Explore Bordeaux's finest wine regions! Discover the top 5 destinations where vineyards flourish and vintages thrive. From historic estates to scenic landscapes, uncover the secrets behind Bordeaux's renowned wine culture. Uncork the essence of luxury and tradition in each sip. Indulge your senses with our curated guide to the best of Bordeaux's wine country.
The Bordeaux region is the largest producer of wine in France and one of the most highly renowned in the world. As such a prestigious destination in the viticultural scene, you may be wondering where to start when planning your visit.
There is a fantastic range of exceptional wine sub-regions within Bordeaux that you can explore during your time here. These areas are home to phenomenal wineries that you can explore through private tastings and vineyard tours.
In this article, we guide you through the best Bordeaux wine regions to help you plan the most incredible wine-filled getaway to this remarkable corner of the world.
Before delving into the wine sub-regions, you might first be wondering where Bordeaux lies within France. If you were to look at a map, you'd see Bordeaux is situated in the southwest of the country.
The city of Bordeaux is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The Bordeaux region extends beyond the city limits, encompassing the surrounding hills and plateaus. Here lies a gold mine of outstanding vineyards and wineries, each esteemed for producing unique and distinctive varieties.
Discover the most magnificent wine regions of Bordeaux on your French getaway, as we guide you through the top sites in the area.
Often hailed as the most prestigious of all Bordeaux wine regions, Medoc sits north of the city of Bordeaux on the left bank of the Gironde Estuary. Mineral-rich water streams through the area, which has caused the soil to become resistant to moisture and in turn, provide ideal conditions for slow-ripening grapes.
It is this unique characteristic of the Medoc region that allows it to produce some of the most expensive and highly-regarded wines in the world. Another fascinating aspect of the area is its long-standing reputation as a pioneer in innovative wine-growing techniques.
It was here that concepts such as excluding rotten or under-ripe grapes from vinification, aging wines in oak barrels, and fermenting in batches based on wine age, originated. To this day, Medoc remains at the forefront of the industry as it is leading the way in sustainable wine production.
The local winemakers operate sustainably and use organic or biodynamic practices. The wineries in Medoc grow an array of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot grapes.
There are lots of wine tours in Medoc to choose from. Discover two of our favorites below.
Chateau Pichon Baron
Chateau Pichon Baron is a breathtaking Deuxième Cru Classé chateau. Experience the magnificence of this breathtaking castle on a private tour, followed by a guided tasting of specially selected wines sourced from the estate's diverse terroirs.
Chateau Siran
Chateau Siran is a wonderful family-owned vineyard in Medoc. Explore the beautiful property, its rich history and its private collection of viticultural artefacts and French art on a tour of the estate. Then, invite your taste buds in on the adventure by sitting down to sample some of the chateau's wines, alongside a platter of regional cheeses and cold meats.
With a viticultural heritage tracing back to ancient Roman times, Saint-Emilion is one of the most famous wine regions in Bordeaux. Despite its size, this little appellation has earned global recognition for producing some of the finest varieties in the world.
The medieval village of Saint-Emilion is UNESCO-protected and absolutely stunning. With gorgeous 11th-century architecture, over 800 wineries and rolling hillsides, it's no wonder why Saint-Emilion is considered one of the best wine regions in Bordeaux.
Saint-Emilion and its four satellite appellations, Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion, Montagne-Saint-Émilion, Lussac-Saint-Émilion and Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion, are home to generational wineries that have been owned by families who have lived in the area for many years.
This region has clay and limestone soils which endow the local wines with structure and a wonderful rustic quality. The varieties here feature deep Merlot and refreshing Cabernet Franc grapes. Expect meaty, herbal and floral aromas.
Producing some of the finest wine from the Bordeaux region, Saint-Emilion has many sensational wine tours to choose from. Explore two of our top picks below.
Château Troplong Mondot
Discover the fascinating terroir of a Saint-Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe with a tour of the magnificent Château Troplong Mondot. The beautiful winery lies perched upon the highest point of the area's limestone plateau and offers tastings, vineyard visits and overnight stays.
Château Soutard
Château Soutard offers another of the top wine tours in the Bordeaux region of Saint-Emilion. The castle itself is sure to impress, with its dazzling 18th-century façade and 16th-century limestone wings. Uncover the beauty of the winery with a cellar visit and vineyard tour, followed by a private wine tasting.
Graves is a Left Bank wine region situated just southeast of Bordeaux city. The area is named in honor of the gravel soil that characterizes its terroir. It is here that you will find the closest vineyards to Bordeaux city.
Since 1987, Graves has been split into two appellations: Graves to the South and Pessac-Léognan to the North. While the region is world-renowned for its reds and whites, historically, it has earned particular recognition for its reds. In fact, it is often hailed as the birthplace of Bordeaux's highest-quality reds.
