Man, was I excited to go to Bordeaux this past weekend!  And it isn’t that I am the hugest Bordeaux drinker or lover (I am finding I appreciate more the Pinots of Burgundy), but wow did I have bounce in my step when I boarded the TGV in Paris-Montparnasse on my direct train to the Bordeaux-St. Jean.  In 3 hours and 30 minutes I would be in the land that heralds the most famed and expensive wines (including Cakebread Cellars Merlot) from the most prestigious chateaus in the world…come on, even if you aren’t a wine drinker, that has gotta give you a few goosebumps! 🙂

Porte Cailhau.

Built in the 15th century it is one of the old gates into the city of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux is situated in the sud-ouest (southwest) of France and sits on the banks of the Garonne river.  The name of the city is also used as the name of the wine growing region surrounding the Bordeaux.  In the Bordeaux region there are some 5,000 chateaux producing bold wines that are a melange of mostly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec!!! Vive La France!  The most famous appellations are situated away from the city of Bordeaux…like Médoc – home of Château Latour and Château Mouton Rothschild, Saint-Émilion – home of Château Cheval Blanc (which I can’t write without thinking about Miles in the movie, “Sideways”…remember he drank his 1961 Cheval Blanc out of a plastic cup at a fast food restaurant!! Oh the horror!) and Pomerol – home to the most famous chateau, Château Pétrus (<- although not famous enough for my spellcheck to recognized it!).

I knew it probably wasn’t in the cards (er, budget) that I would be uncorking any Château d’Yquems this trip, but even the prospect of a fantastic bold specimen from a smaller chateau paired with magret de canard seemed like it could make for just as memorable an experience…albeit probably without as long a finish (I am being a wine nerd here :)).

I stayed at a cute little hotel in the plein cœur de Bordeaux called, L’Hotel Particulier.  Traveling seule, I was given their only single room which was located sort of 3/4 the way up the first flight of stairs (yep, not on a landing…I walked from a step into my room).  When my lovely hostess stopped at the small door that looked like it led to a secret passage, I was confused.  But then she opened the small door which led to a grander door which then opened to a very comfortable sleeping quarter…or my room for 3 nights.  I originally had told her it was a bit bizarre, but I ended up being incredibly happy with my accommodations.

Round the clock snacks at the hotel!  Including homemade meringue cookies!

The basilica, Saint-Michel, just steps from the entrance to mon petit hotel.

A perfect magret de canard with a delicious glass of the fruit of the region.

Who says dreams can’t become reality?!

After washing the train off me, I headed to one of Bordeaux’s best restaurants, La Tupina.  It was recommended to me by my roommate first…and then everyone else once I reached Bordeaux.  La Tupina is  known for its Bordelaise fare (that name that is so pretty it makes me want to move to Bordeaux just so I can be called Bordelaise!) and farm fresh ingredients.

Upon entering the cozy restaurant, I was met by a comptoir  stacked with blocks of raw meat waiting to be cooked and then devoured by the clientele.  Strands of garlic and dried sausage hung from the ceiling and old black and white photos filled the walls.  Sitting next to one of the 2 fireplaces in the resto, I felt like I could have been in an old farmhouse versus the center of Bordeaux.  And the service was just as charming.  The picture above was my serveur’s recommendation.  The duck breast came rare and was only seasoned with pepper and fleur de sel…but it didn’t need anything else… except the wine!!  Mmmmm….I think I could get use to being Bordelaise!

Huh? This doesn’t look like a vineyard!

Yep, true! In fact, my first day in Bordeaux I didn’t go wine tasting at all. Nope!  I went to Avis to rent an itty bitty rental car (note to self: never rent a car on same day of use….uh, much too expensive 🙁 ) to go find the sea! 90 minutes and 100 round-abouts later I was in the hidden, peninsula town of Cap-Ferret.

Huitres along the lagoon in Cap-Ferret.

Cap-Ferret is a laid back, fisherman village that becomes a favorite get-away for the Bordelaise on the week-ends and in the summer.  I, however,  felt like I had the entire town to myself when I pulled in along side one of the oyster tasting shacks on that sunny March afternoon.  Mmmm…smell the sea air!

The bay that Cap-Ferret sits on produces about 10% of the oysters in France…they also produce the majority of the “seeds” (baby oysters) which are then sent to other parts of France to grow to maturity.  

To me, fresh oysters with a glass of cool, crisp, dry white wine is a dining delight…put me seaside on a sunny afternoon and it becomes sublime.

Sitting next to me were 2 Bordelaise couples sharing oysters, fresh shrimp and many bottles of rosé.  As expected, one was a wine maker with a chateau in the region, and all (who were close to the age of my parents) were quite concerned I was traveling alone.  They were also disappointed my stay wasn’t longer so they could show me the region.  However, I was given phone #s and contact information to a daughter in Paris.  Next time I am in Bordeaux I am to call them and back in Paris I am to contact their daughter.  Merci Gérard et Aude! (Gérard took the above picture of me).

I found the most handsome oyster farmer I could to help me understand the harvesting of oysters.  Since there was a lot of vocab that I couldn’t quite understand, I can summarize like this: The oysters are scrapped from their seabeds (all ages and sizes) and placed in paniers (baskets).  They are then hand sorted by size, age and species into net pouches (like in the above picture).  Once sorted they are kept in seawater until they are shipped, sold or in the case of the fate of my 6 oysters, devoured on the spot! 🙂

My ostréiculteur specialists showed me the difference in the size of the oysters by age and type.  I let out a “tres mignon” when he showed me a super small baby oyster.

