Médoc Wine Experience: Private Bordeaux Vineyard Half-Day Tour

Quick answers

• What is Médoc?

  Médoc is a region of France located North East of Bordeaux in the South Western part of France. Nestled between the Gironde River Estuary and the Atlantic Ocean, the region is famous for being a top wine growing area that produces world renowned Bordeaux red wines.
  
  Famous appellations of the Médoc include Margaux, Saint Julien Pauillac or Saint Estephe. Famous wineries of the Médoc include Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Lafite Rothschild.

• What is Médoc Wine?

  Médoc wines are red wines produced in the Médoc wine region of Bordeaux. They are usually blended wines which means that several grape varieties are mixed together to obtain a final blend. Common grape varieties used in the blend include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot but can also include Petit Verdot, Malbec or Carmenere. Some of the most famous red wines of Bordeaux are produced in the Médoc such as Château Margaux or Château Latour.

• Are your Bordeaux Winery Tours private?

  During our private tours the visits at the wineries are most of the time private, especially if you book well in advance. 
  However, for some last minute bookings, it might be that you will be grouped with others, but in this case the groups are always in very low numbers.

• What type of vehicles are used during a private Bordeaux wine tour?

  Our company uses only Mercedes Vito Tourer / Class V minivans that are recent, comfortable and fully equipped including individual A/C, shaded windows, large leg space and on board P/A system for commentaries by the guide. All guests can hear the commentaries wherever they are seated.

• Who conducts these Bordeaux Private Wine tours?

  We only employ accredited and licensed tour guides that are also the drivers for all tours that need visits to be conducted by certified guides. Good examples are: the visit of museums, guided walking tours in cities, visit of historical monuments and so on. In some regions, where wine tours prevail (Bordeaux, Alsace) the tours are conducted by professional local guides, that are experts in Wines. Most of our Guides in Bordeaux hold the WSET level 2 in wines or are professional sommeliers.

• How many Bordeaux wines will I taste during this Private Médoc Wine tour?

  Unlike other wine tasting sessions that you might have followed around the world, the tastings in Bordeaux are not as generous in terms of pours . The amount of wine tasted is not what many would expect but here it is all about elegance, fruit, quality, aromas and flavors rather than quantity.
  
  Each Chateau will have you taste their premium wine and what we call the 'second' wine of the estate. Sometimes, Chateau owners also add a tasting of some other wine if they happen to be the owners of another Chateau in Bordeaux. So basically, at each winery visited it will be 2 to maximum 4 wines tasted.
  
  If you wish to taste more wine, lunch in Pauillac is a perfect location to sample other appellations - it is easy to order wines by the glass. To further enhance your wine experience, it is always possible to buy some bottles at the wineries visited. Bordeaux has also a very large number of wine bars where you can enjoy a further tasting experience. Ask your guide for great recommendations.

• What type of wine is a Margaux Wine from Bordeaux?

  Margaux wine refers to one of the most famous wines produced in the Bordeaux wine region called the Medoc. At its best, Margaux wine is the most seductive and perfumed of all Bordeaux wines. The grape varieties often found in Margaux wines are a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and to a lesser extent Cabernet Franc. Petit Verdot occasionally makes it into the blend but this being a very delicate grape to grow, the climate of the vintage has its importance.
  
  Margaux wines have a complex bouquet with fruity aromas of raspberry, cherry, and red currant, but also floral, spicy, and roasted aromas. The wines on the palate are powerful and the ageing of the wines can last from 5 to 30 years.

• Is it possible to visit a Barrel making facility on your Wine Tours from Bordeaux?

  No, it is not possible to visit a Barrel making factory near Bordeaux.