Bordeaux Wine Trails

Cycling next to and between the vineyards, dotted with old stone houses/cellars and chateaus was an incredible way to experience the Saint Emilion region of Bordeaux. The e-bikes were very comfortable (somehow not clunky or too heavy) and quite easy to manage. Nice touch that helmets were provided (even though it was not clear on the website). The experience took ~8.5 hours and we only had 2 tastings. If you are going to Bordeaux principally to taste wine, this tour is not for you. While the wines were quite good (both grand cru clasee chateaus), only tasting 4 bottles from each vineyard seemed like a missed opportunity. We were hoping to taste at least 3, possibly 4, given the full day tour. The lunch was mediocre, featuring a very simple platter of cured meats, cheeses (nothing special, more grocery store quality than specialty fromagerie), and a handful of vegetables. Dessert was a canale and a chocolate soufflé (fruit for the gluten-free person in our group). After lunch we biked to the medieval city of St. Emilion. Because we had such glorious weather (no clouds, 75°f) and the leaves were starting to turn their fall colors, this 30-minute ride was the absolute highlight of the day. However, once we arrived in the medieval town, we were on our own for 90-minutes, which was not enough time to visit the monolithic church or the underground wine cloisters. I would recommend using this time for a DIY wine tasting featuring other chateaus in the region. I would also recommend reading up on the town (wikipedia or a tourism page will suffice) to give you some bearings. TL;DR. Total time biking was maybe 60, at most 70 minutes. The riding was easy and landscape absolutely stunning. Given te cost, there were too few wine tastings and lunch was underwhelming.

What a fantastic introduction to Bordeaux wine culture. Small group of 7 plus Clement our driver guide headed first to St Emilion for a very interesting and informative visit to a Grand Cru vineyard and winery including a tasting of 3 beautiful wines. Then on to the village of St Emilion where Clement gave us some history and we had some free time to wander around the village. Finally to Pomerol for another visit and tastings to round out the afternoon. Felt like we packed a lot into the tour at an easy pace. Everyone was encouraged to ask questions during the visits and it was a really enjoyable experience. Highly recommended. Lovely weather on 8th October helped too.

I did research this tour and expected the experience to be a good one...I wasn't disappointed. During the drive from Bordeaux to St Emilion, our guide, Crystal, explained that we would be visiting two chateaux (wineries) and having a semi-guided tour of St Emilion with free time to explore this delightful village. She also covered the history of the area, grape varieties, soil variations, etc and happily answered any of our questions. The wine tasting and mixed platter was much enjoyed by the 8 of us. A special thanks to Crystal for making this a wonderful tour,; my appreciation of wine growing/making has increased greatly. If you are visiting Bordeaux, this is a must-do tour.

Our guide Ben was brilliant. Very knowledgable and helpful. The wine tasting was great. St Emillion was beautiful. Definitely recommend.

Loved the passion full narrations of the young tour guid Alex. His choices of the wineries were superb. Thanks to everyone for the fun and knowledge. Highly recommend toilette arrangement in the Tourism office because public toilets were not working.

Perfect weather, organized and knowledgeable guides, good balance between biking and wine tasting. Difficult to get information from co once booked. After two emails were not responded to over two weeks I had a French speaker call with success.