Wine and dine in Bordeaux
With its vine-pleated plains and ochre villages, the Bordeaux region is a glorious place to toast the arrival of summer in classic French fashion – with copious wine. The area is home to more than 5,000 wine-producing châteaux, and the Château Cordeillan-Bages is an especially appealing base from which to explore them. Located just northwest of Bordeaux in Pauillac, the heartland of the celebrated Médoc region, this hotel, winery and Michelin-starred restaurant in one occupies a 17th-century mansion set amidst vines and gardens thick with the scent of pine trees and verbena. At the two-starred restaurant, guests can get a taster of the fruits of the vineyard, as well as more than 1,500 other fine wines– complemented by carefully paired regional produce. For a more in-depth experience of Bordeaux’ gastronomy, the hotel offers fourcourse cookery lessons with chef Jean-Luc Rocha, wine classes and tastings led by sommeliers, and tours to some of the region’s finest châteaux and vineyards. Cycling is the most leisurely way to drink in the wine country, and the château has bikes for guests’ use. Don’t miss Unesco-listed St-Émilion, whose medieval town and venerable vines form France’s oldest wine region.
9 St-Émilion is home to Romanesque churches and narrow cobbled streets