Private Advanced Wines – Bora Bora Wine Tastings

Good wine needs good company. This private Bora Bora tasting gives you two hours with Allan, a sommelier who has worked in two and three Michelin-starred restaurants, while you sample refined wines, liquors, and carefully chosen appetizers. I like the private format, which lets Allan adjust the session to your taste and experience. I also like the clear focus on pairing wine with food, not simply sipping a line of unrelated glasses.

The main drawback is the price: $1,200 per group of up to six is a serious splurge, especially for a two-hour activity. Pickup is offered, and the usual setting is Restaurant Saint-James, but plans may need to change if the restaurant is unavailable. In that case, the tasting can move to your accommodation, as it did for a group at the Four Seasons.

Key Points At A Glance

• A private session for up to six: Your group has the sommelier’s full attention rather than sharing a table with strangers.
• Led by Allan: His background in two and three Michelin-starred restaurants adds strong professional experience to the lesson.
• Wine and liquor tastings: The selection can include several wines and spirits, with the advanced option built around refined bottles.
• Food pairing is the main lesson: Appetizers show how wine can change the taste of food, and how food can change the taste of wine.
• Hosted at Saint-James when available: The restaurant is known for its dining room and wine cellar, with dinner available as an added option.
• A flexible private setting: If Saint-James is closed or cannot host the session, the tasting may take place at your hotel or resort.

What The Two-Hour Bora Bora Tasting Is Really About

This is not simply a glass-of-wine stop between beach activities. The goal is to teach you how to taste wine and how to make better matches between a bottle and a meal.

That distinction matters. Many tastings give you a list of wines, a few production facts, and a chance to say which one you like best. Here, Allan’s stated aim is more practical: to help you understand the basics of tasting and pairing so you can use the lesson later at dinner or at home.

The experience lasts about two hours and is private for your group. That gives the session a more relaxed shape than a large public tasting. If you are new to wine, you can ask basic questions without feeling out of place. If you already know your way around a wine list, you can focus on finer differences between regions, styles, and pairings.

I particularly like that the advanced version is not presented as a test of vocabulary. You do not need to know how to discuss tannins, acidity, or finish before arriving. The lesson is intended to build your palate step by step, with Allan explaining the wines in terms that make sense for your level.

One participant described Allan as able to speak in a way that works for both an experienced wine drinker and a beginner. That is a useful quality in a private tasting. Wine talk can become needlessly fussy, but a good sommelier should help you notice more without making you feel that there is a right answer to every sip.

Meeting Allan, Your Personal Sommelier

Allan is the central reason to consider this experience. His work with two and three Michelin-starred restaurants gives him a strong restaurant background, but the useful point for you is how that experience is applied.

The session is built around conversation and instruction. Allan can explain the selected wines, guide you through the tasting process, and show you why one appetizer works better with a particular wine than another. You are not just handed a glass and left to guess what makes it special.

A private guide also means the pace can respond to your group. You might spend more time comparing two wines, ask about French regions, or focus on the food rather than the technical side of tasting. The available information does not promise a fixed bottle list, so the exact selection may vary. That is worth keeping in mind if you have a particular grape, country, or spirit in mind.

Allan has also received strong praise for his personable approach. This is important in a two-hour tasting because the atmosphere can shape the lesson as much as the wine. An expert who explains things plainly will give you more value than someone who simply recites notes from a cellar book.

Learning To Taste Wine Without The Fuss

The tasting is designed to teach a method. You will be shown how to pay attention to the wine and how to connect what you taste with the food on the plate.

The supplied information does not provide a minute-by-minute list of glasses, so you should not expect a guaranteed number of pours or a fixed sequence of labels. Instead, think of the experience as a guided tasting built around a selection chosen by the sommelier.

The advanced option is aimed at people who already know and enjoy wine, or who want a more refined session. You may spend time comparing regions of France, as one group did, and looking at how the character of each wine changes with different appetizers.

The point is not to memorize tasting terms. It is to notice practical contrasts. A food may make a wine taste sharper, softer, sweeter, or more balanced. A wine may bring out a new flavor in the appetizer. Once you understand those basic relationships, a restaurant wine list becomes less intimidating.

I like this teaching approach because it gives the activity value beyond the afternoon itself. A beautiful bottle can be enjoyable in Bora Bora, but a lesson that helps you choose wine for a future meal has a longer shelf life.

Appetizers Turn The Lesson Into A Meal Exercise

Food is not a small extra here. The appetizers are part of the teaching tool.

The tasting aims to show that wine and food can improve one another when matched with care. That makes the experience more useful than a flight of wines served with a bowl of plain snacks. The appetizers give your palate something to work with and let you compare the same wine in more than one context.

The exact dishes are not specified, so you should not book this expecting a named menu. The strength is the pairing lesson rather than a promised list of ingredients. Allan prepares the tastings with food pairings, and that combination is one of the most praised parts of the experience.

This also makes the activity a good fit for couples and small groups with different levels of wine interest. A serious wine fan can focus on the bottles, while someone less experienced can pay attention to how the food changes the taste. You are learning together rather than sitting through a lecture.

Keep in mind that wine and appetizers are not the same as a full meal. If you plan to stay for dinner, treat the tasting as an opening course to the evening, not a replacement for dinner.

Restaurant Saint-James And Its Wine Cellar

When available, the tasting takes place at Restaurant Saint-James, one of Bora Bora’s best-known dining spots and a particularly suitable setting for a wine lesson. The restaurant is described as having one of the island’s best wine cellars, which gives the sommelier a stronger base for an advanced selection.

The setting matters because the lesson connects naturally with restaurant dining. You can discuss how a bottle might work with a proper meal, then choose to remain at Saint-James for dinner afterward.

