Trip Report: Bordeaux (2025)
A view of expansive vineyards leading to a chateau and an old church in the distance in Bordeaux, France.
This is Part 2 of my France Trip Report Series: Bordeaux. Here are links to the other parts of this series:
Travel to Bordeaux
Train travel in France was extremely convenient and a great way to get around. We took the high speed train from Paris to Bordeaux, where picked up our rental car at the train station. We then drove to the Château Belloy “bed and breakfast” where we would be staying for the next five nights. We were greeted by our host, Franck, the fifth generation owner of his family’s over 100-year-old winery Château Belloy. The home we stayed in was actually Franck’s grandparents’ home that he has since converted into a B&B to host visitors to the area.
Franck was the most incredible host. He had arranged a very thoughtful itinerary for us and each day would tell us what we would be doing the next day. We visited a number of wineries in Bordeaux, receiving private tours of their vineyards and operations and a tasting where we really got into the details of each wine with our guide. Bordeaux comprises approximately 7,000 wineries. The region is divided into several key “appellations,” including Médoc, Saint-Émilion, and Fronsac, each known for its unique blend of grape varieties and terroir.
One of the afternoons, Franck showed us around Château Belloy. I won’t spoil all of the surprises because I hope you have the opportunity to experience this yourself, but it was an awesome experience learning from Franck about the wine-making experience, some of the things he’s been experimenting with, and getting to taste right out of the barrel to better understand the differences between the different barrel types and the impact that has on the overall flavor profile.
One of the surprise highlights of the trip was visiting the Cité du Vin museum, which was one of the coolest and most interactive museums we’ve visited. When you enter the museum you receive a smartphone-like device attached to a headset that you can then tap at various exhibits to start the video and audio in your language of choice. The “World of Wine” exhibit showcased vineyards from all over the world and explained how the unique “terroir” (a French term for the various environmental factors such as climate, soil, and terrain) influence the winemaking process in that region and impact the wine's flavor and character. We also learned about the history of wine. Once we finished exploring the exhibits, we then went to the top of the museum, which featured a viewing deck overlooking the city where we were treated to a glass of wine from an assortment from all over the world.
Each day we came back to the house and would enjoy some wine with Franck before dinner. Franck had arranged for a private chef to prepare our dinners each night, which was a real treat. The food was seriously incredible. Caitlin had made a comment earlier in the trip about wanting to travel like Anthony Bordain, with a local host and eating home cooked meals. This was pretty close to that type of experience and we absolutely loved it.
Sadly our time in Bordeaux had to come to an end and our journey was to continue.
Trip Notes
Hotels: La Villa Belloy
Restaurants of Note: We mostly had dinner at the villa, but we had a fantastic lunches at Les Halles Bacalan (a food court across from the Cité du Vin Museum), La Terrace Rouge, and La Salamander.
Activities: Cité du Vin Museum, Various Winery Tours (Château Belloy, Château Balestard La Tonnelle, Château Pichon Baron, Château Prieuré-Lichine), Walks Around Saint-Emilion and Downtown Bordeaux
Travel Tips / Learnings:
Time of Year: We felt like late-March / early-April was such a good time to visit. The temperatures were nice and cool, it was not very crowded, and the vines were just starting to bud. Thanks to the slower time of year, our guides at the various wineries spent so much time with us, which was awesome.
Where to Stay: Downtown Bordeaux is a big city and an experience in and of itself (lots of great shopping and a beautiful streets closed to cars and full of shops that you can walk around, beautiful parks, etc.), but I would not stay at a hotel downtown if you’re in Bordeaux to experience the wine culture. There’s a certain romance to staying out in the countryside. While I’m sure there are tons of options, we really enjoyed staying at La Villa Belloy and would highly recommend it!