Bordeaux and Saint-Émillion, France
Average Price: $$$$
October 2010
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Founded around 300 BC as a port city by the Bituriges Vivisci a Celtic or ‘Gaul’ tribe of Aquitanian origin. The original name given to the city was called Burdigala. It was built next to the Garonne River, and is major economic and cultural center, having an important industrial center for the building of airplanes, other machines, and the production of chemicals. Its principal source of wealth is, of course, the wine trade, taking in nearly14.5 billion euros per year. This trading port city lies 97 km (60 miles) from the Bay of Biscay opening into the Atlantic Ocean. The population as of 2012 was nearly 300,000 with over one million if you include the surrounding metropolitan area, making it the sixth largest population area in all of France. Its nickname is the ‘pearl of Aquitaine’ and outside of Paris has the highest number of preserved historical buildings in France. Victor Hugo, an author who is best known for writing Les Misérables found the town so beautiful he once said: "Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux”.
Expanded map with Appellations:
This article is on my experience and tastings of the Châteaux in both Bordeaux and Saint-Émillion, the things I saw, and the wonderful restaurants I ate at. But first, to understand this region it is best to give you a brief history of the culture and the wine before.
A Brief History of Bordeaux:
Bordeaux is one of the more important centers of French political history. During the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), World War I (1914), and in World War II (June 1940), the city was the seat of the French government. Nazi troops occupied Bordeaux in the autumn of 1940, installing a Socialist government and the city was liberated by French partisans in August 1944 two months after D-Day.
Earlier I mentioned that Bordeaux was called the ‘pearl of Aquitaine’ and outside of Paris has the highest number of preserved historical buildings in all of France. These historical items include architectural monuments like the Roman amphitheater (third century AD); the Romanesque-Gothic Church of St. Seurin (11th—13th century), and the Church of Ste. Croix (12th-13th century)
You can also see the Cathedral of St. Andre (mid-12th century to early 13th); the Gothic church of St. Michel (14th-16th century); and the fortress gates of Porte Cailhau built in1494.
The fan-shaped network of streets leads to the Place de la Bourse that was built in the Middle Ages and was replaced in the 18th century by a regular network of streets and squares including the Esplanade des Quinconces, the largest square in Europe. As a result of the construction projects, they determined Bordeaux’s present-day appearance, with its esplanades and classical buildings, including the Grand Theatre (1773–80), town halls, as well as other numerous mansions.
The wines of Bordeaux:
The Roman Empire was expanding, conquering new territory, and as they came, they brought with them the comforts of home as most armies do. One of the main comforts was wine, so as they entered Gaul, they brought the clippings of grape vines with them, and at some point in the first century, the first vines around Bordeaux were planted. Fast forward one thousand years to the 12th century when Henry Plantagenet of England married Eleanor of Aquitaine, introducing Bordeaux wine to the United Kingdom. The English also grow wine as the Romans brought the grapes there as well, but their wine is not as recognizable as French, German, Spanish, or Italian old world varietals.
The Bordeaux Wine Region has about 116,000 hectares (285,000 acres) of vineyards, a total of 57 appellations (with eight AOCs), 10,000 wine-producing Châteaux, and 13,000 grape growers. Their annual production of wine is approximately 900 million bottles, from large quantities of everyday table wine (Vin de Table) to some of the most expensive wines in the world. Almost all of Bordeaux’s great wine estates are near the Gironde River or one of its tributaries. The funny thing is that a cheap Bordeaux wine can be grown right next to the most expensive ones, and taste just as good if not better in the rare cases. The greatest, most age-worthy red Bordeaux wines start at $30 a bottle retail, and can go up to about $800 a bottle and more for rare wines such as the Château Pétrus. Many fine Bordeaux reds are available in the $18 to $30 range. These wines are perfect for drinking when they’re anywhere from five to ten years old. Lots of red Bordeaux sell for $8 to $18 per bottle and are made to be enjoyed when they’re released or up to five or six years of age.
