Best Bordeaux Wine Tours

A wine capital where viticulture is not just a cherished tradition but an age-old art, Bordeaux is a city and a region that begs to be explored with your palate. The top activities that draw travelers are, of course, vineyard tours and wine tasting in Bordeaux. With wine regions as revered as Médoc and Saint-Émilion and the elegant countryside châteaux where you can taste these renowned vintages, there are more wine adventures to be had than most have time for. Lucky for you, many of our Bordeaux cruises feature an overnight, so you have more time to soak up the fruits of the region. Here are four of our best Bordeaux wine tours.

Château du Tertre Meal Event
Savor a tour and exquisitely prepared dinner accompanied by wine at the convivial Château du Tertre. You’ll enjoy marvelous views of picturesque vineyards and pretty villages as you travel along the Route des Châteaux, so called because of the hundreds of estates scattered throughout the Médoc winemaking region. You’ll tour the cellars and welcome a wine aperitif from among the estate’s extensive selection of bottles, some of which have received a coveted score of 93 from noted wine critic Robert Parker. As a phenomenal conclusion to your tour, indulge in a luscious four-course meal paired with three of the château’s excellent vintages.

Explore Saint-Émilion
Admire the architectural treasures in Saint-Émilion, a medieval village and UNESCO World Heritage site, and then enjoy a private wine tasting at a nearby estate. Highlights will include seeing the ancient arched gate over Rue Cadene, one of the roads leading into Saint-Émilion, the 13th-century King’s Keep and the Romanesque-style Collegiate Church, which was constructed even earlier. A more comprehensive private tasting awaits you at a nearby estate. After an enlightening tour of the vineyards, you will settle in to sample some of the region’s finest wines, which are predominately made from Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. The local soil composition is filled with sand and clay, which fosters the creation of rich, savory wines. During the tasting, you will learn about the wines’ complexity and their production.

Saint-Émilion

Médoc Vineyards
Immerse yourself in the prolific Médoc wine-growing region on this coach tour that includes a tasting at a renowned cellar. After driving past the notable Quai des Chartrons, cradle of the Bordeaux wine trade, you’ll follow the famed Médoc wine road, the Route des Châteaux, which is centered between the Gironde estuary and the verdant Landes de Gascogne forest. Learn of the region’s superb wine châteaux, which produce Moulis, Listrac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Médoc, Haut-Médoc and Margaux. You’ll appreciate scenic stops at elegant wine estates, such as Château Pichon Baron or Château Margaux, where you may take photos or simply soak up the enchanting environs. Relish a visit to one of the region’s illustrious châteaux, where you’ll learn about their age-old winemaking techniques and tour the cellars before sampling one of the vineyard’s creations.

Vineyard in Médoc

Vineyard Walk & Tasting with Nathalie
Tour a vineyard of merlot grapes with one of the owners, Nathalie Escuerdo, who will discuss the challenges of earning an organic wine certification and offer you a sampling of wines. You will also learn that Château de Boutinet only produces three wines, all of them made entirely from merlot grapes. The namesake Château Boutinet is a merlot aged in stainless-steel vats, while the Thalie de Boutinet is aged for up to 15 months in oak barrels. It is named for Thalie, the Greek muse of comedy and idyllic poetry. Thalie also happens to be Nathalie’s nickname. The third wine is Le Chairet de Boutinet, a fruity fresh claret. You will have the opportunity to sample the three wines, all thoughtfully paired with canapés – a quintessential wine tasting in Bordeaux.

Delve into Bordeaux’s impressive wine heritage on your next voyage with us – explore top Bordeaux cruises here and discover more of our best Bordeaux wine tours here. Santé!