Wine Tourism in Bordeaux

Wine Museums, Wine Attractions and Other Sightseeing for Wine Aficianados

The Aquitaine region and Bordeaux area is the ideal destination for wine aficionados, filled not only with endless vineyards but also numerous attractions devoted to wine, including:

• Bordeaux Wine School (or L'Ecole du Vin) is a wine school to learn more about wine, from inexpensive two-hour courses on wine history and tasting, to intensive multi-day courses.
• Vinorama (site in French only) is a grand museum honoring the history of Bordeaux wine since the time of the Ancient Romans. Wine can be purchased here.
• Château Maucaillou, located in Moulis en Médoc, is interesting in that this museum is situated right in an authentic wine cellar dating back to 1875. It is a great way to experience the entire process of wine making, from understanding the land on which grapes are planted to the construction of barrels to the printing of labels.
• Château Mouton-Rothschild, located in Pauillac, is a museum dedicated to wine in art, with hundreds of years worth of creations ranging from tapestries to carafes to paintings. This is also one of the premier wineries of France, and their vintages are fabulous.
• Château Loudenne, located in Saint Yzans de Médoc has a museum of vine and wine tools. There are several tools of the trade on exhibit.
• Ecomusée du Libournais, located in Saint-Emilion, recounts the history of wine makers, including walking paths for hiking in the vines.
• Château Brandalocated in Cadillac en Fronsadais is an amazing and unique site, a medieval château built during the Hundred-Years’ War. What is great about a visit here is the interaction for the visitors, who get a chance to smell and try to identify scents common to wines.
• Maisons des Vins’ Cloître des Récollets, located in Bergerac, offers a guided tour of a cloister of harvesting that dates back to the 1600s.
• Musée du Liège et du Bouchon or Cork and Stopper Museum, located in Mézin, provides a chance to see how one of the most crucial elements of a wine bottle is made: the cork.
• The annual Bordeaux Wine Festival, or Fete le Vin, brings wine tasting and a massive celebration devoted to wine held at Europe's largest square in Bordeaux each summer.