlas of the city. Second, on the way back we not only drank water and ate chocolate (yes, there was chocolate!) — she arranged something special for us. I won’t give away all the secrets; let it stay your own little surprise when you decide to go with her. I’ll only say that we developed our sommelier skills in the form of a game, and it was fun and delicious.

It was a day full of good feeling, knowledge, beautiful views, excellent wine and Pétrus the dachshund. We recommend this guide with all our hearts. We will certainly return to Bordeaux — not “if”, but “when” — and we’ll go with her as with a dear friend. It is the best way to discover a wine region: warmly, professionally and unforgettably.

P.S. Pétrus, thank you for your company!

Leysan is an exceptional guide, one of the best we have ever met. From the very beginning she was captivating, easy to talk to and incredibly interesting to listen to. Her knowledge is strikingly deep, and she conveys it so vividly and compellingly that time flies by.

What impressed us most is that she never once looked at her watch and gave us far more time than planned: what matters to her is not simply running a tour, but genuinely giving people pleasure. Leysan also speaks several languages fluently, which makes communication easy and comfortable for everyone. Her sincere passion for her work, her enthusiasm, energy and love of what she does are literally contagious.

If you’re looking for a guide who exceeds every expectation — Leysan is simply magnificent.

I want to express my enormous gratitude to Leysan for a wonderful day and a superb tour of the wine estates of Saint-Émilion! My husband and I are delighted! Leysan knows her subject inside out, has a wealth of historical facts at hand, and is simply such pleasant company that you want to keep listening — and a long day flies by like a couple of hours!