In the mid-19th century, the reign of Bordeaux nearly came to an end with the Great French Wine Blight which started around 1863 destroying over 40% of French Vineyards. The blight is caused by insects better known as Phylloxera. The only thing that saved the crop from complete destruction was to graft (join) the vines with resistant American vine rootstock. Don’t mention this to any Frenchman today unless you want to be injured or killed, but you can say that, “French wine is so good because it comes from America!!”
Both red and white wines are made in Bordeaux. Red Bordeaux is called claret in the United Kingdom. Their red wines makeup 75-80% of total wine production, and are generally made from a blend of grapes, which include at least two but up to all six of the following: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère. Rosé is also produced in some areas of the Bordeaux. When at least five of these grapes are blended together it is called a Heritage wine. When the grapes are blended together outside of the Bordeaux wine region in Napa Valley, California for example, it would be called a Meritage. Just like a bubbly wine is called Champaign, and outside of this region, it is called a sparkling wine. Typical top-quality Châteaux blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot.
White wine grown in Bordeaux are made from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle grapes. Sauternes is a sub-region of Graves known for it's intensely sweet, white, dessert wines such as Château d’Yquem. Other permitted grape varieties are Sauvignon Gris, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Merlot Blanc, Ondenc, and Mauzac.
Bordeaux has several wine regions inside the range of the 57 appellations differing widely in size and sometimes overlapping, which lie within the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole area of the Gironde department of Aquitaine. The Bordeaux region is naturally divided by the Gironde River Estuary (Garonne, Dordogne, and Gironde Rivers) into a Left Bank and the Right Bank. The Left Bank of the Gironde and Garonne rivers includes the Médoc, Graves, Pomerol, Sauternes, and Barsac. On the Right Bank of Dordogne, you have areas which include Saint Émillion, Pomerol, Bourg, Blaye and the Libournais. The Left Bank is primarily known for its Cabernet Sauvignon dominant grapes, while the Right Bank is known for its dominant Merlot.
The Regions on both banks also include sub-regions inside of them which are where you can find a breakdown of the most expensive wines, to some of the cheapest. For example in the Médoc which is about an hour drive north of the city of Bordeaux, you will find the higher priced wines in sub-regions such as Saint Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, and Margaux, with the cheaper sub-region wines in Moulis-en-Médoc, Listrac, and Haut-Médoc. In the seventeenth century, Dutch traders drained the swampy ground of the Médoc in order that it could be planted with vines, and this gradually surpassed Graves as the most prestigious region of Bordeaux.
On the Right Bank of the Dordogne, the Saint Émillion Region has more inexpensive sub-regions such as Côtes de Castillon, Lussac-St-Émilion, Puisseguin, and St-Georges-St-Émilio. Back to the left bank upstream from the city of Bordeaux you have the Graves and the sweeter wine producing region of Sauternes.
Napoleon III took the wine regions and classifications a step further or to a whole new level to be precise with the creation of the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. Exposition Universelle de Paris, which is sort of like a modern day’s Worlds Fair, was to be held in 1855, and Napoleon III requested a classification system for Bordeaux wines, a best of the best sort of list to be on display for the world to see and taste. According to Rack Wine, the Gironde Chamber of Commerce requested that a classification system is devised to accompany their display of the fine wines of Bordeaux. The Bordeaux Wine Brokers' Union went to work on the project and came up with what we now refer to as the Classification of 1855. They came up with a five-class ranking system of the red wines from the Médoc region, with the exception of Château Haut-Brion from Graves, which had to be included due to the influence, money, and power the family had at the time. The white wines of Sauternes and Barsac were also included in a two-class ranking. Within each category, the chateaux were ranked in order of quality and selling price. The classification has only undergone one significant change in the last 150 years. By decree, on June 21, 1973, Château Mouton-Rothschild was promoted from a deuxieme cru to a premier cru.
To sum up this move by Napoleon III, classifying the wines of Bordeaux took good quality cheap wines and made them expensive just because they could. I compare it to the horrible movie Sideways which had great actors like Paul Giamatti, but thanks to that movie the price of California and Oregon Pinot Noir’s skyrocketed, while Merlot prices massively dropped. The Bordeaux Cru Classé of 1855 created a 5-tier selection of the 60 top Chateaus. Today wines labeled with "Grand Cru Classé" from Bordeaux can cost you anywhere from $50-$1,800 per bottle. Scroll down to the bottom of the article to see the full classification breakdown list.
