Winery visits around Bordeaux

Bordeaux is both a city and one of the world’s great wine regions. Its vineyards follow the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Gironde estuary, and the red wines are blends led by Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Many of the most famous estates lie farther out, in the Médoc or near Saint-Émilion. The winery visits around Bordeaux on this page are on the city’s doorstep.

At these châteaux, a tasting starts at 15 euros and a guided tour with tasting costs 15 to 25 euros per adult. The château offers last 30 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the format. The Cité du Vin, a museum, takes two to three hours.

The châteaux

Château Pape Clément, at 216 avenue Dr Nancel Penard in Pessac, south-west of the centre, sells both formats. Its tasting of three wines, without a tour, starts at 15 euros, lasts 30 minutes and takes six people at most. You choose between two formulas. Its Tour and Tasting, “Discovering the Wines of Bordeaux”, costs 25 euros, lasts an hour and a half, takes up to 20 people and ends with three wines from different terroirs, including the Château Pape Clément red. Both are by reservation.

Château Malartic-Lagravière, in Léognan, runs a classic tour of about an hour that ends with a commented tasting of two wines, one of them a Grand Cru, for 20 euros.

Château du Taillan, north-west of the city, has the lowest tour price: 15 euros for its classic visit, rising to 17 euros after 5 pm, on Sundays and on public holidays. The visit ends in the estate’s shop with two of its wines.

The table further down lists every offer, including Pape Clément’s family tour.

Tasting or tour?

At Pape Clément, the choice is clear-cut: half an hour and three wines for the tasting, an hour and a half with the château tour, at least 10 euros more. On a first trip to Bordeaux, the tour is worth the difference, because it adds the château visit and a third wine. For a second visit, or a short stop, the tasting is enough.

The Cité du Vin

In the city, the Cité du Vin, at 134 Quai de Bacalan by the Garonne, is a museum of wine cultures rather than a winery. Its permanent exhibition takes two to three hours and the 23 euro adult ticket includes a glass of wine, or grape juice, at the Belvédère at the top of the building, with a view over Bordeaux. A ticket with two glasses costs 27 euros. Under-18s pay 9 euros and under-6s go free. The Cité’s practical page lists a multimedia guide in eight languages. It is shown apart from the châteaux in the table, since it is not a winery tour.

With children

Pape Clément runs a family tour at 20.50 euros per adult and 12.50 euros for ages 5 to 17, free under 5. The Cité du Vin, with its child rates, is the other family option.

Practical tips for winery visits around Bordeaux

• Book. Pape Clément works by reservation, with six places per tasting: book ahead, more so at harvest, in September and October.
• Getting there. Tram line B serves the Cité du Vin. For the châteaux, a car or a taxi is the simplest. Pessac and Léognan are south of the city, Le Taillan to the north-west.
• Budget. A day with the Cité du Vin and one château tour costs 38 to 48 euros per adult.
• Arriving. High-speed trains link Paris with Bordeaux Saint-Jean, the fastest in just over two hours.