How to visit the world’s greatest wine region

Explore the most famous towns, villages and vineyards of Bordeaux

As Hollywood is to film, Bordeaux is to wine. It’s not the oldest wine region in the world (Georgia claims that distinction), but it is certainly the most famous; its great names icons of luxury and prestige. But this huge swath of vineyard isn’t a single region at all, and knowing where to go, what to see and what to taste can be a minefield.
There’s the limestone plateau of St Emilion and the gravelly soils of St Estèphe, or the peaceful wooded lanes of the Graves compared with the flatlands of the Médoc. These diverse terroirs produce radically different wines, from the heady, juicy merlot of St Emilion to the honeyed sweetness of sauternes. And there is so much more to Bordeaux than the grands chateaux.
Of course, you’ll want to marvel at the Palladian splendour of Château Margaux, but you should also take the 20-minute tram ride to Pessac-Léognan for an apero at a tin table and a taste of the vibrant sauvignon blanc-sémillon white wines of Domaine de Chevalier or Malartic-Lagravière.
Whether you base yourself in the thriving city of Bordeaux and take day trips, stay in St Emilion and bike around the vineyards, or find a neat little B&B in Sauternes – one thing is certain: wherever you are, there will be a bottle of wine within reach.
The petite town of Margaux, 40 minutes by car or train from the city of Bordeaux, is among the half-dozen most famous wine names in the world. Known for its structured and age-worthy red wines made from the classic Bordeaux region blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot, It’s not a big town, but it is studded with renowned estates: there’s an 8.5km (five miles) walking or cycling route that takes you past Chateau Margaux, the fairy-tale gothic turrets of Palmer and other great names. Stroll the vines and learn the secrets of biodynamic viticulture at Chateau Ferriere (tours from €25/£21.50 per person).
A half-hour tram ride south is the town of Léognan, the centre of the Graves appellation (whose white wines are considered some of the best in the world). Malartic Lagravière (tours and tastings from €20/£17.20) has a range of options, from a cheese workshop to a picnic in the vines; or visit Smith-Haut-Lafitte (tours and workshops from €48/£41.28) for the excellent “In the winemaker’s shoes” workshop
Unesco-listed St Emilion is one of the most beautiful towns in France, and the perfect base for a bike tour of the vineyards. Get there early and grab a coffee and croissant at Le Médieval, and then hire an e-bike and amble the 7km (4 miles) to Chateau la Dominique for a tour and tasting (from €25/£21.50). You could also stop for lunch on the terrace that rides the vineyards like a ship on waves with a view towards the modernist splendour of Chateau Cheval Blanc.
On your way back, stop off at the dramatic, Norman Foster-designed Le Dome (tours from €30/£25.80), from where you can see the bell tower of the legendary Angelus estate (angelus.com). Finish your trip at the 13th-century monastery Les Cordeliers (tours from €15/£12.90), one of the few sparkling wine producers in St Emilion.
For many, the joy of Bordeaux is the simplicity of the food; others look for Michelin-starred magnificence. You might find yourself in St Emilion at lunchtime craving something delicious and uncomplicated at one of the many checked-tablecloth cafés that jostle for space in the Place du Marché. Or you might go for shrimp and spring rolls (and a glass of Angelus 2010) at the renowned Café Saigon (mains from €25/£21.50; 0033 953 000019), or listen to a band while sipping something unusual at the modish Sous la Robe (mains from €25/£21.50; 0033 557 245680).
Perhaps the best way to eat is at one of the dozens of chateau dining rooms that have been opened over the past few years. One of the finest is Au Marquis de Terme (six-course set menu from €49/£42.15) in Margaux, with its open-plan kitchen and a terrace surrounded by vineyards. A few miles north up the D2 (the Route des Châteaux), in the hamlet of Arcins, is Le Lion d’Or (mains from €26/£22.36), a Médoc icon and a favourite with owners and winemakers for miles around. Here, seasonal classics such as hare, duck, pigeon and moules star, and a prix-fixe menu is light on the pocket.
Further south, in the Graves, don’t miss the two restaurants at Sources de Caudalie – one two-Michelin-starred and the other, La Table du Lavoir, more modest. This iconic vineyard-hotel is one of the nicest in the region, with a Caudalie spa, outdoor and indoor pools and art among the vines, as well the adjacent Smith-Haut-Lafitte vineyards and cellars run by the Cathiard family.
