Day Trip: Bordeaux Wine Region

With 54 appellations and some 8,500 producers, France’s largest wine-growing region hardly needs any introduction. Nearly 80% of the wines made here are red, and some of the world’s most fabled chateaux are assembled here: Lafite-Rothschild, Margaux, Lynche-Barge, Latour, Cheval Blanc, Petrus –names pronounced like prayers by wine lovers.

For centuries, Bordeaux was famously closed off to non-insiders, with winemakers stubbornly insisting they need not lower themselves to interact with mere locals. Though there remains a lot of old-fashioned snobbery, especially at the more traditional properties, many chateaux have also rethought their strategies, à la Napa, and are now welcoming visitors for tastings, tours and — quel horreur — even sur place purchases (buying at the chateaux was unheard of just a decade ago).

Three rivers define the Bordeaux area: the massive Gironde (an estuary that leads straight to the Atlantic); the Garonne, which flows through Bordeaux city and the Dordogne. The most famous appellations on the Rive Droite (on the right bank of the Dourdogne) are St. Emilion and Pomerol, while the Rive Gauche (left bank of the Garonne) holds Médoc and Graves. The area between is named Entre-Deux-Mers, hich translates as between the sea, since a high tide will make the rivers appear much wider. This region is celebrated for wonderful crisp white wines.

Some 4,000 wine estates are open to the public and coming up with a feasible itinerary, depending on interest, timing and price point is key to a successful visit. Many try to incorporate such quaint villages as St. Emilion into their itineraries.