Medoc Wine Tour Full Day Trip From Bordeaux (shared)


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8 hours
Bordeaux

Bordeaux Tourism Office. The Bordeaux tourist office is located at 12 cours du 30 Juillet, 33000 BORDEAUX, in the heart of the city, facing the CIVB Bordeaux wine syndicat building. The tourism office is located close to all the hotels located in the city center, usually a maximum 10 minutes walking distance.

If your hotel is located slightly on the outskirts of the historical center (train station, Radisson Blu, Seeko'o, Hotel Burdigala, Hilton Garden Inn), then the ideal solution is to take the Tram and stop at Quinconces tram station. This stop is located just next to the Bordeaux tourism office.

Please be on time as winery visits are pre-booked!
For all our shared day trips from Bordeaux, we ask our clients to be present 10 minutes before departure time. It is important to be on time as Bordeaux wine tours imply strict timing as all the wineries visited have been pre-booked especially for our clients. 

Due to this, all our tours must leave on time to meet this schedule. In Bordeaux, unlike many other wine destinations, it is not possible to just show up at a winery for a tour, especially for the wineries that are highly demanded.

If you think that you might be late, please contact us rapidly by sms, phone or email so that we can advise the driver/guide to wait. However, waiting time is limited to 10 minutes maximum. If you are not present at the time of departure, your reservation will be considered as a no show and will not be refunded!

Meet your English speaking driver/guide - who is an Expert in Bordeaux Wines
Upon arrival at the meeting point, you will be welcomed by your English speaking guide who will be waiting with a sign bearing the name of the tour and with the Ophorus logo on it. Also, all our guides have a nominative badge so that it will be easy for you to recognize them.

Once you have met your guide, he will go over the program and itinerary of the day with you. Then, board your comfortable, air conditioned Mercedes minivan and begin to make your way to the famous wine producing region of the Medoc.

All our vehicles are equipped with an on board P/A system which means that everyone will hear the guides commentary during driving time, even if you are seated in the back of the van! Also, we have bottled water at your disposal and you can use our free wifi as you travel from one destination to another.

Morning - Drive along the Chateau Road, visit a first Winery
On this highly recommended full day small group tour in the Medoc, you'll discover one of France's most admired wine-growing regions. Beginners and seasoned wine connoisseurs alike will find plenty to love on this guided wine tasting tour of Medoc led by local expert wine guides. Drawing on local knowledge and a real love of wine, our tour guides will fill you in on this unique and beautiful region, and you'll discover what make Medoc wines so special. 

Your first stop will be at a winery located along the Castle Road. This small winding road, also known as the D2, is lined with some of the most prestigious wineries of the Medoc including Chateau Palmer, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour and many others. It crosses through the different appellations that make up the Medoc such as Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac and Saint Estephe. 

Upon arrival at the winery, start your tour with a visit of the property. Then, you will be taken to the technical installations so that you may understand the whole wine making process. After the visit, it will be time to experience your first commented wine tasting session. This will be a chance to gain an excellent understanding of the wines produced here, whether as an introduction to wines or to expand on your existing knowledge.. 

Unlike other wine tasting sessions that you might have followed around the world, the tastings in Bordeaux are very refined. The amount of wine poured is not what many would expect but here it is all about elegance, fruit, quality, aromas and flavors rather than quantity. If you want to further your wine experience, it is always possible to buy some bottles at the winery.

Reach the town of Pauillac for lunch
After your first visit, your drive will continue and if time permits your driver/guide will probably stop along the way for great photo opportunities. The number of Wine Estates that can be seen along the famous wine route is also a perfect element of commentary for your guide who will explain the historic facts behind the building of some many estates in this area. 

As you arrive in Pauillac, it will be time for lunch on your own. Your guide will point out the different options but please note that due to strict timing for the winery visits, we suggest that you opt for a light lunch that will not be time consuming.

Afternoon - Visit & Wine Tasting sessions in 2 Wineries
After lunch, it will be time to slowly make our way back towards Bordeaux. Along the way, we will stop in two different carefully selected wineries so that your full day wine tour from Bordeaux to the Medoc is complete. On a typical day, we will include different appellations. This is an important aspect of the tour as the wines in France are based on the importance of the terroir (a combination of the soil, the climate and the expertise of the winemaker). 

Another interesting aspect that can be approached during your winery visits is the is the way Bordeaux wines are traded. There are 300 trading houses (or maisons de négoce) which, for several centuries, have been a major financial and economic force known by the name of “Place de Bordeaux".  

Wine trading began in Bordeaux around the 11th century with the development of business between Bordeaux and England. At the time, practically all of the wines were bought in bulk at the estate then aged in the cellars owned by the négociants who were then in charge of selling them.  

Today, their principal role is selling selected crus and producing wine: négociants blend, age and sell wines under their own brand names, providing consumers with a guarantee of know-how, and retailers with a guarantee of regular supply.

After the visit and wine tasting session in the two wineries of the afternoon, it will be time to return to Bordeaux and that will be the end of our services.

What does Medoc mean?
Historically, the word comes from latin: Meduli Litus that could mean 'in between seas' or middle of the land. Another theory is that it bears its name from the Medulles tribe that was present in the area during the Iron Age.

Today, Medoc is best known as a unique wine-growing region part of the Bordeaux wine region. Sitting on the Left Bank of the Gironde river estuary, it's close to the Atlantic coast and in proximity to sprawling forests. The geographic diversity of this fascinating wine region gives the final products a distinct character. 

There are 8 regional or communal appellations that make up the Medoc wine region, the most famous being Margaux, Saint Julien, Pauillac and Saint Estephe. However, in the past years winemakers located on the appellations of Moulis, Listrac and Haut Médoc have made great progress in the quality of the wines produced.

Often blending cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot and petit verdot grapes, the wines are in general intense, complex, structured, robust and round. The main aromas that can be found in Medoc wines are liquorice, red and black small berry fruit, and roasted with ageing. The ageing of these wine range from 5 to 50 years.

Our other wine tours in Bordeaux:
We also organize other wine tours from Bordeaux to the major wine producing areas such as Cote de  Bourg, Fronsac, Sauternes, Saint Emilion and Graves.