Chateau de la Tour

Did you know that the Bordeaux wine region in France has upwards of 10,000 wine chateaux? A trip through this region is an oenophile’s dream come true. The same could be said for those who, while they enjoy their wine, also like to experience the old world of castles and chateaux  this region offers. And of course,there is also French cuisine to sample and savour!

Red Wine from Bordeaux with chateau

Bordeaux is actually a fair sized city ( about one-quarter million) and capital of the Aquitaine region of France, often called the “Pearl of Aquitaine”. Its older section from the 1700’s is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Being in this wine producing area, it is also the major wine capital of the world contributing approximately 29 billion dollars annually to the economy. This quaint city is situated on the Garonne River, one of three rivers in this area of France. The other two are the Dordogne and the Gironde. The Bordeaux region itself is divided into subregions: Graves,Medoc,Pomerol, and Saint Emilion each with its own special wines for which it is famous.

Dordogne River

Bordeaux also gives its name to the wine produced in this region which covers the whole of Gironde Department. A Bordeaux wine can only originate from this area though many other wine producing areas in the world try to achieve the same wine making methods. Most of the wine produced here is red wine or claret (about 90%) with the remainder whites, roses, and sparkling wines. Whatever the classification, the wine produced here is some of the most prestigious in the world.

A wine-themed river cruise is the perfect way to experience this region of France. Shari Marsh, river cruise expert , can guide you through reserving a marvellous water journey of quaint medieval towns, old cathedrals, wine chateaux, wine tastings, gourmet dinners and all things a la Francais.

Blog post  by D. MacIntyre of Compass Media.
Photos courtesy of pixabay.com and bigstock.com