Let’s admit it – we would all love to stay at a real castle! If you visit Bordeaux in France, you can. There are several castles, or chateaux, to choose from. Many of them are situated at a vineyard, so do let your taste in wine have a say when you decide where to stay.
In all of them, you will enjoy a luxurious environment with beautiful views. Most of them have dining options, and the cooks are well renowned. The French kitchen is world famous, and when tasted at a chateau, it is even more impressive.
Getting to Bordeaux is easy. There is an airport, or you can hop on a train from Paris. The train ride is about 2.5 hours through the beautiful French landscape, and there are trains leaving about every 45 minutes.
Bordeaux – the Capital of Wine
Although no actual wine production takes place within the city limits, Bordeaux is the wine capital of the world. Every year the world’s largest wine fair, Vinexpo, is held in the city.
The city of Bordeaux dates back to about 550 BC, when the celtic tribe Bituriges Vivisci took the region and named the city Burdigala. Through the following centuries, the city has been under the reign of the romans, the franks, carolingians and vikings before being annexed to the kingdom of France in 1453.
Bordeaux is a UNESCO world heritage, on the account of “an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble”. In Bordeaux, you can find 362 historic monuments, which is only topped by Paris in all of France.
Wines in the Region
In the Bordeaux region, both red and white wines are produced. The red Bordeaux wines are known as claret.
In Bordeaux, both everyday table wine and top-notch premier cru wines are made. The annually produced volume is 960 million bottles, from 57 appellations and 10 000 wine-producing chateaux.
The area has five red premier cru wines, four from Medoc and one from Grave. One of the sub-regions of Grave is Sauternes, where the world-famous white, sweet wine is made.