Saint-Emilion-Tagestour: Essen und Wein

This was our first time in Bourdeaux and we decided to take this whole day tour to Saint-Emilion on the right bank of Gironde (Dordogne to be precise) on December 3 after our tour to Margaux on the left bank the day before. The tour was organized by Olala and our guide was Valentin. The departure point was a wine bar on Rue Mably, which is conveniently located and provides water replenishment service and a restroom. Everything in our case moved like clockwork. We left on time in a group of eight and rode for about an hour to Saint-Emilion where it was possible to take photos as we wandered through its cobblestone streets while Valentin provided lots of information regarding Bourdeaux, wine, and the town. We also stopped by a pastry shop and tasted the Macarons particular to St-Emilion. Then we headed to Chateau Taillefer for our first tasting. After a tour of the winery where we got briefed about the history of the estate, the terroir, and their process of winemaking, we tasted three wines, all red. In between the tastings we were offered small pieces of cheese. This was also the place where we all had our French picnic style lunch paired with a bottle of red. Then we headed to Chateau Cadet Bon for the second tasting where we were again given information on the same subject and moved to the tasting of four wines, all red and the fourth being extra. Then we were all pleasantly surprised by our visit to the cave in St-Emilion where older vintages are stored underground. This was followed by our visit to Chateau Balestard La Tonnelle, where we tasted three reds. On the way back, Valentin gave tips on favorable places to visit in and around Bourdeaux. These were all to the point since he is from around the area. His driving was very smooth and he was quite knowledgeable on the subject of wine. All in all, this was an excellent tour on a crisp yet beautiful sunny day with nice people to the heart of wine country.

Nicole was an excellent knowledgeable guide, as were the other guides at the vineyards we visited. St Emillion is a lovely place to visit

Rene the guide was v knowledgeable & passionate about the wine business. He is very friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Though the weather was terrible it didn’t affect the trip. The 3 wineyards were v interesting & the people working there were v friendly & passionate about the wine they are producing.