Charming Saint Émilion

 

During our trip to Bordeaux (which ended up being 3 days longer than planned due to a cancelled flight), we headed to nearby Saint Émilion for the day at the recommendation of my parents, and I couldn’t be more glad we did! This was one of our favorite places we visited during our fall vacances.

We took the SNCF train from Bordeaux, which was a short and picturesque 35 minute ride (don’t forget to validate your ticket in the yellow machine marked ‘composter’ before boarding!) through the sprawling French countryside.

Upon arriving at Saint Émilion, we opted to walk from the train station (la gare) to the town center, which took us about 25 minutes. We saw some beautiful wineries on the way which boasted the perfect autumn foliage we would continue to find throughout the town too.

We wanted to see as much as we could in just one day, so we started off visiting a cave, or wine cellar at Manoir Galhaud which was a fun way to kick off our wine-filled day! We explored a few different rooms, each with large barrels of wine waiting to be bottled. 

Next, we headed to L'île EnchanTée, a recommendation sent along by my parents, to check out some beautiful tea towels, table cloths, and other local items. We couldn’t resist buying a few towels, as well as some early Christmas gifts as thanks for the tip on a great shop.

While in the town center, I had to get a photo of one of the most famous streets in town, which did not disappoint! We spend the rest of the morning just wandering around town, taking in the stunning architecture, and window shopping for items that couldn’t possibly fit in our over-stuffed suitcases.

After a quick lunch of galettes (savory buckwheat crepes from the north of France), we set off to do some wine tasting, which was hosted by the local tourism office. We spent about an hour tasting local wines with a few other couples, learning about what makes Saint Émilion wines special, and chatting with the sommelier about the big differences in flavor a terroir can produce even in close geographical areas.

Wine tasting always makes me hungry, so we embarked on a search for one of my favorite French desserts, macarons! I found a new favorite in cassis (blackcurrant), which is popular ingredient in French cocktails (like the Kir Royal), and French desserts. My only regret was that I didn’t get a box of macarons to take on the train ride back to Bordeaux!

To cap off our visit, we went to the top of the historic town center to take some photos of the city from above. Looking out to see the vineyards in the distance, we promised ourselves that we would come back to visit again someday!

 

I would highly recommend Saint Émilion to anyone who is short on time but wants to see another area of the Bordeaux wine region- we saw all we wanted to in 1 day, but we certainly could have made a weekend out of it had we scheduled more wine tastings and vineyard visits.

Santé!

Meaghan

A Wine Tour in Bordeaux

 

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

 

Fall Foliage

 

 Jardin Public