Our next day in Bordeaux, we embarked on an all-day wine tour that started at the Bordeaux tourism office at 9:30am (this exact tour is no longer offered, but Viator, one of my favorite tour- booking sites, has similar tours still available!) The morning portion of the tour kicked off with a leisurely walking tour of the Chartrons neighborhood, which used to be a merchant district. We learned a lot about the history of the charming area, while walking by historic wine shops, fish markets, and unique restaurants.
We were quite hungry from all the walking, so we were thrilled when our tour guides led us to Baud et Millet restaurant for a delicious local lunch. Those who wanted to were invited to check out their impressive cheese selection and storage area in their cave. I couldn’t believe how much cheese they were able to keep in a relatively small restaurant!
For our prix-fixe lunch (included in the tour price), we both started with a hot goat cheese appetizer each, after which my husband enjoyed a more traditional (meat-filled) lunch, while I was offered the usual French option for vegetarians – a fresh salad J There was plenty of fresh French baguettes (an all-day essential in France), and we chatted with our fellow tour participants about their favorite sites they had seen in Bordeaux so far, as we all wanted to ensure we hadn’t missed a must-see attraction.
We enjoyed some local wine with our lunch, as well as a café gourmand for dessert, which is actually a few small desserts served with a coffee (almost always espresso in France). Although we aren’t coffee drinkers, les petits desserts were a great way to cap off lunch!
Following lunch, we caught our tour bus to head off to a few wineries outside the city center, Chateau Dauzac, in the Margaux appellation, and Chateau Baudan, in the Médoc appellation. Dauzac was larger and a bit more commercial, while Baudan was family owned, and the tour was given by the owners’ daughter. We enjoyed both tours very much, and were able to try quite a few wines at each winery. I can’t say that I’m the biggest fan of most red wines, but I took the opportunity to try to sample some of the local offerings. I ended up liking them more than I thought, and I even bought a bottle to enjoy back at home.
While larger group tours aren’t for everyone, taking a bus tour like this one was a great way to see the Bordeaux paysage and two vineyards without having to rent a car or deal with public transportation. At just around 60 Euro, our guided tour included lunch, about 8 samples of wine, museum fees, air-conditioned bus transportation, tours of two wineries, and transportation back to the city center. A great deal if you ask me!
Chateau Baudan
Chateau Dauzac
Jardin Public
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