Rhône Valley
Wine Uncovered – Olivier Hickman
Private Wine Guide · Rhône Valley, France
Credentials
WSET qualified · Winemaker since 2000
Languages
English
Tour style
Private only
Olivier knew the southern Rhône long before he guided in it. His mother was French, and childhood visits to his grandmother in Orange brought him to the region early. He moved to Rasteau in 1996, finished his wine qualifications in 1998 while working in London as a financial controller, and in 1999 started a business importing Rhône wines to the UK.
He moved to Provence for good in 2003, settled in Sablet in 2005 and founded Wine Uncovered the following year. He has made wine every vintage since 2000, and still makes small quantities from his own micro-vineyard in Valréas.
Most producers in the southern Rhône speak little or no English, and a visitor has no easy way to tell who makes the average wines and who makes the great ones. Olivier has worked with Rhône wine since 1999, first importing it and then guiding from Sablet, where he has lived since 2005.
- In Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, guests taste the wines of different domaines side by side.
- Vineyard and cellar visits follow the grape from vineyard to bottle, with the local approach to winemaking explained in place.
- A ninety-minute vineyard walk starts in the hill village of Séguret and includes a tasting and picnic with a view over the valley.
Olivier keeps groups very small and the tone relaxed and informal. Each party decides how introductory or in depth the visit goes, and reviewers single out his ability to match the depth to what a group already knows. Days are built around two, three or four estates, from a half day to a full day, and some pair the tastings with a Provençal cooking class or a walk through the history of Provence. There is also an evening Rhône tasting held at the guest's own residence. Tours are conducted in English.
Private visits only · By inquiry
Send an inquiry →This operator was personally evaluated by Michelle Ryan: WSET Level 3, French Wine Scholar, owner of an IATAN-accredited travel agency. Vetting criteria: guide credentials, access to producers not available through public booking platforms, and knowledge intake process. Not every operator we evaluate makes it onto this site.