BORDEAUX WINE TOURS

HOW IT WORKS

We need 90 days notice to organize a tour for you. The more lead time we have the easier it is to make appointments at the very best wineries.

Step 1: You complete the form below, letting us know what dates you would like to book and how many people in your group. We will investigate the possibilities and reply to you within a few days with a proposed itinerary and final price per person.

Step 2: Upon acceptance of the proposed itinerary, we will send you a booking form and a payment link for 30% of the tour price. This payment must be made for us to proceed making all the bookings. You are responsible for booking your own accommodation (hotel or Airbnb). We will give you hotel suggestions.

Step 3: We present the final itinerary to you within approximately 2 weeks. A payment link is sent for the remaining balance, which is 70% of the total price. We will then send you tips on what to do in Bordeaux, where to eat, and what to wear during the tour. We will also send you the contact details of your local Bordeaux team and your driver, along with the final itinerary.

Please try to avoid the following French holidays as most wineries are closed:

January 1, Easter Monday (April 1, 2024, April 21, 2025), May 1, May 8, Ascension (May 9, 2024, May 29, 2025), Pentecost Monday (May 20, 2024, June 9, 2025), July 14, August 15, November 1, November 11, December 25.

Yes, the French do love their holidays!

day 1

FIRST GROWTHS & ICON CHATEAUX

The driver picks you up at 9.00 a.m. and you head north to the Medoc, the most prestigious wine region in Bordeaux. About one hour later you’ll find yourself mesmerized by the grandeur of the chateaux.

Your first visit is in the appellation of Margaux. We typically visit Chateaux Palmer, Lascombes, Rauzan-Segla, Brane-Cantenac and others. Your guide will explain the grape growing and winemaking process.

It’s time to drive further north to Pauillac and St Estephe. It’s lunch time and you will enjoy a sumptuous 3-course lunch paired with classic Medoc Grand Cru wines. Lunch is typically at Cos Estournel, a 2nd growth, and a stunning property, or at Lynch Bages, and you can expect to taste some legendary wines.

The last visit of the day is often at the 1st growth Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. You will learn more about viticulture and winemaking at this historic property, as well as admiring their art collection. This is a prized visit based on our long relationship with the chateau.
After 3 winery visits and a spectacular lunch the driver will take you back to your accommodation in Bordeaux, arriving by 7.00 p.m.

DAY 2
MEDIEVAL VILLAGES & HISTORIC CHATEAUX

St. Emilion and Pomerol, the world’s benchmarks for Merlot-based wines, fill the agenda on the second day. The region, known as the Right Bank, is arguably the prettiest landscape in the Bordeaux area.

The driver picks you up at 10 a.m. and one hour later you will be starting your first tour of the day. We typically begin at Chateau Figeac, the St Emilion Grand Cru Classe A. After exploring this mythical chateau, we take you for another wine-fueled gourmet lunch, either at Chateau la Dominique or in the town of St. Emilion itself.

The final visit of the day is usually to Chateau Pavie, or Angelus, both of which are elite properties whose wines cost hundreds of dollars per bottle.

All tours will have the chance to spend an hour or so visiting the cobble-stone streets of St. Emilion, which is an excellent place to buy wine. We will have you back to your accommodation in Bordeaux by 7 p.m.

DAY 3
BLENDING YOUR OWN WINE & THE NECTAR OF THE GODS

On the third and final day we start off with a visit to one of the star chateaux in Pessac-Leognan where you will be taught the art of blending. You will then get to blend your very own bottle of wine from the wineries own barrels and keep it, which is a highlight of the tour. Typically, we visit Chateau Pape Clement, one of the oldest wineries in Bordeaux.

After the morning visit, either we head to Smith Haut Lafitte to lunch at the excellent La Table du Lavoir, with a great selection of wines, or we head to Sauternes for lunch at Chateau Guiraud, a 1st growth, making famous sweet wines, as well as dry. Here your 3-course lunch is paired with different wines including some delicious older Sauternes. Meals such as this are an art form in France.

We typically wrap up the day, and the tour, with a visit to the greatest sweet wine producer in the world, Chateau d’Yquem. This is a highly sought-after visit, and a tour and tasting at this fabulous estate is likely to rank among your most special wine experiences ever.

The 3-day tour wraps up, and the driver will have you back at your accommodation by about 6.30 p.m. so you can continue the festivities in Bordeaux city, or you can be dropped at the airport or train station depending on your plans.