France is the country which receives millions of visitors from around the world the world each year. Its history, its museums, cultural activities… everything a tourist could want to see. But the best tours of France are those that allow you get to know large areas and enjoy the best of all the different places you find along the way.
If you want to enjoy some of the magnificent French wine routes, it’s hard to choose: the Loire Valley, for example, amazing for the beautiful castles in which you can even stay, while on a route through the Burgundy you will admire the beauty of the landscape. And Burgundy wines are so special…
But if there is an area par excellence for wine lovers, where ever they come from, that is Bordeaux. Bordeaux wines, in fact, belong to a region with AOC-57-Appellations of Origin, which produces some of the world’s finest wines, white, red or sweet.
Bordeaux is a region divided by the Garonne and the 2 tributaries that comprise it, the Dordogne and the Garonne. In this area there are three zones to enjoy:
- The right side of the Dordogne
- The left side of the Gironde
- The area between the two rivers, called “Entre Deux Mares” (between two seas)
These areas, at the same time, are divided into 9 sub-regions, and the aforementioned in 57 designations, so if you plan a trip to try Bordeaux wines, where to start?
The best option, both for variety of wines and the quality and history of them, is to choose the most westerly, following the left bank of the Gironde.
The first sub-region you will cross is Graves, especially known for its magnificent white wines, both dry and sweet. Here you’ll enjoy Sauternes wine, the world’s most exclusive sweet white wine, and Barsac, the most unique Designation in Sauternes wines. As you get closer to Bordeaux, the capital of the region and the nerve center of the wine trade for over 5 centuries, you’ll discover some of the the most popular white wines in France and the world: the Pessac-Léognan wines.
Bordeaux is a city where it is worth resting and relaxing, and breathing the passion for wine for at least one full day. If possible, visit a “négociant“, the french wine sellers who buy bulk wine and mix it and age it on their own, creating new and amazing wines. Their knowledge of each Vineyard is legendary, so if you have the opportunity, do not miss any of the tastings organized.
Once you leave the city of Bordeaux, the area red wines starts, some of them unforgettable like Pauillac, Médoc, Saint-Estephe, Saint-Julien, Margaux… No area in the whole world treasures such an impressive collection of fine wines, most of them made for centuries in chateaux (castles) reflecting the importance that these wineries have acquired over its history: Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Lafite, Château Mouton Rothschild…
You’ll then arrive at the estuary of the Garonne, where it meets the sea, and the trip ends. Undoubtedly, the Atlantic is the best end to a journey in which, if your pocket allows it, you will enjoy some of the best wines in the world.
Do you feel like joining the tour?
