Bordeaux Wine Experiences

Categories: Bespoke Experiences, Private Wine & Vineyard Experiences

5-Day Bordeaux Wine & Coastal Escape

Immerse yourself in the world-renowned wine regions of Bordeaux and the stunning natural beauty of the Arcachon Bay. This exclusive itinerary combines hands-on wine blending workshops, private château visits, gourmet picnics, and a scenic boat trip, offering a perfect blend of viticulture, gastronomy, and coastal charm from your luxurious base at the Intercontinental Bordeaux.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN BORDEAUX

TRANSFER UPON ARRIVAL IN BORDEAUX

Upon arrival, you will receive a private transfer from Bordeaux airport or train station to your hotel in Bordeaux.

Check in at Hotel Intercontinental 5* – Bordeaux
Hotel Intercontinental 5* – Bordeaux
2 place de la Comédie, Bordeaux, Aquitaine, FR
+33 5 57 30 44 44

DAY 2: WINE TASTING EXPERIENCES IN MEDOC

Meet your local English-speaking guide, an expert in Bordeaux wines
In the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel in Bordeaux. You will meet your English-speaking driver/guide, who is an expert in Bordeaux wines.

Participate in a wine blending workshop
After a short drive, you will arrive at the winery, where you will participate in a 1.5-hour wine blending workshop. The vast majority of Bordeaux wines are blended wines, which means that winemakers produce their premium wines by blending different grape varieties. The most popular grape varieties used in Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Other authorized grape varieties permitted for red wines are Malbec, Carmenere, and Petit Verdot.

During the workshop, you will taste Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon separately. As you taste these grape varieties, your host will explain the main characteristics of each variety, such as tannin level, acidity, and alcohol or structure that it can bring to wines. You will also talk about aromas and flavors. Once the guided tasting of the different grape varieties is over, it’s time to create your own wine. Guided by an expert hand, blend the different grape varieties to produce the wine you like!

Visit to the cellar, wine tasting, and delicious picnic lunch in the park or garden of a Château
After the wine blending workshop, we will drive you along the Château Route in Médoc to the next stop. Upon arrival, visit the cellar to understand the winemaking process, from vine to wine. After the visit, it will be time to taste 3 wines from the Château during a guided tasting session. After the tasting, take a break to eat and relax on the winery’s beautiful grounds, in the park or in the garden. The picnic lunch is carefully prepared and includes cold cuts, cheeses, seasonal vegetables and fruits, macarons, baguette, wine, coffee, water, or tea.

Chocolate and wine pairing workshop
After your picnic lunch at the Château, it’s time to continue your day and head to our last visit. Discover the last winery of the day, located in the Margaux region. After a short visit to the 1855 Grand Cru Classé winery, take part in a gastronomic experience that will allow you to discover the common flavors between Château wines and chocolate.

DAY 3: PRIVATE TOUR TO DISCOVER THE ARCACHON BAY

A pleasant day trip to the seaside, near Bordeaux

Boat trip from Arcachon to Cap Ferret
Only carefully selected guides. Local experts, English speakers

Arcachon Bay – Home to the largest dune in Europe
Arcachon is a popular resort on the Atlantic coast, 55 kilometers southwest of Bordeaux. It has a beautiful beach and a mild climate that is said to be beneficial for people with lung conditions. The town of Arcachon is only 150 years old. Not long before May 2, 1857, when Emperor Napoleon III signed its official “birth certificate,” it was just a forest of pine, oak, and strawberry trees (arbutus), with no road connections and inhabited by less than 400 people, mostly fishermen and peasants, who lived in wooden huts rather than proper houses, especially when the weather was hot.

In previous years, when some hygienists began to recommend sea bathing, three marine establishments were set up by entrepreneurs especially for the bourgeoisie of Bordeaux. At its southern entrance from the Atlantic Ocean, the Arcachon Bay is crowned by the largest sand dune in Europe, the Dune de Pyla (or Pilat), almost 3 kilometers long, 500 meters wide, reaching 107 meters in height and moving inland at a speed of 5 meters per year. Today, you will leave Bordeaux and head for this enclosed sea known as the “Arcachon Bay.”

Upon arrival, board a local “Pinasse,” the traditional boats of Arcachon Bay. All built of wood, these boats date back to the 1500s, when they were used exclusively for fishing. This pleasant trip will allow you to see the numerous oyster farms and admire the “Bird Island” with its “Tchanqués” huts built on wooden stilts. Enjoy the opportunity to taste some local specialties accompanied by fresh baguette, lightly salted butter, and, of course, white wine.

For lunch, your guide will surely suggest one of the many high-quality restaurants located along the shore.

DAY 4: WINE TASTING EXPERIENCES IN ST EMILION

Participate in a sensory wine tasting workshop
After a short drive, you will arrive at the winery, where you will participate in a 1.5-hour sensory workshop on wine. First, visit this Grand Cru winery in the Saint Emilion wine region. Then, guided by an expert, experience a parallel tasting of 4 different wines from 4 different territories. Your goal will be to try to define the aromas present in the different wines. To do this, we will use a fun and informative aroma game that will help you identify, memorize, and associate aromas and wine.

Delicious picnic lunch or cheese platter and local specialties in a Château wine cellar in Saint Emilion
After the sensory workshop on wine, we will take you to a Château wine cellar for lunch. Here, you will have two options: either a picnic lunch consisting of a selection of fresh, local products (jam, salad, roast meat, cheese, fruit, bread, and mini pastries), or a platter of local specialties accompanied by a selection of aged French cheeses. Take a break while enjoying Château wine (1 glass of wine included). Water, tea, or coffee are also included with the meal.

Blind tasting workshop at the Grand Cru wine cellar
After your picnic lunch at the Château, it’s time to continue your day and arrive at our last visit. Discover the last wine cellar of the day with a special private tour, followed by a unique wine tasting session. In the Château’s private cellar, experience a blind tasting of 4 different wines. The goal here is to avoid preconceived notions about a wine based on elements such as the name of the winery, how good the label looks, or the price of a bottle. During this experience, everything will come down to the color of the wines, the aromas, and the actual taste of the wine. At the end of the tasting, all you have to do is say which wine you liked the most, before all the information about the wines is revealed.

DAY 5: DEPARTURE

Check out from Hotel Intercontinental 5* – Bordeaux

Departure transfer
Enjoy a private transfer from your hotel in Bordeaux to Bordeaux Airport.
End of services.

PRICE & DETAILS

PRICE: On request depending on the period and number of persons.
All prices and services are subject to availability at the time of booking.

PRICE INCLUDES:

1 transfer on arrival from Bordeaux airport or train station to the hotel
4 nights’ accommodation in a 5* hotel, in a double room, with breakfast and taxes included.
1 full-day private experience in the “Arcachon Bay,” including a boat trip
1 wine tasting with special snacks during the boat trip
1 full-day private wine tasting experience in Medoc
1 full-day private wine tasting experience in St Emilion
1 transfer on departure from your hotel to Bordeaux airport or train station