The local viticultural heritage traces back to the Middle Ages, when aristocratic families owned huge estates, hunted in the forests and produced their own wine. The vines and woodlands of this historic area lie scattered with enchanting medieval castles.
Graves and Pessac-Léognan are famed for producing excellent Cabernet and Merlot blends that showcase delicious combinations of red and black fruit flavors, with notes of spice and tobacco. When it comes to whites, you'll find dry varieties that feature a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. You'll also detect tastes of pineapple, honey, hay and vanilla.
Considering that Graves and Pessac-Léognan are among the best wine regions in Bordeaux, it's only natural that they offer some superb viticultural experiences. We've shared some of the finest tours in the area below.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte
Château Smith Haut Lafitte provides one of the best wine tours in Graves. The biodynamic winery boasts 78 hectares of vines and hosts art exhibitions in its nearby forest, along with being a leader in eco-wine tourism.
Château Smith Haut Lafitte has its own weather station, CO2 recycling process and cooperage. On a tour of the estate, a local expert will guide you through the vineyard, sharing all about the winery's history and heritage, before inviting you to sample some of its most delicious wines.
Château Pape Clément
A spectacular neo-gothic castle tracing back to the 13th century, Château Pape Clément is one of the best places to go on a wine tour in Pessac-Léognan. Uncover the secrets of the estate, which had its first grape harvest back in 1252, as a local expert leads you through the vineyard, cellar and glorious property.
Then, sit down to taste Château Pape Clément's finest vintages including the legendary white Pape Clément.
Looking at a map of Bordeaux wine regions, Pomerol lies on the right back of the Dordogne River. The area has earned a reputation for producing exceptional red wines of glorious depth and character.
Pomerol is the only one of the major French wine regions in Bordeaux that is not classified. Yet, it is a highly
respected appellation and produces three of the most expensive wines in the whole of Bordeaux:
Lafleur, Le Pin and Petrus.
Pomerol is the only destination on Bordeaux wine regions maps without a formalized classification system not because it is less respected, but because the area was not very well known before the 1960s and the Bordeaux classification was introduced well before this in 1855.
With Pomerol relatively new to the scene, it does conform to the classic image of a Bordeaux wine district. Merlot reigns supreme in the region, giving rise to the rich, smoothness of its varieties. Cabernet Franc is also often present in the wines from this Bordeaux wine region.
As a whole, you can expect Pomerol reds to be velvety and lush, with silky tannins, floran nuances and chocolate notes.
Pomerol is a fantastic place to go on a wine tour in Bordeaux. Check out one of the region's stand-out wineries to visit below.
Château Beauregard
Dating back to the XII century, Château Beauregard is a wonderful place to take a wine tour in Pomerol.
The château is incredibly beautiful and has a fascinating history to delve into during your visit. After a behind-the-scenes tour of the property, you can enjoy a guided tasting.
Entre-Deux-Mers is another of the best wine regions in Bordeaux. Meaning "Between Two Seas", the area lies nestled between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. The soil here is a mix of gravel and limestone.
While Entre-Deux-Mers produces both reds and whites, it is most famous for the latter.
Sprawling over 7,000 hectares, the region has the biggest group of AOC wines of Gironde. These encompass dry and sweet whites, deep reds and refreshing rosés. The sheer diversity on offer makes this one of Bordeaux's best wine regions.
The whites from the area are made from a blend of Muscadelle, Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. They taste mellow, fresh and crisp and offer the perfect refreshment on a warm summer's day. The red wine from Entre-Deux-Mers, on the other hand, features the Merlot grape variety.
As one of the most wonderful wine regions of Bordeaux, there is a great selection of viticultural tours on offer in Entre-Deux-Mers. See one of our top recommendations below.
Château de Reignac
Chateau de Reignac is a spectacular winery that can be visited as part of a tailor-made travel experience.
You can investigate the cellar, explore the fragrance garden and learn all about the estate's vine-growing and wine-making practices before going to the ancient tasting tower to sample some of the estate's exceptional varieties for yourself.
Summary
If you look at a map of the wine regions of Bordeaux, you'll quickly see the remarkable variety of picturesque areas waiting to be explored. From fascinating sites with a viticultural heritage tracing back to Roman times to exciting regions that only came to light in the 20th century, there are so many incredible wine estates to explore in this picturesque area of France.
Dreaming of exploring the Bordeaux wine regions for yourself? Check out our fantastic selection of wine tours in Bordeaux. They invite you on sensational adventures to the top wine regions in Bordeaux to uncover the magnificent heritage and history of local wineries, get lost in their breathtaking grounds and enjoy a guided tasting of their most exceptional wines.
