Best Wine Tours in Bordeaux

It is impossible to talk about Bordeaux without mentioning its wines. Any visit to the city or to the Gironde region will be enveloped in the aromas and flavors of these wines that have a name of their own. To give you a small idea of what awaits you, there are almost 60 controlled appellations of origin here.

So, write down in your list of best things to do in Bordeaux, to immerse yourself in this wine tradition that has centuries of history. There are many different tours to choose from. The ones I show you below are the most interesting ones.

This is one of Bordeaux's most renowned and oldest wine-growing areas. So if you book a tour to Saint Émilion they will explain that the main varieties grown here are Merlot and French Cabernet. And you will discover that its great variety of wines is largely due to the different characteristics of its soils and a truly privileged microclimate.

In Saint Émilion there are many different wineries and wines and this experience is the perfect excuse to know and taste them. The tours usually also include a visit to one of the vineyards surrounding the city.

A curiosity: those in this area were the first vineyards inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. But these vineyards were famous long before. They were already cultivated in the Roman Empire, although wine production did not spread until the 8th century, by the followers of a Breton monk who retired to these lands. It was this monk who gave his name to this great wine region.

• Price: from 106 € per person.
• Duration: from 5:45 hours.
• Advantages: it will be an intensive oenology course.
• Disadvantages: not all tours are accessible for people with reduced mobility.

Add lunch and a bike tour to your visit to Saint Émilion

If you feel like doing something different, I propose an even more complete option Book an excursion to Saint Émilion from Bordeaux with a bike tour, lunch and wine tasting. This way you can enjoy more at your leisure the beauty of the landscapes of this region. You don't need to be in great physical shape, the terrain is flat and you can choose an electric bike.

The tours usually include wine tasting in a winery or castle, as well as a guided tour of Saint Émilion and a small lunch in the middle of the day. All in all, this is one of the most enjoyable day trips from Bordeaux you can do.

• Price: from 189 € per person.
• Duration: 8 hours and a half approximately.
• Advantages: includes lunch and bike tour.
• Disadvantages: rain or cold weather conditions the tour.

The Médoc is a true paradise for wine lovers. Some of the world's most prized wines are produced in this region. In fact, there are up to 60 Grand Crus Classé wines, the highest qualification among Bordeaux wines.

The fertility of its soils, an exceptional climate and winemaking processes that have been carried out down to the smallest detail have made this possible for centuries. And it is just one of the many interesting things you can learn on this tour, in which you will appreciate endless fields of vines in lands, a priori, unsuitable for it.

If you book the Medoc wine tour, you may be surprised to learn that there are up to 1,500 vineyards in this region. They are divided into two major appellations: AOC Médoc and AOC Haut-Médoc. And each of them includes other different appellations. You can also book the Medoc wine tour with a visit to the castle and get to know this architectural jewel.

Details of interest

• Price: from 106 € per person.
• Duration: about 5:45 hours.
• Advantages: it allows to know in depth all the stages of winemaking.
• Disadvantages: not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

This tour has a peculiarity: it can be done by land, following the Corniche road or aboard a boat that makes a small cruise along the estuary formed by the mouths of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers. Either way, you will discover the beauty of two other wine-growing areas in the Bordeaux region.

They produce renowned wines with appellation of origin: Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg and Blaye-Côtes de Bordeaux. You can taste some of them either on board a boat or stopping at a winery on land tours.

It's not all about vineyards and wines. Blaye, for example, is home to a magnificent citadel that is a World Heritage Site. And, if you opt for the Corniche road tour, you will see troglodyte houses perched on the cliffs.

Details of interest

• Price: from 70 € per person.
• Duration: about 3 hours for boat tours, land tours are somewhat longer.
• Advantages: possibility to do the tour by boat.
• Disadvantages: the boat tour does not allow you to get close to the vineyards or visit wineries.

This is a tour with which you will learn about the history of wine in the region, its peculiarities and a host of interesting anecdotes while touring the city. If you are only going to be in Bordeaux for two days, this is a good way to have a first contact with the city and then go around it on your own or with another guided tour.

These tours also include a stop in a wine cellar and the tasting of some of the best wines of Bordeaux. From the hand of an expert, you will learn to distinguish aromas and nuances, and to appreciate in all their value the renowned wines of this wine region.

Also, I have to mention that, if there is a protagonist in these tours, it is the Chartrons district, in whose streets there are countless bars and typical taverns. If at the end of the guided tour you feel like having a typical aperitif accompanied by a good wine, this is a perfect place. It is a lively and charming neighborhood.

Interesting details

• Price: around 80 € per person.
• Duration: from 2 to 3 hours
• Advantages: you will discover some of the most representative places of Bordeaux, while getting to know its wines.
• Disadvantages: you will only have a superficial knowledge of Bordeaux wines.

The Entre-deux-Mers area is called the French Tuscany. Imagine, therefore, hills and fields of vineyards as far as the eye can see. In fact, it is the largest wine-growing region in Bordeaux.

In the guided tours you will be explained the great peculiarity of this area. Being between the confluence of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, it is particularly fertile. Therefore, a wide variety of wines are produced here: Bordeaux Blanc, Bordeaux Rosé and Clairet, Bordeaux Rouge or Crémant de Bordeaux, among others.