My Bordeaux Trip:
I arrived in Paris via the Euro rail from London, but did not stay in the city, only rented a car and began my drive south. Upon the conclusion of my road trip, I would end up back in Paris to spend a few days. The first part of the trip was a tour of Châteaux and Castles in Orléans, a night at a hotel near the Château de Chambord, a quick stop in Blois to see the Château Royal de Blois, and finally to Chenonceaux to tour the Château de Chenonceau. The following day was going to be a long drive down to Bordeaux with a few more Châteaux stops along the way.
I decided to take the A10 south through Tours, Poitiers, and Angoulême because I wanted a quick stop to see Cognac. What I should have done was bypass those cities, taking the A20 south instead, which would have given me the chance to see the city Oradour-Sur-Glane, a place that has been on my bucket list for many years, but didn’t. I could still easily visited Cognac afterward by getting on the N141 (E603) then on the A10 south to Bordeaux, but I will return to France one day, and see Oradour-Sur-Glane at that time, along with other places I missed.
As soon as crossed the Garonne River over the Pont d’Aquitaine bridge and entered Bordeaux my jaw dropped. The historical buildings, statues, and vibrancy of this city were beyond what I could describe in words. This was indeed the ‘pearl of Aquitaine’. Seeing this wonderful city, I wished that I had reserved a hotel in the center of the city, but instead I wanted to save money and reserved the Appart'hôtel Victoria Garden. The parking garage had homeless people sleeping in it, the rooms were ugly and dirty. I nearly checked out, and I should have. But since all I would be doing is sleeping, I stayed. The first night I enjoyed a quick meal on the patio of the El Bodegon Brasserie a few blocks away on the Place de la Victoire, a very vibrant party area of the city. Bordeaux has a large University, so there were college kids everywhere.
The following morning I was off to the Bordeaux Tourism office for day one of two wine tours which I had purchased over a month in advance, as the tours sell out fast. This first day was a Left Bank Tour of the Médoc, and the tour the following day would be the Right Bank of Saint-Émillion which included historical sights of that city and Bordeaux with lunch and a wine tasting at a Châteaux.
On the bus, we had a good hour drive outside the city, where our tour guide went into details about the Bordeaux wine region. Most of the people on the bus were English, American, and Chinese. Our first stop was the Château Lachesnaye near the town of Cussac-Fort-Médoc, the home of Lachesnaye castle, owned by the Bouteiller Family Estate since the 1960’s, who’s leading wine estate is called Château Lanessan.
The AOC Haut Médoc, where Château Lachesnaye is located, kisses the most prestigious Médoc appellations (Pauillac, Margaux, St Estèphe, St Julian, Listrac, and Moulis). The Lachesnaye Castle was built in the English style in the nineteenth century. Château Lachesnaye produces a medium-bodied, smooth and dry Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot blend. You can read more about my review of Château Lachesnaye by clicking this link.
The second stop on our trip was in the same area of property as Château Lachesnaye also owned by the Bouteiller Family Estate called Château Lanessan, A Cru Bourgeois Supérieur producing Château.
The vineyard area extends to 40 hectares (99 acres), with a grape variety distribution of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. An average of 220,000 bottles of the Grand Vin is produced per year.
After spending a good amount of time touring the grounds and enjoying some very good wines, the tour moved to the commune of Margaux in the city of Cantenac, closer to Bordeaux for a tasting at Château Prieuré-Lichine, which was listed as one of the sixty on the 1855 Classification under the Quatrieme Cru (Fourth Growth) of the five tiers.
The Margaux appellation is, geographically speaking, the largest in the Médoc. It covers the communes (parishes) of Margaux, Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac, and Labarde, with specific plots of land permitted and prohibited within each of these.
We were escorted to the tasting room, where we enjoyed one of the better years on record for Bordeaux in the past twenty-five, the 2005 vintage of their Margaux and Haut-Médoc wines.
