Saturday, February 28, 2015

How To Choose The Best Bordeaux Wine Tours

By Olivia Cross


If you know the name Bordeaux it is probably from a wine bottle. The region is synonymous with quality wine and has over eight thousand vineyards. Most are open to visitors and provide excellent tours and tasting sessions. Viticulture is the life blood of the area and so it makes a great trip for the novice and keen enthusiast. Finding the best Bordeaux wine tours depends on your knowledge and love of wine.

The Bordeaux region has become the largest wine producing region of France because it is blessed with soil which is ideal for grapes. On any trip to the area you will hear all about the soil and how it affects the taste of the different grapes. Even within Bordeaux there are a large number of separate growing areas each with their own characteristics.

Even in this one area there are different types and qualities of wines to taste. The river area is home to the vintage and top quality wines are their soils are richest. Then there are the left and right banks. For the novice it is probably best to choose a tour which incorporates a little of everything.

There is also a wine school in the city where visitors can take all sorts of classes. The most basic is a two hour introduction to tasting and the drinks of the area. This is a great idea for those who do not know much about wine before they start on a tour. However, if you want to get into more technical aspects of wine making there are two and three day courses where you can even try blending.

A typical tour of a vineyard will include tasting as well as visits to the cellars, vat rooms, barrel rooms and of course, the vines. They normally last around ninety minutes and so it is quite easy to visit a few in one day. Smaller growers will do the tasting with their visitors and love to talk about their passion with interested parties. Larger wineries have hospitality staff.

There are a few times of year when it is best to avoid a trip to taste wines in Bordeaux. The winter months, December and January are cold and most wineries are busy with blending. In April the professionals are in town and are classifying the wines so vineyards are busy with them and do not usually take appointments. Most are also closed on weekends so plan a midweek trip if tasting is your priority.

The city of Bordeaux is ancient and interesting. The architecture is stunning, in fact it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Visitors can spend days exploring the city so it is always an option to tag this onto a wine tour. Why not enjoy the local gastronomy and some more booze while soaking up the culture?

To find the best tour for you is really easy. Lots of companies offer package deals which include winery visits, guides, transport, accommodation and even some meals. They can also design packages specifically for you. The area has lots to offer in addition to wine so you could include a visit to a Medieval village or a spa or some nature, the options are endless.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment