Bordeaux: Where the wines and rivers flow | National Post
The picturesque Chateau Guiraud in the Sauternes produces the only 1855 1st Great Classified Growth to be certified organic.Vanessa Pinniger
Fall harvest is a great time to visit any wine region. And if the upcoming annual release of Bordeaux wines on Oct. 14 has you dreaming of France’s fifth-largest city and its surroundings in the Gironde region, now is a great time to start planning a trip.
Voted Lonely Planet’s No. 1 place to visit this year, Bordeaux is the world’s major wine industry capital, producing wine in the region since the 8th century.
Much like Marseille, the once gritty city (previously referred to as La Belle Endormie or “Sleeping Beauty”) has had a makeover in recent years with its 18th-century limestone buildings scrubbed of soot and grime to a gleaming creamy white. The revitalized waterfront along the Garonne River now features wide promenades, bike paths, parks, shops, cafes. And plenty of cruise ship docks.
Drifting along the Garonne River allows for many picture-perfect moments such as this. Vanessa Pinniger
A river cruise is the perfect way to savour this part of the world. The beauty of river cruising is the ease in which you travel. Drifting from port to port, you get to see many different places without having to schlep yourself and your luggage from one to the other. And you only have to unpack once. Being on the river means you get up close to the towns themselves because the boat often docks right in the centre of them.
There are several river cruise lines operating in the Bordeaux region, with itineraries running along the Gironde Estuary and Garonne and Dordogne Rivers and varying levels of service offered onboard.
With a start and end point in Bordeaux, and ports of call at Libourne, Pauillac and Cadillac, you can soak up this spectacular wine region in five-star luxury on board Scenic Diamond, whose Bordeaux Affair itinerary includes stops at Saint-Emilion, Medoc and Sauternes.
Before boarding, don’t miss La Cite du Vin, just down the promenade from where the river cruises dock on Bordeaux’s left bank. The €81-million interactive wine museum was designed by Frank Gehry to resemble wine swirling in a glass. Start here to get an overview of the wines and vineyards you will discover on your cruise.
Rolling vineyards dot the landscape of Sauternes. Vanessa Pinniger
For wine buffs, chateaux stops include Chateau Siaurac and Franc Mayne in Saint-Emilion; Chateau Gruaud-Larose and Chateau Lagrange in the Medoc; and Chateau Guiraud and Chateau Myrat in Sauternes.
But it’s not just about the wine. A new experience awaits at each port.
While famous for its outstanding vintages, the quaint cobblestoned medieval town of Saint-Emilion is also known for the spectacularly spooky underground catacombs of its 12th-century monolithic church, which are a must-see. And for a local specialty — macarons, which make a perfect gift to bring home.
Another great, easily transportable delicacy is foie gras. Pick up a tin on day three of the cruise from a local farmer on a visit to his foie gras farm just outside the charming 12th-century village of Bergerac.
The locals are just as welcoming at Roquetaillade Castle, which was originally built by Charlemagne and has been lived in by generations of the same family since 1306. The tour you’ll take is actually given by the castle’s owner.
Pouring rose at Chateau Giscours Vanessa Pinniger
To work up an appetite, so you can eat like a king, bicycle through the vineyards of the Medoc region for a wine tasting. Electric bikes make for easier pedalling (especially on the way back). Then spend an evening at the aristocratic Chateau Giscours in the Medoc, enjoying a private four-course dinner with even more Grand Cru Class wines, this time thankfully – no pedalling required.
Or cook up your own menu as part of Scenic’s Culinaire program. Take a trip to a local food market in the morning with the ship’s chef to gather the fresh ingredients needed to prepare a meal on the ship. Once back on board, take part in an onboard cooking class in the art of French gastronomy.
Or just kick back and decompress in the ship’s Salt Breathing Room, a cool oasis complete with pink Himalayan salt block walls and floor, while you float away.
The writer was a guest of Scenic who did not read or approve of this article before publication.
Scenic offers five-star luxury Bordeaux river cruises that are truly all-inclusive — there’s nothing to pay for once on board, unless you book a massage or haircut (yes, unlike some ships, there is a salon and spa, and also a gym and whirlpool on board).
Air France operates daily non-stop flights between Vancouver and Paris, with up to 17 connecting flights to Bordeaux. The LGV Sud-Ouest, a new high-speed rail link running TGV trains from Paris to Bordeaux, opened in July.