From there we were given a tour of the Château property, where everyone was busy with the harvesting of the grapes for the 2010 year, which ended up being a better year. Not as good as 2005, but not bad. You can read more about my review of Château Prieuré-Lichine by clicking this link.
The tour bus returned us to the city center, where I took a cab back to the hotel to change into some nicer clothes, as I had reservations for a nice restaurant. I first read about this Michelin restaurant a few months before while researching places to eat in Bordeaux, and the New York Times had just done a big write up on it, giving it great praise. The restaurant was located near the Place de la Bourse on the corner of Rue Saint-Rémi and next to the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) de Bordeaux called Le Gabriel.
The Executive Chef was François, and his Michelin Star was awarded a few months before dining with him, hence the write-up in the New York Times. From my experience that evening I can say that he and the staff at Le Gabriel would make Escoffier proud.
- Le menu affaire 37€ (The Exécutive Menu)
- Le menu du marché 55€ (The Market Menu)
- Le menu dégustation 80€ (The tasting menu)
- Le menu des enfants 25€ (Child menu)
Day two began early as the first, with the main concentration being a historical tour of both Bordeaux and Saint-Émillion, followed by lunch and a tasting at a Château. The tour began by driving around to see some of the unique historical areas of Bordeaux such as the Quartier St-Michel, Place de la Bourse (royal palace), and the clock tower of Grosse Cloche de Bordeaux.
From there we crossed the Garonne River on a bridge called the Pont de Pierre. Named in honor of Napoléon (1769-1821), this stone 17-arch bridge was built in 1817, and each arch represents a letter in Napoléon Bonaparte name.
Saint-Émillion is located 35 km (22 mi) northeast of Bordeaux. The city of Saint-Émilion is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was named after the monk Émilion, a traveling confessor, who settled there in the 8th century. A beautiful village with wonderful sights to see from the Clocher de l'Eglise Monolithe, the La Tour du Chateau du Roy, and the Les Cordeliers.
After several pictures from the top of the hill, you can walk down an old cobblestone path with shops on both sides to the center of the town, but warning, it is not for people that have trouble with long-distance walking or keeping your balance.
From there the bus took us to the Château Toinet Fombrauge which is the largest Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Émillion owned by Bernard Magrez. The grape varieties used on his Grand Cru’s are typically 89% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. We enjoyed a nice lunch and tasting of several of his white and red wines.
The bus returned to Bordeaux and drove around a little more to see the Roman ruins in the city as well as a few other sights before concluding the tour. That night I walked back up to the Place de la Victoire and had a few small bites before calling it a day. It was a wonderful two days in Bordeaux. For my next visit, more wine tours are in order, plus exploring more of the city, and the surrounding area. That morning the traveling began again, this time on the way to Avignon to see the famous Palais des Papes, a quick drive through the Châteauneuf-du-Pape with a tasting at Château Mont-Redon, before stopping in Nice for a few days. This tour would then take me to Dijon to taste the Bourgogne before finishing back in Paris where I started.
How to read a Bordeaux Wine Label:
The Wine Folly and The Wine Cellar Insider brakes it down better than most informational sights do. To start with, French wine labeling laws which apply to Bordeaux wine offer more information to the buyer than you usually find on American wine bottles. Labeling laws in America and in other new world wine regions are more interested in providing consumers with the names of the grapes used in the wine, instead of details about where it came from. For example, while in America, it is common to inform consumers that a wine was made from Cabernet Sauvignon. In Bordeaux, telling you that the wine was from Pauillac is more important, and that being from Pauillac the character of this wine comes from a blend dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon. In America and in other new world countries, the concept of a place of origin is in a state of evolution. Today, the AVA or American Viticultural Area continues gaining strength with consumers and producers.
Labeling laws vary to a degree in Bordeaux, depending on the specific rules and regulations in each appellation and level of classification. For example, you will discover that the better the wine, or the higher the level of classification for the wine, more specific detail on the wine and the land it was grown in, is provided. On the other hand, the lower the quality or classification of wine will provide you with fewer details printed on the wine label. The lowest class of wine from France does not even provide you with the vintage, or origin of the vineyard, all you get is the producer name and the country of origin (Sort of like Beringer or Yellowtail).
