Picnic Lunch in the heart of St Emilion – and a glass of bubbly!

St Emilion is a magical place with its myriad of little cobbled streets that lead past its many historical monuments. Les Cordeliers is not as well-known as St Emilion's famous monolithic church (hewn out of the creamy limestone by Benedictine monks over 300 years from 9th to 12th century) - but its been a favorite …

Wine Touring in Bordeaux? Here are some top tips to know

Bordeaux, UNESCO registered since 2007, is undoubtedly the world’s wine capital. It is well worth visiting along with its vineyards which are France’s largest with 60 different appellations and around 8,000 châteaux. Although the region produces a range of wines including dry and sweet white, rosé and even sparkling – Bordeaux is known for its red wines. The best …

Brebis and Bordeaux – the traditional pairing

What's the connection you may ask between the ewe's milk cheese made in the Pyrenees mountains and Bordeaux? (and it goes without saying of course the sweet milk fed lamb speciality of the Medoc region around Pauillac marry superbly with the fruity red rich wines of Bordeaux) Traditionally in the winter when grass is covered …

How to find Good Value in Bordeaux

This text comes from my book which is about to be published 'Bordeaux Sip by Sip - getting to the heart of Bordeaux Wine'. The label is almost all wine enthusiasts have to go on. They look for any clue that might lead them to a good wine, something that they have heard of, or …

Bordeaux’s Wine Châteaux open at the Weekend

Bordeaux’s Châteaux open at the weekends After breakfast on the Sunday quayside market in Bordeaux (fancy oysters and a glass of white wine?) head off to the vineyards for a visit and tasting and some of Bordeaux’s most famous châteaux that are open all hours (but make sure to pre-book by email in advance!). ST …

The New Line of Vegetarian Restaurants in Bordeaux

Thanks to a client Mark Mitchell from Burbank, California who recently spent a few days in Bordeaux to visit its vineyards and dine in its vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants! French for Vegetarian: végétarien French for Vegan: végétalien It wasn't long ago that it was only a juicy 'entrecôte' steak or 'magret de canard' that were …

Experience the ‘French Art of Living’ in a real Wine Châteaux in Bordeaux

With the boom in wine tourism in Bordeaux, a number of famous working wine châteaux have opened their rooms to guests. Here is your chance to experience the French Art of Living, the life of a châtelaine; luxurious but authentic a real taste of the Bourgeois Bordeaux life.   LEFT BANK Haut Médoc: Château du …

Michelin starred Restaurants Bordeaux 2017

Two Michelin stars for restaurants in the city of Bordeaux and two big names Gordon Ramsay at the Grand Hotel's restaurant Le Pressoir d'Argent and Pierre Gagnaire at La Grande Maison. The other two star restaurants are in the vineyards one in the medieval village of Saint Emilion and one overlooking the vines in the …

Where is the City of Wine? Bordeaux!

I finally got there! La Cité du Vin opened on 1st June of this year and I have been itching to check it out being just on my doorstep in Bordeaux. It is easy to get to directly by tram being located at the end of the newly renovated Quai du Bacalan part of Bordeaux's wine …

Barbaresco – a tower and a wine

Barbaresco is known as the baby brother of Barolo. Don't be mislead,  complex, fine and elegant Nebbiolo does not means lesser (as you can tell from the price of the Gaja wines - Barbaresco's most forceful representative, see photos below). The DOC dates from 1966 (DOCG since 1980) and includes the hill-top villages of Barbaresco itself but …