The final leg of our French adventure took us further south, from Cognac to the medieval wine haven of Saint-Émilion in the heart of the Bordeaux Region.
The town, steeped in charm, greeted us with its cobbled streets & sunset wine bars. From walking tours and electric bike rides through endless vineyards to tastings in cosy caves, it was the perfect end to an iconic historical wine tour.
Day 1:
The first taste of Saint-Émilion was from a wine bar, Maison des Vins du Libournais, seeing that Château Valandraud on the edge of the town had just closed for tastings (most Chateaux close around 6pm for tastings, as many close for a lunch break).
It is also common practise to call ahead and see when the Chateaux can accommodate you for a tasting, unlike South Africa where many are open for the public to pop in for a tasting, as long as they are not at capacity.
The good news is that the very touristic town is literally covered in wine bars, which generally only close at 7pm (at least in summer time). Apparently it is quite a different scene if you arrive in the winter months and many places are closed out of the high season time.
Our tasting started with a delicious Merlot (80%)/Cabernet Franc (20%) blend, the 2017 Virginie de Valandraud (a fruit-forward, classic Bordeaux with a 10-year ageing potential) 4.5 Stars, as well as the 2016 Rol Valentin - a more traditional blend of 90% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc grown in soil consisting of 20% clay, 80% limestone, resulting in an elevated earthy characteristic (4.3 Stars).
What’s better after a delightful wine tasting than a fresh oven-baked pizza? I wound down for the night at a cosy Italian restaurant, Livre de Cave, next to the old city baths, with a scrumptious four-cheeses Pizza and a gorgeous glass of local red wine of course.
Day 2:
After a wonderful rest, we headed off for a train ride around some of the famous and iconic Saint-Émilion vineyards... a quick fun way to see the vineyards surrounding the town - perfect for families!
We stopped at Château Rochebelle for an underground cellar tour and tasting, leaving with a 2011 Grand Cru Classé for our son Rick's birth year (which happened to be on offer to taste!) before continuing the tour of the region - this time on foot - through the northern side of town, following part of their Organic Wine Route!
Our trek took us for a special and pre-arranged private tasting at the modern Château Fonroque, followed by a tasting of left-bank Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux wines at a quaint wine bar back in town.
Duck dinner followed at Bar de la poste, one of 2 French Restaurants in the old town square, to top the night off.
Day 3:
The next day it was time to try a self-guided electric bike tour of the Saint-Émilion UNESCO world heritage vineyard region – very popular for tourists and one of the best ways to see and experience the greater area and as much as you’d like!
After much cycling among the stunning, hilly vineyards and having reached all the way to the Dordogne River, it was time for a rest and pit stop at Château Faugeres for a private tasting at the very edge of the official Saint Emilion border.
After a long day of cycling and working up a good appetite, a long evening was enjoyed in the old town square with a fantastic 3-course special at French restaurant Amelia Canta - great value and delicious! (Even coming from South Africa with Rands!)
Day 4:
Our final goodbye to the beautiful Bordeaux region for this trip... starting off with Maison Galhaud at the edge of the inner town where a private tasting was enjoyed with the winemaker in the stone extraction quarries-turned-magnificent monolithic cellars. (I also managed to snatch up their last available 2014 Grand Cru 750ml for our daughter’s birth year!)
This was followed by a private tasting on the deck at Château Balestard La Tonnelle within close walking distance from town.
It was then time to say goodbye to Saint-Émilion and head by train to Bordeaux city, then a tram ride from the inner city all the way to the airport... nice and easy... before flying to London Gatwick!
*Please note: all information is correct at the date of publication, 2025. See websites below for up-to-date info!
Contact Me – Hilary - at hello@winetots.com for more details on your favourite Wineland spots to visit & to book a personalised tour of your own – behind the scenic routes of the Plett & Cape Winelands & beyond!
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Click here to check out part 2 of our journey “France’s Finest Vines: the Cognac Region”!
Important info:
Maison des Vins du Libournais: +33 5 57 24 12 70 ;
Trading Hours: Open Daily 10am - 6pm
Château Rochebelle: https://www.chateau-rochebelle.com/en/home/ ; +33 5 57 51 30 71 Trading Hours: 1 Apr to 11 Nov - Daily 9:30am - 12pm & 2pm - 6pm ; Winter - Mon to Fri 9:30am - 12pm & 2pm - 6pm
Château Fonroque: https://chateaufonroque.net/en/ ; +33 5 57 24 60 02 ;
Trading Hours: Mon 10am - 3pm ; Tues-Sat 10am - 5pm (Closed Sundays)
Château Faugeres: +33 5 57 40 34 99 ;
Trading Hours: May to Oct - Daily 9:30am - 5pm
Amelia Canta: http://www.ameliacanta.com/ ; +33 5 57 74 48 03 ; ameliacanta@orange.fr ;
Trading Hours: Open Daily 9am - 10pm
Maison Galhaud: https://www.maison-galhaud.com/en ; +33 5 57 55 80 75 ; caves-du-manoir@galhaud.com
Trading Hours: Low Season - Daily 11am - 6pm ; High Season - Daily 10am - 7pm
Château Balestard La Tonnelle: https://chateaubalestardlatonnelle.fr/en/ ; +33 6 47 64 92 77 ; visites@vignoblescapdemourlin.com
Trading Hours: Mon to Fri 9am – 12am & 2pm – 5pm
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