Medoc Wine Tour Half Day Trip From Bordeaux (shared)

This morning, we will come and pick you up at in front of the 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.

PLEASE BE ON TIME AS WINERY VISITS HAVE BEEN PRE-BOOKED JUST FOR US!
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 A LOCAL EXPERT ON BORDEAUX WINES
Upon arrival at the meeting point, you will be welcomed by your English speaking tour 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/she 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 Saint Emilion wine producing region.

All our vehicles are equipped with an on board P/A system which means that everyone will hear the guide's 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.

ARRIVE IN THE MARGAUX WINE APPELLATION FOR A FIRST VISIT
With Ophorus, experience is the most important factor when it comes to our small group sightseeing tours of the Bordeaux wine region. On your Medoc region wine tasting tour, you’re sure to discover hidden gems and taste prestigious wines in an informal yet expertly guided way. This highly recommended wine tour from Bordeaux will introduce you to the Margaux & Haut Medoc appellations where some of the most famous chateaux are located.

From Bordeaux, reach the Medoc wine producing area by driving on the Castle Road - Route des Chateaux -  that is lined by numerous wineries of the Medoc. Upon arrival at the winery, you will be greeted by a local guide. Begin the tour with a commented visit of the property, its history and a short resumé of who the owners are. Then, your guided tour will be followed by a visit of the technical installations. You will get to know how wine is made on this estate, from the vineyard to the harvest ending with the bottling process. The visit concludes with a commented tasting of the Chateau wines. 

PARTICIPATE IN A SECOND CHATEAU VISIT & TASTING
After the first visit, we will take you to a nearby property for your second winery tour. Typically, our half day tours in the Medoc includes the visit of a prestigious Classified Growth Chateau combined with the visit of a more boutique winery, usually classified as Cru Bourgeois of Cru Artisan. If your first visit was in the Classified Growth Chateau, then this second visit will be in the more boutique winery. Also, the terroir will be different as we usually combine a visit in Margaux followed by another in the Haut Medoc appellation.

If your second visit is in a family owned winery, the visit is usually conducted by the someone from the family or even the owners. This more casual visit is when you can really interact with the locals and find out what it is like to own and manage a vineyard in Bordeaux today. Of course you will also get to tour the property, hear about the winemaking process and tour the different cellars. Yet the goal here is to get as close as possible to the realities of winemaking, far from the 1855 Classification that was limited to just a chosen few.  

SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE WINE
Both the Margaux and Haut Medoc produce wonderfully perfumed french wines. Margaux wines have a distinctive fragrant taste, attributed to the high gravel content of the soil in these vineyards. The soil’s excellent drainage means the plants need to root down further to find moisture, making them particularly strong, and bringing up the flavors of the deeper earth. 

The Haut Medoc appellation is vast, with almost 400 different wine producers operating there, the different wineries produce wine that have a wide variety of textures and flavors. If time permits, your guide will try and organise a stop at Chateau Margaux for photo opportunities.

SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOUR
With Ophorus, rest assured that your Medoc vineyard tour will be everything you imagined. All our drivers are fully accredited guides, meaning you’ll get double the expertise on this great Medoc tour. Every one of our expert guides holds at least the WSET level 2 certification in wines and spirits, and they take great pride in their region and craft. 

You’ll learn how to judge a wine with all the senses, using your eyes, nose, tongue, and memory. These licensed guides are not only wine connoisseurs, they’re also authorities on the local area, ready to share a wealth of information with you. This tour is for adults only, 18 years and older.

Most of our bordeaux wine tours in the medoc area run primarily with an 8-seat minivan. There is free Wi-Fi access on all tour vehicles. All visits and wine tastings are included in the price, so there’s no unexpected additional fees to worry about. Our cancellation policy is one of the best as it is 100% guaranteed up to 24h before your tour, so you can book ahead with peace of mind.

Other major wine regions of the area include st emilion, pomerol, graves & sauternes as well as lesser known but very interesting appellations such as Fronsac, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux or Côte de Bourg. We also organise full day private tours to all these regions as well as walking tours in Bordeaux and Saint Emilion.

Not recommended for: people with medical conditions