Bordeaux Wine Tour

Ah Bordeaux… the Gironde, the Canelés and the vineyards, what a beautiful region! The six wine regions of Bordeaux are renowned for their ability to enjoy different terroirs from one region to another. Bordeaux is the land of world-renowned appellations such as: Margaux, Saint-Emilion, Pauillac or Pessac, not to mention all of them.

The steps of our Bordeaux Wine Route :

  1. Médoc Wine Tour
  2. Saint-Emilion Wine Tour
  3. Pessac-Léognan Wine Tour
  4. Graves et Sauternes Wine Tour

The most prestigious wines are listed in the official classification of the Bordeaux wines of 1955, ordered by Napoleon at the event of the Universal Exhibition of Paris: that’s when the Grands Crus Classés were born.

Besides the gastronomy, the capital of the Gironde and its vineyards offer unforgettable wine meetings. You will have the opportunity to create your own tailor-made itinerary in the Bordeaux vineyards: visits of estates and sensational tastings are guaranteed!

Among the main cities in Bordeaux that you can visit there is: Pessac, Talence, Libourne and Cenon.

Appellations not to be missed in Bordeaux

Médoc

First stage of our Bordeaux wine route: the Médoc. This thousand-year-old vineyard is the home land of estates that produce some of the most prestigious appellations in the world. On this strip of land wedged between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde Estuary, we can find 60 out of 61 Grand Crus Classés of Bordeaux.

The names of these appellations are probably familiar to you and for very good reasons: we can find Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe or Saint-Julien. You will discover the famous Medici castles that will impress you by their size and their classic architecture. Route 66 for wine lovers remains the guarantee of exceptional tastings for a unique wine tourism stay!

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Saint-Emilion

Saint-Emilion, Fronsac and Pomerol, a beautiful getaway! You will have the opportunity to observe very different vines from the rest of the Bordeaux terroir. In Saint-Emilion, the vineyards are dense, compact and close together in their plantation, as can be seen in the Burgundian vineyards.

Here, Merlot is king! It represents 65% of grape varieties used in the vineyard. Libourne is a must-see, as it is a city of charm and is central within the region. Like others before you, you will be amazed by the beauty of the Saint-Emilion village: mostly by its vineyards, its ramparts and its narrow alleys. We guarantee you winegrower meetings like nowhere else in the world!

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Graves and Sauternes

Third stop, and back to the roots! If you want to discover the cradle of the Bordeaux vines, which was planted more than 2000 years ago, this is where you should go. At the southern gates of Bordeaux, the Graves and Sauternes region festers some of the Grand Crus Classés of 1855 such as Château d’Yquem or Château Haut-Brion.

You can walk along the Garonne and stop at excellent restaurants (starry or not) of this part of the region. In this part of Bordeaux, winemakers welcome you for visits and classic tastings or more unusual activities: castles, starred restaurants and liqueur wines await you for a colorful program.

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Pessac-Léognan

The Pessac-Léognan wine route will feel like paradise for exceptional wine lovers. Located in the vineyards of Les Graves, between Arcachon and Lacanau, Pessac-Léognan wines offer powerful and fruity aromas. The Bordeaux appellation also has the particularity of being one of the few to exist in red and white. The Pessac-Léognan appellation was born in 1987, on Les Graves territory.

Located at the southern edge of Bordeaux, the Pessac-Léognan vineyard is easily accessible by train, bicycle or car. Montesquieu was particularly fond of the appellation, and said that “the air, the grapes, the wines on the banks of Garonne as well as the mood of Gascons are excellent antidotes for melancholy.” If you also feel like getting some air during the weekend or simply having a good time with family or friends, do not wait any longer: go on the Wine Route of Pessac-Léognan.

