Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Detour:
The Médoc
Northwest of Bordeaux, along the western shore of the Gironde Estuary, lie some of
Bordeaux' most celebrated vineyards. To their west, fine-sand beaches, bordered by
dunes and
étangs
(lagoons), stretch from Pointe de Grave south along the Côte d'Argent
(Silver Coast) to the Bassin d'Arcachon and beyond, with some great surf. On the banks
of the Gironde, the town of
Pauillac
(population 1300) is at the heart of the wine country,
surrounded by the distinguished Haut-Médoc, Margaux and St-Julien appellations. The
Pauillac wine appellation encompasses 18
crus classés,
including the world-renowned
Mouton Rothschild, Latour and Lafite Rothschild. The town's tourist office houses the
Maison du Tourisme et du Vin
( 05 56 59 03 08;
www.pauillac-medoc.com
;
La Verrer-
ie; 9.30am-7pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm & 2-6pm Sun)
, which has information on the
châteaux.
try tours, starting from €190 for one to five people (excluding châteaux fees) for a half-day
trip.
If you're travelling under your own steam, the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux supplies free,
colour-coded maps of production areas, details on châteaux and the addresses of local
maisons du vin
(tourist offices that mainly deal with winery visits).
While you're in the area, don't miss Philippe Raoux'
La Winery
( 05 56 39 04 90;
www.lawinery.fr
, in French; Rond-point des Vendangeurs, D1, Arsac-en-Médoc)
. A first for
France, this vast glass-and-steel wine centre mounts concerts and contemporary-art ex-
hibits alongside various fee-based tastings, including innovative tastings that determine
your
signe œnologique
('wine sign') costing from €16 (booking required), and stocks over
1000 different wines.
St-Émilion
POP 2345
The medieval village of St-Émilion perches above vineyards renowned for produ-
cing full-bodied, deeply coloured red wines and is easily the most alluring of all the
region's wine towns. Named after Émilion, a miracle-working Benedictine monk who
lived in a cave here between 750 and 767, it soon became a stop on pilgrimage
routes, and the village and its vineyards are now Unesco-listed.
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