A note about the Bordeaux wine release:
Each fall, three years after the year the grapes were grown (the vintage), Bordeaux releases its wines globally. A long-standing tradition with Vancouver’s wine fans, select Signature BC Liquor participate by bringing in a sampling of the Bordeaux wine being released. This year’s release will be from the 2014 vintage
Bordeaux: Where the wines and rivers flow | National Post
The picturesque Chateau Guiraud in the Sauternes produces the only 1855 1st Great Classified Growth to be certified organic.Vanessa Pinniger
Fall harvest is a great time to visit any wine region. And if the upcoming annual release of Bordeaux wines on Oct. 14 has you dreaming of France’s fifth-largest city and its surroundings in the Gironde region, now is a great time to start planning a trip.
Voted Lonely Planet’s No. 1 place to visit this year, Bordeaux is the world’s major wine industry capital, producing wine in the region since the 8th century.
Much like Marseille, the once gritty city (previously referred to as La Belle Endormie or “Sleeping Beauty”) has had a makeover in recent years with its 18th-century limestone buildings scrubbed of soot and grime to a gleaming creamy white. The revitalized waterfront along the Garonne River now features wide promenades, bike paths, parks, shops, cafes. And plenty of cruise ship docks.
Drifting along the Garonne River allows for many picture-perfect moments such as this. Vanessa Pinniger
A river cruise is the perfect way to savour this part of the world. The beauty of river cruising is the ease in which you travel. Drifting from port to port, you get to see many different places without having to schlep yourself and your luggage from one to the other. And you only have to unpack once. Being on the river means you get up close to the towns themselves because the boat often docks right in the centre of them.
There are several river cruise lines operating in the Bordeaux region, with itineraries running along the Gironde Estuary and Garonne and Dordogne Rivers and varying levels of service offered onboard.
With a start and end point in Bordeaux, and ports of call at Libourne, Pauillac and Cadillac, you can soak up this spectacular wine region in five-star luxury on board Scenic Diamond, whose Bordeaux Affair itinerary includes stops at Saint-Emilion, Medoc and Sauternes.
Before boarding, don’t miss La Cite du Vin, just down the promenade from where the river cruises dock on Bordeaux’s left bank. The €81-million interactive wine museum was designed by Frank Gehry to resemble wine swirling in a glass. Start here to get an overview of the wines and vineyards you will discover on your cruise.
Rolling vineyards dot the landscape of Sauternes. Vanessa Pinniger
For wine buffs, chateaux stops include Chateau Siaurac and Franc Mayne in Saint-Emilion; Chateau Gruaud-Larose and Chateau Lagrange in the Medoc; and Chateau Guiraud and Chateau Myrat in Sauternes.
But it’s not just about t
he wine. A new experience awaits at each port.
While famous for its outstanding vintages, the quaint cobblestoned medieval town of Saint-Emilion is also known for the spectacularly spooky underground catacombs of its 12th-century monolithic church, which are a must-see. And for a local specialty — macarons, which make a perfect gift to bring home.
Another great, easily transportable delicacy is foie gras. Pick up a tin on day three of the cruise from a local farmer on a visit to his foie gras farm just outside the charming 12th-century village of Bergerac.
The locals are just as welcoming at Roquetaillade Castle, which was originally built by Charlemagne and has been lived in by generations of the same family since 1306. The tour you’ll take is actually given by the castle’s owner.
Pouring rose at Chateau Giscours Vanessa Pinniger
To work up an appetite, so you can eat like a king, bicycle through the vineyards of the Medoc region for a wine tasting. Electric bikes make for easier pedalling (especially on the way back). Then spend an evening at the aristocratic Chateau Giscours in the Medoc, enjoying a private four-course dinner with even more Grand Cru Class wines, this time thankfully – no pedalling required.
Or cook up your own menu as part of Scenic’s Culinaire program. Take a trip to a local food market in the morning with the ship’s chef to gather the fresh ingredients needed to prepare a meal on the ship. Once back on board, take part in an onboard cooking class in the art of French gastronomy.
Or just kick back and decompress in the ship’s Salt Breathing Room, a cool oasis complete with pink Himalayan salt block walls and floor, while you float away.
The writer was a guest of Scenic who did not read or approve of this article before publication.
Scenic offers five-star luxury Bordeaux river cruises that are truly all-inclusive — there’s nothing to pay for once on board, unless you book a massage or haircut (yes, unlike some ships, there is a salon and spa, and also a gym and whirlpool on board).
Air France operates daily non-stop flights between Vancouver and Paris, with up to 17 connecting flights to Bordeaux. The LGV Sud-Ouest, a new high-speed rail link running TGV trains from Paris to Bordeaux, opened in July.
A note about the Bordeaux wine release:
Each fall, three years after the year the grapes were grown (the vintage), Bordeaux releases its wines globally. A long-standing tradition with Vancouver’s wine fans, select Signature BC Liquor participate by bringing in a sampling of the Bordeaux wine being released. This year’s release will be from the 2014 vintage