1. Bordeaux

We suggest to start a wine Route or Wine Tour in the Medoc region by Bordeaux itself. Bordeaux is exemplary thanks to the unity of its urban and architectural expression. This architecture is classical and neoclassical and met with nearly no stylistic changes for over two centuries
A part of the Route of Santiago since 1998, Bordeaux has over 350 classified buildings and buildings listed as Historic Monuments, including 3 religious World Heritage buildings. The city, years ago black and disconnected from the Garonne river, reinvented itself in the late 1990s. All façades were cleaned, the quays along the river were developed and the Tram became a reality, and with it many streets were transformed to  only pedestrian use.

We suggest to start your visit from the Place de la Comédie, built on what once was a Roman forum. From here, you will walk to the Grand Théatre, a magnificent building from the late 1700’s. La Place de la Bourse, the Grosse Cloche, 11th century Cathédrale Saint-André, among many other buildings will show you why Bordeaux is a World heritage city. You will also enjoy a great atmosphere in the streets. You will find many shops selling canella (a local sweet delicatessen) wine bars and terraces offering from coffee to delicate cuisine.

2. Medoc

The region of Medoc is well-known all over the world due to its wines. But this was not always the case: a flat region, it  was once a salt marsh. The marshes were drained after the arrival of Dutch engineers and that marked the change for the transformation of Medoc into a prestigious wine producing region. Unlike other wine tourist destinations, many of the chateaux in Medoc are not open to the public. In many cases they may accept visits but only on request. We do recommend to always set an appointment prior to visiting any property.   Medoc is known as the Left bank due to its location on the left side of the Gironde estuary It soil and the influence of the Atlantic ocean and the estuary itself create its unique terroir. We cannot speak of Medoc however as a single, homogenous entity. It is in reality a conglomerate of different (some mythcal) wine appellations: Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac, St Estéphe and Haut-Médoc.  Cabernet Sauvignon dominates here (against Merlot or Cabernet Franc –in comparison to what happens on the Right Bank).  Médoc wines are normally full bodied, concentrated, can age for long time and extremely elegant.

Medoc offers very good accomodation, and some of the hotels are very close to wineries, or even at the wine chateaux themselves. You can find a selection of Hotels for your wine holiday in Medoc here

Get some inspiration and ideas with this video for your Wine Tour in Medoc Region