Here are some basics starting with the difference between Appellation Bordeaux-Superieur Controllée and an Appellation Bordeaux Controllée?
Bordeaux-Superieur AOP wines have a minimum of 10.5% ABV (versus 10%) and must be aged for a minimum of 12 months prior to release. The difference, although technically small, is a symbol of quality for many wines with the Bordeaux-Superieur AOP label. Many producers who classify their wines as Appellation Bordeaux-Superieur Controllée age their wines much longer than the minimum.
They also say to look for a slightly higher ABV in cheap Bordeaux red wines. Unless there is something particular about the wine (ie. it's a rose or a unique style of red Bordeaux), then a slightly higher alcohol level usually indicates higher quality grapes. 12.5% - 13.9% ABV is usually a good place to start.
"Mis En Bouteille au Château”
The literal translation is "Put in Bottle at Winery." Which means that the Producer listed on the label is the one who made the wine. This handy little statement helps screen out poor quality negotiant-blended supermarket swill. Look for "Mis En Bouteille au Château" or "Mis En Bouteille a la Propriety”
Here are some definitions of items you will find on French wine bottles:
Annee – Year or vintage.
Appellation – AOC defined area where the grapes were grown in.
Blanc – White Wine.
Blanc-Sec – White Wine
Centenaire – Produced from grapes grown on vines more than 100 years of age.
Chateau – Estate where the wine was produced.
Cooperative – Group or syndicate of local growers that pool or mix their grapes.
Cremant – Sparkling wine made in Bordeaux.
Cru – A wine, chateau or vineyard that has been classified.
Cru Bourgeois – Level of classification that is in many, but not all cases, below the 1855 classification of the Médoc.
Cru Classe – Vineyard that has been classified.
Date – The date on the label signifies year the grapes were harvested.
Depose – A sign of a French trademark.
Deuxiemes Crus – Second Growth classification level used only for sweet white Sauternes.
Domaine – Similar to a chateau, a place where the wine was made.
Grand Cru – A higher level of classification. The term Grand Cru takes on different meanings, depending on if the wine is from the Médoc Saint-Émillion. If the wine is from the Médoc, it means the wine was classified in 1855. If the wine is from Saint-Émillion, it means the grapes came from vineyards anywhere in the large, Grand Cru classified area of the region.
Grand Cru Classe – The first level of classification for Saint-Émillion.
Grand Cru Classe en 1855 – Specific to Bordeaux showing the chateau was classified in the 1855 Medoc Classification.
Grand Vin – The best wine from a producer.
Millesime – The vintage the grapes were harvested in.
Mis en Bouteille – The wine was bottled at the chateau or domain.
Negociant – The wine was bottled by the negotiant and was probably produced from purchased grapes or wine.
Premier Cru – A wine of First Growth status from the 1855 Classification.
Premier Cru Classe A – This applies only to Saint-Émillion and only 4 chateaux have earned that ranking. It is the equivalent to First Growth chateaux in the Left Bank.
Premier Cru Classe B – This applies only to Saint-Émillion. Very few chateaux have this ranking. While it means the First Growth of Saint-Émillion, it is about the same as Second Growth chateaux in the Left Bank.
Premiers Crus – First Growth classification level used only for sweet white Bordeaux wine of Sauternes.
Premier Grand Cru Classe – A wine of First Growth status from the 1855 Classification.
Premier Cru Superieur – a Unique level of classification reserved solely for Chateau d’Yquem.
Pruduit de France – The wine is a product of France.
Proprietaire – Owner of the chateau or vineyard.
Rouge – Red wine.
Vendange – Harvest.
Vieilles Vignes – Old Vines
Vigneron – The owner, grape grower or vineyard manager.
Vignoble Vineyard
Vin – Wine.
Year – The year on the label signifies year the grapes were grown and harvested.