Dinner is optional. Allan is happy to advise you on the wine selection for the meal, which could be a useful continuation if you want to turn the tasting into a special evening. Ask about the dinner plan when booking or before the tasting, since the available information does not state that a dinner reservation is included.

There is also a practical caveat. Saint-James may be closed or unavailable on the day of your booking. That does not necessarily mean the experience ends. A tasting was moved to the Four Seasons for one group, where Allan conducted it on the guests’ balcony. This flexibility is a real advantage, particularly in Bora Bora, where your resort may be more convenient than crossing to another part of the island.

At the same time, do not assume a balcony setting is guaranteed. The usual opportunity is to be hosted by Saint-James, while an accommodation-based session is an alternative when circumstances require it.

Pickup, Timing, And Group Size

The tasting runs Monday through Sunday from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM, with a duration of about two hours. That late-afternoon timing works well if you want to keep the morning for the lagoon or the beach, though those activities are not part of this experience.

Pickup is offered, but the supplied details do not specify the exact pickup area, vehicle, or transfer time. Confirm the meeting arrangement after booking, especially if you are staying at a resort away from the main island.

The activity is private for up to six people. The $1,200 price is charged per group, not per person. At the full six-person limit, that works out to $200 per person. For two people, the same booking costs $600 per person, so the value changes sharply with group size.

That pricing makes the tasting easiest to justify for a full group of friends or family who already plan to spend on a special meal. If you are booking for just one or two people, you need to care deeply about wine and personal instruction to make the cost feel comfortable.

The small-group format also has a less obvious benefit. You are paying for attention, not just alcohol. A public tasting might cost less, but it would likely offer less room to shape the lesson around your questions. The value here rests on Allan’s time, the private setting, the food pairings, and the quality of the wines and spirits selected.

Who Will Get The Most From This Experience

I would put this near the top of the list for a couple celebrating a major occasion, a small group of friends who enjoy fine dining, or anyone who wants a serious wine activity during a Bora Bora stay.

It is also suitable for a beginner. You do not need advanced wine knowledge, and Allan’s teaching style has been praised for making the subject understandable. The word advanced refers to the selection and level of the tasting, not a requirement that you arrive as a wine professional.

People who already enjoy French wine may find the session especially rewarding. The tasting can include discussion of French regions, and the food pairing gives you a way to compare wines beyond personal preference.

I would be more cautious if you are looking for a broad Bora Bora cultural tour, a scenic cruise, or a hands-on cooking class. This is a focused indoor or resort-based food and drink experience. The setting may be beautiful, but the main event is the conversation, the glasses, and the appetizers.

You should also consider your group’s drinking habits. If only one person in your party likes wine, the price may be hard to defend. If everyone enjoys tasting and discussing food, the private booking becomes more sensible.

The Price And The Best Way To Judge Its Value

At $1,200 per group of up to six, this is a premium experience. It is not a casual holiday activity that you add without thought.

The strongest value comes when you fill the group and make use of the full format. Six people sharing the cost pay $200 each before considering dinner. Two people pay much more, but they also receive a highly personal session with the sommelier.

I would judge the price against what you want from the afternoon. If you want several drinks at the lowest possible cost, this is not the right choice. If you want a private lesson with a sommelier who has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants, refined wines and liquors, food pairings, and advice for dinner, the price has a clearer logic.

The dinner option can add value, but dinner is not stated as part of the $1,200 price. Think of it as a chance to extend the evening, not a package inclusion.

The four available ratings are all perfect, but the sample is small. That does not prove every session will be identical. It does show a consistent pattern of satisfaction around the most personal parts of the experience: Allan’s teaching, his manner, and the pairing of drinks with food.

Booking Advice And Cancellation Terms

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the experience is often reserved well ahead of time, with bookings averaging 47 days in advance, plan early if the tasting is important to your Bora Bora schedule.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start are not refunded, and changes inside that period are not accepted.

Most people can participate, and service animals are allowed. If you have a specific dietary need or food allergy, ask about the appetizers before booking, since no dietary details are provided.

Should You Book Private Advanced Wines In Bora Bora?

Book it if wine is part of the reason you enjoy travel, especially if you can share the $1,200 group price with several people. The private format, Allan’s restaurant background, and the food-pairing lesson give this more substance than a standard tasting.

I would also book it for a special occasion when you want an elegant two-hour activity that can lead into dinner at Saint-James. The option to hold the session at your resort if the restaurant is unavailable adds useful flexibility.

Skip it if you mainly want a cheap drink, a long island outing, or a guaranteed full meal. The cost is high for two hours, and the exact wines, spirits, appetizers, and setting can vary. For the right audience, though, this is a polished, personal way to make your Bora Bora dining plans more rewarding.

FAQ

How much does the Bora Bora wine tasting cost?

The price is $1,200 per private group of up to six people.

How long does the tasting last?

The experience lasts approximately two hours.

What time does the tasting take place?

It is offered Monday through Sunday from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

Is the experience private?

Yes. Only your group participates, with a maximum group size of six people.

Is hotel pickup available?

Pickup is offered. The available details do not specify the exact pickup area or transfer arrangements, so confirm those after booking.

Where does the tasting take place?

The experience can be hosted at Restaurant Saint-James, which has a highly regarded wine cellar. If the restaurant is unavailable, the tasting may take place at your accommodation.

Who leads the wine tasting?

The tasting is led by Allan, a sommelier who has worked for two and three Michelin-starred restaurants.

Is dinner included?

Dinner is not listed as included. You may have the option to stay at Saint-James for dinner, and Allan can advise you on a wine choice for the meal.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start are not accepted for a refund.