I had caught him right as he was about to get on his tractor with a trailer full of sorted oysters.  I asked him where he was going and he said he was taking the oysters to the sea. I first had thoughts that perhaps he was letting them go!  No, no Hollywood movie moment here.  In fact, the reason was quite simple, “Ils ont soif.” (They are thristy)…so back to the cold water of the bay they will go until their next destination, which will ultimately be someone’s belly.

 Going back to the sea because, “Ils ont soif!” 🙂

Back in Bordeaux I was talked into duck hearts for dinner :).  

Which was pas mal, but not as enjoyable as the Bordelaise couple next to me who after paying their bill lingered to talk to me so I had company while I ate my dessert. My heart was warmed…much to the same temperature of the little one’s I had just eaten :)!

Alright, here we go! Wine tasting in Bordeaux!

My last afternoon in Bordeaux, I opted for a tour of the medieval village of St. Emilion and several of the chateaux surrounding it.  This was our first tasting stop, Château de Ferrand, situated in a 17th century chateau.

The energetic and impassioned guide and the Chateau’s sommelier giving us a tour of their recently renovated wine making facilities.

One of the most interesting things I learned during this afternoon is that a sommelier isn’t just an expert on wine…he is also an expert on ALL beverages. Our guide at the Chateau had gone to school for 2 years and learned about sparkling water, whiskys, cognacs, orange juice, wine, etc as well as as cigars and all the different methods to cut them and light them depending on the brand.  Incredible!

In Bordeaux wine is classified in a complicated system that could be different depending on the appellation.  In Saint-Emilion there are 4 classification 1) Premier Grand Cru classé A (only 2 wineries have obtained this…Cheval Blanc being one of them) 2) Premier Grand Cru classé B (12 wineries contain this coveted label) 3) Grand Cru classé (over 50 wineries classified) and 4) Grand Cru (which is the catch-all label for some 200 other wineries in the appellation).

Currently Château de Ferrand falls under the Grand Cru classification, but they hope to be reclassified to Grand Cru classé this year when the powers that be go through and confirm current classifications and award higher classifications for those who have applied for it and meet the strict standards.

Between tastings we played a fun little game designed to test our sniffing skills.

Above is Anne, our tour guide, smelling one of the bottles that she would soon pass around….it was probably the scent that was black currant yet somehow I guessed it as chocolate.  Clearly I didn’t win this exercise.

Vines pre-grapes.

Next tasting was at Château de Pressac.

This beautiful chateau is located on a steep terraced hilltop with stunning views of the surrounding country side.  It also has notable historical significance because here in 1453 the English surrendered to the French ending the Hundred Years’ War….no more tax free Bordeaux wines for the English after waiving the white flag that day!

The view from Château de Pressac.

Aging merlot in French barrels.

Saint-Émilion!

Our tour ended with a walk through the charming village of Saint-Émilion. The town was named after a monk, Émilion, who lived there in a limestone hermitage under the city in the 8th century.  The monks who followed him there were later responsible for starting the commercial wine industry in the area.

My group exploring the cobblestone pathways and 14th century walls of the city.

Because St. Emilion is a UNESCO World Heritage site, there aren’t many inhabitants in the city (too complicated to do renovations)…so the city primarily caters to tourists.  In fact there are really only 2 types of businesses in town, restaurants and wine shops.  This is just one of those wine shops.

The church in Saint-Émilion is underground because that is how monk Emilion lived.  He is also buried in this church that now is only accessible by appointment.

Uh, cool!

Château Pétrus is in Pomerol, right next to Saint-Émilion, and I our guide was kind enough to drive us by this famous wine producer. Frankly Château Pétrus  isn’t a chateau at all, but more of a simple looking limestone building. Driving by it one would not guess that bottles produced here start in the thousands of dollars. Pétrus produces around 2,500 cases a year and is a blend with mostly Merlot and just a bit of Cabernet Franc. Who knows if I will ever be one of the rare people that actually tastes the wine made famous by Elizabeth II (she selected it for her wedding!), but definitely was worthwhile seeing its house.

Place de Bourse in Bordeaux.

I came home with 4 bottles of Bordeaux (one is already gone!), fleur de sel from La Tupina and a flyer telling me to vote for Nicolas Sarkozy(they are in full Presidential campaign mode here in France)…each put a big smile on my face as I pulled them out of my suitcase.

Next wine region: Bourgogne!  And if you go to Bordeaux, enjoy the wine, but I really don’t think the trip would be complete without oysters seaside…so don’t forget (just rent your car in advance!)!

“Le vin est synonyme de liberté, 
c’est un usage libre du temps,
Une faculté de juger,
de décider par soi-même..

L’Amateur de Bordeaux es un homme délivré.
Il goûte conformement au choix de son propre esprit…”

Jean Paul Kauffmann

Plan YOUR Adventure:

Bordeaux

L’Hotel Particulier

44 rue Vital Carles
3300 Bordeaux
Tél : +33(0)5 57 88 28 80

 

La Tupina

6, rue Porte de la Monnaie
33800 Bordeaux

 

Bordovino Tours

 

Cap-Ferret

Link to Travel and Leisure article on Cap-Ferret