Private Advanced Wines – Bora Bora Wine Tastings

A fine glass can change dinner. This private Bora Bora tasting pairs several wines and liquors with appetizers while a Master sommelier explains how to taste, compare, and match each pour with food. I like the personal instruction and the chance to use one of Bora Bora’s best restaurant cellars. I also like the flexible setting, since the tasting can move to your resort balcony if Saint-James is closed.

The main drawback is the price: $1,200 per group of up to six makes sense for a special occasion or a full group, but it is a serious spend for one or two people. The session lasts about two hours, so you are paying for focused guidance, premium bottles, and private service rather than a long meal.

Key points at a glance

• Private tasting for up to six people: Your group has the sommelier’s full attention, with no strangers sharing the table.
• Led by Allan, a Master sommelier: His background includes work at two- and three-Michelin-star restaurants, and he explains wine in plain terms for beginners and experienced drinkers.
• Advanced wines with food pairings: Refined wines and liquors are matched with appetizers so you can taste how food changes a wine.
• Hosted through Saint-James: The restaurant is known for one of Bora Bora’s strongest wine cellars, with the option to stay for dinner.
• A useful lesson, not just a drinking session: You learn a step-by-step method for tasting wine and choosing a bottle for a meal.
• Daily afternoon timing: The experience runs from 3:30 to 5:30 PM, with pickup offered and a mobile ticket.

What the Bora Bora Wine Tasting actually offers

This is not a quick glass of local wine before dinner. It is a private, guided tasting built around two ideas: how to taste wine properly and how to pair it with food.

You receive several wines and liquors, along with small appetizers chosen to show how a pairing works. The point is not simply to decide which bottle you like best. You learn why a wine can taste different beside food, and why the right dish can make a bottle seem smoother, fresher, sweeter, or more complete.

That makes the experience useful even if your wine vocabulary is limited. Allan has a way of explaining wine in everyday terms, so you do not need to arrive knowing the difference between every French region or grape. If you already drink wine regularly, the advanced format gives you a more refined selection and a closer look at pairing.

The session is private, which matters here. Wine tasting works better when you can ask basic questions without feeling self-conscious, or spend extra time on a style you enjoy. With a group of up to six, you can also share the cost and turn the tasting into a polished afternoon activity for friends or family.

Meeting Allan, your personal sommelier

The experience is led by Allan, a Master sommelier with experience at restaurants holding two and three Michelin stars. That background gives the tasting a professional edge, but the useful part is how he communicates.

You can expect step-by-step help with the mechanics of tasting. That may include looking at the wine, smelling it, taking a sip, and thinking about how the flavors change. The real lesson is learning what to notice without turning the session into a test.

Allan’s style is especially helpful if you are new to wine. You do not need to pretend you smell obscure fruit or understand every technical term. You can describe what you like in your own words, then use his guidance to connect that preference to a style, region, or pairing.

If you already have a strong wine background, tell him early. The advanced tasting is intended for people who want more than an introduction, and the selection can focus on refined wines and food combinations. A private format also gives you room to ask about French regions, restaurant wine lists, or choosing a bottle for dinner.

The Saint-James setting and wine cellar

Saint-James is the main restaurant setting for this experience. It is presented as one of Bora Bora’s best restaurants, with a particularly strong wine cellar. That makes it a sensible home for an advanced tasting, since the cellar gives the sommelier more room to present serious bottles.

The tasting itself lasts about two hours and is scheduled from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. That timing is practical. It fills the late afternoon without taking over your evening, and you can choose to stay at Saint-James for dinner afterward.

The dinner option is one of the most useful details. You can ask Allan for advice on selecting wine for the meal, which lets you apply the lesson immediately. Instead of ending with the last tasting pour, the afternoon can lead into a full restaurant experience.

You should confirm the dinner plan when booking or before the tasting. The wine experience and the meal are separate parts of your outing, and the available information does not state that dinner is included in the $1,200 price.

How the two-hour tasting unfolds

The exact bottles and appetizers are not fixed in the information provided, so you should think of the following as the structure rather than a guaranteed flight list.

First, you learn how to taste

The tasting begins with the basics of assessing wine. Allan explains what to look for and helps you connect sight, aroma, flavor, and finish. This gives the session a clear purpose from the start.

I like this approach because it avoids the usual problem with wine tastings: a series of pours without much context. You are not just drinking several wines and trying to remember which one came first. You are learning a repeatable method that you can use at a restaurant or at home.

Next, you compare wines and liquors

The selection includes multiple wines and liquors. The range gives you a chance to compare styles rather than focus on one bottle in isolation.

For an experienced drinker, the advanced tasting is the stronger choice because it centers on refined wines and more detailed pairings. For a beginner, the variety can make the session more approachable, since you can discover what suits your own palate instead of being told what you should like.

The most useful questions are personal ones. Ask Allan what makes one bottle better with a certain dish, why a wine feels dry or sweet, and how to choose a bottle when you only know the type of food you plan to order.

Then, the appetizers show the pairing lesson

The appetizers are not just snacks between pours. They are part of the teaching. A bite of food can make a wine seem different, and the pairing exercise lets you notice that change directly.

This is where the experience earns its place beyond a standard tasting. You learn that pairing is not only about matching white wine with fish or red wine with meat. Texture, weight, acidity, sweetness, and seasoning all affect the result.