Here is the official 1855 Classification breakdown of the Médoc:
First Growths (Premiers Crus) Commune
Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Latour (Pauillac)
Chateau Haut-Brion Pessac ( Graves)
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac)
Second Growths (Deuxiemes Crus) Commune
Chateau Rauson-Seglo (Margaux)
Chateau Rauzan-Gassies (Margaux)
Chateau Leoville-Las Cases (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Leoville-Poyferre (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Leoville-Barton (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Durfort-Vivens (Margaux)
Chateau Gruaud-Larose (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Lascombes (Margaux)
Chateau Brane-Cantenac Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau Pichon-Longueville-Baron (Pauillac)
Chateau Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande (Pauillac)
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Cos d'Estournel (Saint-Estèphe)
Chateau Montrose (Saint-Estèphe)
Third Growths (Troisiemes Crus) Commune
Chateau Kirwan Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau d'Issan Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau Lagrange (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Langoa-Barton (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Giscours Labarde (Margaux)
Chateau Malescot Saint-Exupery (Margaux)
Chateau Boyd-Cantenac Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau Cantenac-Brown Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau Palmer Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau La Lagune Ludon (Haut-Médoc)
Chateau Desmirail (Margaux)
Chateau Calon-Segur (Saint-Estèphe)
Chateau Ferriere (Margaux)
Chateau Marquis d'Alesme-Becker (Margaux)
Fourth Growths (Quatriemes Crus) Commune
Chateau Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Talbot (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Branaire-Ducru (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Duhart-Milon-Rothschild (Pauillac)
Chateau Pouget Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau La Tour-Carnet Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc)
Chateau Lafon-Rochet (Saint-Estèphe)
Chateau Beychevelle (Saint-Julien)
Chateau Prieuré-Lichine Cantenac (Margaux)
Chateau Marquis-de-Terme (Margaux)
Fifth Growths (Cinquiemes Crus) Commune
Chateau Pontet-Canet (Pauillac)
Chateau Batailley (Pauillac)
Chateau Haut-Batailley (Pauillac)
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac)
Chateau Grand-Puy-Ducasse (Pauillac)
Chateau Lynch-Bages (Pauillac)
Chateau Lynch-Moussas (Pauillac)
Chateau Dauzac Labarde (Margaux)
Chateau Mouton-Baronne-Philippe (Pauillac)
Chateau du Tertre Arsac (Margaux)
Chateau Haut-Bages-Liberal (Pauillac)
Chateau Pedesclaux (Pauillac)
Chateau Belgrave Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc)
Chateau de Camensac Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc)
Chateau Cos-Labory (Saint-Estèphe)
Chateau Clerc-Milon (Pauillac)
Chateau Croizet-Bages (Pauillac)
Chateau Cantemerle Macau (Haut-Médoc)
Good Vintage Years in Bordeaux:
2010, 2009, 2008, 2005, 2003, 2000
Bad (or not so good) Vintage Years in Bordeaux:
2012, 2007, 2002, 1997, 1994
Bordeaux, France:
12 Cours du 30 Juillet,
33000 Bordeaux, France
GPS Coordinates:
44.843652 Latitude
-0.574331 Longitude
Contact Information:
Office de Tourisme de Bordeaux:
|
+33 5 56 00 66 00 |
Website: | Office de Tourisme |
hours: Central European Time (GMT +1) |
9:30AM–6:30PM |
Email contact: | |
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Sijnn Wines Sister winery to De Trafford near Stellenbosch, South Africa
Silver Oak Cellars Near the Silverado Trail, known for high-end cabernet in Oakville, California
Steenberg Vineyard Heritage meets contemporary, oldest farm in the Constantia Valley, South Africa
Sticks Wines in Yarra Glen now named Greenstone Vineyards, Yarra Valley, Australia
The Bourgogne Tasting A tasting of the Vougeot AOC, caves, and the Hospices de Beaune tour
Twomey Wine Tasting Napa and Sonoma wines owned by Silver Oak, Calistoga, Napa California
Volker Eisele Wine tasting Elegant family estate in the Chiles Valley District of St Helena, California
Yarra Yering Winemakers of the year by James Halliday famous battle named blocks in Gruyere, Yarra Valley
Yering Station Victoria’s First Vineyard from 1838 in Yarra Glen, Yarra Valley, Australia
Who is John Galt?
TTFN