Article written by Elisa - Travel Writer & Local in France
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Bordeaux is known worldwide for being France’s wine capital. It is a true mecca for wine lovers who will have a blast visiting wine châteaux and doing tastings.
Touring the Bordeaux wine region is one of the best things to do in Bordeaux! There are many wine tours from Bordeaux, but if you have a car, you can also organize self-guided wine trips in the region.
The Bordeaux wine region is vast, and you will find excellent vineyards on both the Garonne River banks, where castle-like estates produce superb wine in fairy-tale settings. To help you decide which type of wine tour works best for you, we put together this comprehensive guide to the best Bordeaux wine tours.
Are you planning a Bordeaux trip last minute?
Below are some of the best Bordeaux tours, hotels, and more!
- Book your flight tickets to Bordeaux (BOD); Book your train tickets to Bordeaux.
- Book your transfer from Bordeaux Airport to the city with Welcome Pickups
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Top Experiences and Tours in Bordeaux
- Bordeaux Guided Bike Tour
- Cité du Vin Entry Ticket
- Garonne River Cruise with a Glass of Wine
- Day Trip to Saint-Emilion Wine Region
- Day Trip to the Médoc Wine Region
Want skip-the-line access at museums & attractions in Bordeaux? Get your hands on a Bordeaux City Pass!
Top Bordeaux Accommodation and Lodging
- InterContinental Bordeaux Le Grand Hotel (historical 5-star hotel in the Old Town)
- Le Palais Gallien Hotel & Spa (lovely and central boutique hotel with seasonal pool)
- Meininger Hotel Bordeaux Gare Saint-Jean (budget hotel ideal for long stays)
- Check the full list of our favorite hotels in Bordeaux
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Bordeaux Wine Tour vs Self-Guided Wine Trip
Joining guided Bordeaux wine tours has many advantages, like that it is more educational, as you are with an expert guide, and there is no planning to do on your part since the tour is fully organized.
Among the disadvantages of guided wine tours is that the schedule is not flexible since everything is already organized. Guided Bordeaux wine-tasting tours are usually more expensive than self-guided wine trips.
On the other hand, self-guided wine trips allow you to craft your own itinerary by selecting the wineries in Bordeaux where you want to stop and for how long, all for less money than a guided wine tour.
However, the biggest cons of self-guided wine trips is that you will have to do a great deal of research beforehand and then book everything by yourself.
Bordeaux Left Bank vs Bordeaux Right Bank – Where to Go?
The Bordeaux Wine Region is not only one of the most famous French wine regions but is also one of the largest. Where to go for a Bordeaux wine tour? The Bordeaux wine area has three main wine production areas:
Rive Gauche (Garonne and Gironde Rivers’ left bank). Here, Cabernet Sauvignon is the main grape variety. North of Bordeaux is the area of the famous red wines of Médoc and Haut-Médoc (Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, and more). South of Bordeaux, the AOC Péssac-Léognan and AOC Graves produce good and lighter reds and whites, while the AOC Sauternes produces botrytized sweet wines.
Entre-deux-Mers is the wine production area located between the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers. This area produces good reds and whites. The AOC Entre-deux-Mers, however, only concerns the white dry wines while the rest of the production in this area is sold as AOC Bordeaux or AOC Bordeaux Supérieur.
Rive Droite (Dordogne River’s Right Bank). Merlot is the main grape variety here. This is the area where the famous red wines of AOC Saint-Emilion and AOC Pomerol are produced.
Best Bordeaux Wine Tours
Guided Bordeaux wine tours explore the region’s most famous wine areas and include transportation and an expert guide. I have taken several Bordeaux wine tasting tours and I could never know in advance what châteaux we would visit during the tours. However, I was always satisfied with the places we visited.
Following is a handy table with the best wine tours from Bordeaux in the Bordeaux.
WINE TOUR | WINE PRODUCTION AREA | DURATION | PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
Médoc /Haut-Médoc + Saint-Emilion | 9 hrs | ||
Saint-Emilion | 5.5 hrs | ||
Médoc /Haut-Médoc | 8 hrs | ||
Saint-Emilion | 8.5 hrs | ||
Graves + Sauternes | 7.5 hrs |
Best Wineries in Bordeaux for Self-Guided Wine Trips
When opting for a self-guided wine tour, you must remember that most wine tastings and visits to the wineries are available by appointment only. You won’t be able to show up to a château you like and count on someone being available to welcome you to the property and give you access to the tastings.
In addition to reserving your wine-tasting spots, you will need a car to get to the wineries. We suggest you check out DiscoverCars.com, a comparison site that will find the best car rental deals.
Following is a well-rounded list of the best wineries in the Bordeaux wine region. The Châteaux du Médoc are the most popular, but there are also beautiful wine estates in Saint-Emilion and the Right Bank in general. At the time of writing this article, all the wineries below offer tours in French and English with tastings, and you can book through the links below.
Bordeaux Left Bank
- Château Talbot – Grand Cru Classé (Saint-Julien /Haut-Médoc)
- Château La Haye (Saint-Estèphe /Haut Médoc)
- Château Saint-Hiliare-Domaine Uijjtewaal (Médoc)
- Château Ferrière – Grand Cru Classé (Margaux /Haut-Médoc)
- Château Kirwan – Grand Cru Classé (Margaux /Haut-Médoc)
- Château Haut-Bages Libéral – Grand Cru Classé (Pauillac /Haut Médoc)
- Château Malartic-Lagravière – Grand Cru Classé (Pessac Leognan)
- Château de Cérons (Graves)
- Château Gravas (Sauternes)
Bordeaux Entre-deux-Mers
- Château Le Grand Verdus (Bordeaux Supérieur)
- Château de Camarsac (Entre-deux-Mers)
Bordeaux Right Bank
- Château Cadet Bon – Grand Cru Classé (Saint-Emilion)
- Couvent des Jacobins – Grand Cru Classé (Saint-Emilion)
- Château Mazeyres (Pomerol)
- Château Taillefer (Pomerol)
Stay in a Château-Hotel for the Ultimate Bordeaux Wine Experience
To take your wine experience in Bordeaux to the next level, you should stay overnight in one of the stunning châteaux-hotels you will find in the countryside.
Imagine waking up in a picture-perfect château surrounded by lush vineyards, breathing fresh air.
The best perk of staying in châteaux-hotels is that you will likely have private access to cellars, and you can do extensive wine tastings accompanied by seriously delicious food prepared in the on-site restaurant.
There are châteaux-hotels for every taste, from cottage-like accommodations to luxury options. Here is the list of the best châteaux-hotels to stay in Bordeaux.
- Château Meyre (Médoc)
- Le Château Réal (Haut-Médoc)
- La Maison d’Estournel (Haut-Médoc)
- Château Cordeillan Bages (Médoc)
- Château Hotel Grand Barril (Saint-Emilion)
- Clos 1906 (Saint-Emilion)