You may find that a wine you did not enjoy alone works much better with food. The opposite can also happen. A bottle that seems impressive by itself may overpower a delicate appetizer. That discovery is often more useful than memorizing wine rules.

Finally, you can plan dinner

If you stay at Saint-James, Allan can advise you on the wine for your meal. This gives you a practical way to use the afternoon’s lesson while the examples are still fresh.

The dinner option also makes the tasting a better fit for a celebration. You can start with a private educational session, then continue with a restaurant meal rather than arranging separate activities across the island.

Why the food pairing matters more than the bottle list

Many wine tastings focus on labels, regions, and prestige. Those details can be interesting, but the pairing lesson is more useful for most people.

You are likely to buy wine for a meal, not for a blind tasting. Knowing how to match a bottle with food helps you make better choices when facing a restaurant list or a shop shelf. It can also save you from relying on broad rules that do not account for sauces, spice, sweetness, or texture.

The session also teaches you to pay attention to your own palate. You may prefer a wine because it is fresh and light, because it has a fuller texture, or because it works well with a particular dish. Allan’s role is to help you understand that preference, not to tell you that one style is automatically better.

For couples, this can be a fun way to compare tastes. For a group, it gives everyone something to discuss between pours. Just remember that the experience is private and premium, not a casual bar stop.

Price and group value at $1,200

The cost is $1,200 per group, with up to six people included. That works out to $200 per person if you fill all six places. For two people, the effective cost is $600 each, which is much harder to justify unless wine is a major part of your Bora Bora holiday.

The price reflects several elements: a private session, a Master sommelier, refined wines and liquors, appetizers, and access to Saint-James’s cellar. It also includes the value of personal advice, which is hard to compare with a standard public tasting.

I would recommend booking it as a group if possible. Six friends or family members can share the fixed price and receive a more personal experience than they would at a large tasting event.

For a couple, the decision depends on your priorities. If you are celebrating a milestone, already care about wine, and plan to eat at Saint-James afterward, the cost may feel worthwhile. If you simply want to try a few drinks in Bora Bora, the price is likely too high for the short duration.

The fact that the experience is often reserved well in advance also matters. It is booked an average of 47 days ahead, so you should not leave it until the last afternoon of your trip if the tasting is important to you.

Resort pickup and the balcony option

Pickup is offered, and the main plan takes you to the restaurant on Bora Bora’s main island. The information does not specify the exact pickup areas, so confirm that your resort is covered when you reserve.

There is also a helpful alternative if Saint-James is closed. Allan has brought the tasting to a resort balcony, including a session at the Four Seasons. That flexibility can rescue the experience from a scheduling problem and may give you a more relaxed setting.

A balcony tasting changes the mood. Saint-James gives you the restaurant and cellar connection, while your own resort may offer privacy and a more personal backdrop. Neither option is automatically better, so tell the provider where you are staying and ask which setting will apply.

If you want to remain at Saint-James for dinner, the restaurant setting is the natural choice. If your resort has a comfortable private balcony and the restaurant is unavailable, the alternative still preserves the core lesson and food pairing.

Who will enjoy this experience most

I would choose this tasting for:

• A couple celebrating a special occasion
• A small group that can share the $1,200 fee
• Wine drinkers who want practical pairing advice
• Beginners who prefer private instruction over a crowded class
• Anyone planning dinner at Saint-James
• People who enjoy French wines, spirits, and restaurant dining

It is less suitable if you want a quick, inexpensive activity or a broad cultural tour of Bora Bora. The experience is focused tightly on wine, liquor, appetizers, and food matching. You will not be touring the island or learning about a wide range of Polynesian attractions.

It also may not suit someone who does not drink alcohol. Service animals are allowed, and most people can participate, but the central activity is tasting alcoholic drinks.

Timing, booking, and cancellation details

The scheduled time is Monday through Sunday from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. The operating dates provided run from November 23, 2021, through November 26, 2026.

Confirmation is sent within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability. Since the tasting is private and the date can fill well ahead, allow time for that confirmation before building a tight dinner or transport plan around it.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the experience are not accepted for a refund, so check your resort plans before the deadline.

Should you book the Bora Bora advanced tasting?

Book it if you want a serious, private wine experience and can share the price with a group. The strongest reasons are the one-on-one guidance from Allan, the food pairing work, and the chance to continue at Saint-James for dinner.

For two people, I would book only if wine is central to your trip or you are marking a special event. The $1,200 price is high for two hours, but the private format and premium focus make it more than a simple tasting.

If you want to learn how wine works with food rather than just sample expensive bottles, this is the right reason to go. Ask about the restaurant setting, the wines planned for your level, and whether you can stay for dinner before you finalize the booking.

FAQ

How long does the Bora Bora wine tasting last?

The tasting lasts approximately two hours, from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

How many people can join the private tasting?

The $1,200 price covers one private group of up to six people.

Where does the tasting take place?

The experience is hosted through Saint-James, a Bora Bora restaurant with a strong wine cellar. If the restaurant is closed, the tasting may be held at your resort, including on a private balcony.

Is pickup available?

Yes, pickup is offered. Confirm the pickup details and your resort’s eligibility when booking.

Can I stay for dinner after the tasting?

Yes, there is an option to remain at Saint-James for dinner. Dinner is not stated as included in the tasting price, and Allan can advise you on wine for the meal.

What is the cancellation policy?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the local start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.