Finally, never forget seafood. The region’s zesty white wines are the perfect accompaniment and the dunes and beaches of the Bay of Arcachon are just an hour’s drive from the centre of Bordeaux. There you will find the smart La Co(o)rniche (set menu from €83/£71.38), where you can dine on lobster, spider crab, clams and caviar washed down with a crisp Graves white (likely to be a sauvignon blanc) while looking out over the shimmering expanse of the Bay of Biscay.
That’s one way of doing it: the other is to take a 40-minute ferry across to Cap Ferret, buy a paper plate of shucked oysters and a plastic cup of Bordeaux Blanc, and dig your toes into the hot sand. Chacun à son goût.
In the last decade or so, Bordeaux chateaux have vied to see who can offer the warmest (or most exclusive) welcome.
You can lounge at La Maison d’Estournel (doubles from €300/£258) in St Estèphe, admire the medieval walls of St Emilion from the terrace of Hotel de Pavie (doubles from €350/£301) or stroll the beautiful renovated village of Bages in Pauillac from your base at Cordeillan Bages (doubles from €300/£258).
These chateaux specialise in boutique luxury, but comfort doesn’t need to break the bank. At La Maison des Vignes at Chateau Fage (doubles from €125/£107.50), handily situated between St Emilion and Bordeaux, where they will treat you like family and feed you excellent local cuisine as well as interesting wine and food pairings.
Another option is the four-bedroom farmhouse at Chateau Bauduc (from €3,500/£3,010 per week in August) in Entre-deux-Mers, where British couple Gavin and Angela Quinney have been making wine for 25 years. They will take you around the vineyard and then send you into the 14th-century town of Créon for sustenance at the market. The estate is popular, so you need to book at least a year in advance.
If you’re a fan of the sweet wines of Sauternes, and hanker after rural peace, the luxury option is Lalique’s Château Lafaurie Peyraguey (doubles from €450/£387), with its 18 hectares of enclosed vineyards, two-Michelin-starred restaurant and vast wine list. Alternatively, the Maison Sauternaise (doubles from €120/£103.20) is a (smart) bed & breakfast in the heart of the appellation.
Spring is perhaps the best time to visit: the ferocious heat of summer hasn’t yet set in and the nights can still be balmy. Harvest time (late August to late September in Bordeaux), when the vines turn fiery red to gold and the air hums with the shouts of the pickers, is a reminder that however grand the operation, wine is still old-fashioned agriculture; winter can be magical, the vineyards sleeping under a blanket of morning frost (it seldom snows), and day-time temperatures generally mild – around 10C. Another advantage of a winter trip is slightly cheaper flights.
Summer is hot (temperatures of 40C are common), but it’s also the time of festivals. The grandest is Fête le Vin in June, when the city quays are given over to wine tastings and local cuisine, and an unmissable sight is the procession of tall ships up the Garonne. Also in June is Le Weekend des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, held in a vast hangar in the city and a chance to taste top wines and meet the winemakers.
Portes Ouvertes weekends, when the châteaux throw open their doors to the public, are great for the wine-curious who like a fête as much as a tasting. The majority are in spring or summer but some – such as Pessac-Léognan – are in December. They can be grand or villagey affairs but there’s always a festival atmosphere (at Cotes de Bourg they party till 2am).
Bordeaux is an easy city to navigate; the centre is compact for walking and there is an excellent tram system. Getting to the vineyards is a different prospect: the simplest option is to hire a car, but there are trains to places such as Margaux and St Emilion, from where it’s easy to hire an e-bike to tour the vineyards.
Easyjet, Ryanair and British Airways fly direct to Bordeaux Mérignac airport (1hr 40min flight time; about 20 minutes’ drive from the city centre). You can also fly direct from Belfast, Bristol and Manchester. Many Bordeaux veterans prefer the train (frequent Eurostar services to Paris and then TGV direct to Bordeaux St Jean station), which takes about seven hours but without the airport stress.
There are dozens of tours to choose from in Bordeaux, from two-hour walks to week-long extravaganzas.
At the more affordable end, Decanter Tours (no relation to the magazine) run day-long trips starting at €750/£645. For that you’ll spend all day with a guide being chauffeured round classified estates, tasting and lunching as you go.
For the serious wine lover, The Bordeaux Concierge runs tailored tours which include dinners and lunches with the owners of some of the great estates. Prices start at around €5,000/£4,300. The same outfit also organises Connoisseur Week for janeanson.com – where for €23,000/£19,780 you will dine at first growth estate Haut-Brion, lunch at Ausone and Chateau d’Yquem among other delights).
Adam Lechmere is editor of The Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide: Bordeaux – the indispensable regional guide for wine lovers and travellers by Georgie Hindle (£12.99, Academie du Vin Library)