The tours include, of course, visits to wineries and a small wine tasting. But you will discover much more: mills, fortified villages called bastides and some castles. In addition, you will stop at a jewel of Romanesque architecture, a World Heritage Site, the Abbey of Sauve Majeure. The Benedictine monks who founded it were the first to clear the forest that covered this area and plant vines 1,000 years ago.

Details of interest

• Price: about 70 € per person.
• Duration: about 4 hours and a half.
• Advantages: you will discover some of the most beautiful landscapes of the Gironde.
• Disadvantages: wine tasting included, but no aperitif or lunch.

These are two of Bordeaux's other great wine regions and you can get to know them on an interesting tour. In fact, they have their own wine route. To give you an idea of their importance, it was in Graves where the first vines were planted in Bordeaux no less than two thousand years ago.

These sections produce well-known wines with Designation of Origin, such as Pessac-Léognan, Barsac and, of course, Graves and Sauternes. And you will be able to taste some of them in the stops that are made in wineries in the area. Wineries, in many cases, organic, which produce wines in an almost artisanal way.

And you will not only see wineries. Graves and Sauternes are also dotted with beautiful chateaux. Tours often stop at the Château de la Brède. It is not surrounded by vineyards, but by a beautiful park, but it is relevant because it belonged to the famous philosopher Montesquieu.

Details of interest

• Price: about 70 € per person.
• Duration: about 4 hours and a half.
• Advantages: it is one of the most interesting alternative routes to Saint Émilion or the Médoc because of the history of the area.
• Disadvantages: lunch is not included.

If you don't have much time during your visit to Bordeaux to make excursions to the wine-growing areas, you can take a tour of them in a simpler way: in a workshop dedicated exclusively to its best wines. With the help of specialists, you will learn to distinguish the main wines of the region, to differentiate their aromas, their color or their nuances.

They will also explain everything related to them, from cultivation techniques of the vineyards to how the harvest is done and, of course, how is the winemaking process in the cellars. It will be like going around the French wine tradition in a couple of hours and without moving. It is an interesting and, above all, very educational experience.

Interesting details

• Price: from 40 € per person.
• Duration: about two hours.
• Advantages: it is the best option for very short stays in Bordeaux.
• Disadvantages: no wineries or vineyards are visited.

If you feel like living a different experience and you are going to spend several days in Bordeaux, you can take a short excursion to Cognac to learn the secrets of another of the most internationally recognized French beverages: brandy.

These tours usually include visits to a distillery where you will discover how the process of making brandy differs from that of other beverages made from grapes. You will also learn to appreciate its nuances from an expert sommelier. And they will explain many other curiosities, such as the fact that Cognac is the largest vineyard in France.

Along the way, don't miss the magnificent landscapes of the Charente region, dotted with hills, vineyards, castles and charming villages.

Details of interest

• Price: about 600 € per group of up to 8 people.
• Duration: about 9 hours.
• Advantages: allows you to get to know another region of France.
• Disadvantages: can be tiring due to the duration and the distance from Bordeaux.

If you are staying three days in Bordeaux you still have more activities to delve into the world of wine, not only in France, but also internationally.

• A visit to the Cité du Vin, the City of Wine, is a must. A unique building houses a real theme park dedicated to oenology that offers a journey through wines from around the world.
• In the city you can also visit the Museum of Wine and Commerce, where tastings are held and where you can see equipment for wine production, both ancient and modern.
• To fully immerse yourself in the wine culture, another option is to participate in interesting experiences such as a wine masterclass or even activities in which you can make your own drink.

To fully enjoy these wine tours in Bordeaux, it is important that you keep a few things in mind:

• If you are going to participate in any of the tours that travel through the vineyards of Bordeaux, remember to wear appropriate clothing and footwear. In summer, don't forget sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses to protect you from the sun while visiting the vineyards.
• Any season is perfect to enjoy these tours. At the end of the summer, the grape harvest takes place. Meanwhile, watching the vineyard fields turn a thousand colors is one of the best things to do in Bordeaux in autumn. And in spring you will see them in full bloom.
• Some of the excursions are not accessible or not accessible at all. If you need an itinerary that is accessible, it is advisable to consult in advance.
• In general, tours that include tastings are only open to participants of legal age. If you plan to visit Bordeaux with children, you should look for alternative activities or a tour that does admit minors.
• Wine tastings are usually accompanied by a tasting, usually of local cheeses, or a small aperitif. Make sure beforehand that this is the case and, if not, bring something to eat.

Their duration is very variable. If you have to see Bordeaux in a day or two, my advice is to choose a guided tour of the city that stops at a tavern or bar to taste some of the typical wines. These tours last between two and three hours.

The tours departing from the city to the Bordeaux wine regions last a bit longer, between four and five hours for the half-day tours and around eight or nine hours for the full-day tours.

If you like the world of wine, a small recommendation: organize well your stay in the city to enjoy several of these experiences.

Bordeaux encompasses several production areas, numerous appellations and an infinite number of different wines. It is difficult to get a general idea of this richness without the help of an expert guide. Otherwise, it is possible to get lost and not get to discover the secrets of the best wines of this area.

In addition, professionals will take you to the best taverns, cellars and chateaux, so you will have the most complete experience. And, most importantly, without wasting time looking for these places and without waiting to visit them. Don't hesitate, booking a wine tour is one of the best things to do in Bordeaux.