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Book a visit with one of our winegrowers

Discover the vineyards of Bordeaux's must-see cities

The main appellations of the Bordeaux region

All you need to know about Bordeaux wine tour

France is a country rich with wine regions: the Rhone Valley, Languedoc-Roussillon, Alsace and many others. They fight over who produces the best bottles of wine and the best wine tourism service (cellar visits, vineyard tours, horse-drawn carriage rides, subway rides...).

The Bordeaux region is known in France for its gastronomy. But it is especially known worldwide for the production of its red wines from the greatest wine-producing chateaux. Let's take 20 minutes to learn more about this region!

It is also one of the largest wine-growing regions in France with its 100,000 hectares, its sixty or so appellations and its five wine-growing sub-regions: the Graves, the Médoc, the Sauternes region, the Right Bank and the Entre-deux-Mers. As well as one of the most rewarded in wine rankings.

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are the three most widely used grape varieties in the Bordeaux region for the making of red wines. But the Bordeaux vineyards are not only known for their red wines, they also offer excellent white wines made from the Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grape varieties.

It is therefore only natural that the paths leading to the various castles in the wine region have become tourist attractions used by millions of people every year. You will be surprised by the astonishing diversity of landscapes that the region has to offer. Wine castles, historical monuments, the Chartrons district,... the Bordeaux region will have no more secrets for you!

Don't wait any longer to go to Bordeaux for a weekend to follow this well-known wine route. You will have the opportunity to visit the winegrowers whether it is a small harvesting estate or a grand cru classé. To cross splendid typical villages of the region such as Saint Emilion or Margaux and to visit the most beautiful cellars of the region.

You can take the Bordeaux Wine Routes in any way you like, whether by bike, car or even camper van. And for the more sporty, you can even visit the Bordeaux wineries in a fun way: arm yourself with your legs and beautiful disguises!

You will have understood that we are talking about the Marathon des Château du Médoc. This mythical 40 kilometre race throughout the vineyards of Bordeaux is known for the extravagant outfits of its participants. As well as for the great tables around the Bordeaux wines that follow! Moreover, the theme for the year 2020 has just been released: "The Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc makes its Cinema".

Now that you know all about the miles and one way of understanding the most famous Wine Road of France, we are going to reveal everything about the five main routes that constitute it.

You can thus choose to visit the Médoc sub-region, located halfway between the north of the Bordeaux region and Les Graves. You take the Route des Châteaux which will lead you to the Maisons des Grand Crus Classés. Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Moulis... here are some famous names that should make you salivate.

The Heritage Route also has some nice surprises in store for you. Located at the crossroads between the East of Bordeaux and the Right Bank of the Dordogne, you will cross the estates of Saint-Emilion, the Maisons de Fronsac, the Châteaux of the Côtes de Castillon as well as the vineyards of the Côtes de Francs. We advise you to take time to stop at the medieval village of Saint-Emilion. Classified as a UNESCO heritage site and with a superb panorama, it is worth the detour!

Let's now go to the Route des Coteaux which crosses the Bourgeais and the Blayais. In addition to discovering the appellations of the sub-region, Côtes de Bourg and Côtes de Blaye, you can visit the troglodyte villages, admire the Gallo-Roman heritage and the Vauban citadel.

Heading now towards the Landes forest, south-west of the city of Bordeaux. It is on the Route des Graves that you will find for example the Domaine du Salut which produces Cérons or Château Cailloux which offers Sauternes, you will cross many other appellations such as Barsac. The little extra of this road: many wine houses offer luxurious accommodation in the middle of the vineyards!

And finally, your choice can also be directed towards the Route des Bastides, located in the heart of the Entre-deux-Mers, halfway between the Dordogne and the Garonne. Indeed, there is a great diversity of wines on offer: red, white and rosé wines from the Loupiac, Cadillac, Haut-Benauge and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont appellations.

To sum up, the Bordeaux Wine Route brings together the pleasure of the eyes, with the superb Châteaux of the Grand Crus Classés, and the pleasure of tasting, with the diversity of the wines according to the appellations. Don't wait to hit the road, by bike or by foot through pine trees and vineyards.