Welcome on the 33Tour blog.
33Tour is a local transportation agency specialized in Bordeaux Winery Tours .
"33" is the local administrative number of the Gironde (Bordeaux + wine region), It is why 33Tour evoke the company geographic identity.
Because the Bordeaux vineyard is one of the most famous in the world but also one of the most complicated to understand (even for French people !). These pages try to explain what are the mains appellations, classification, terroir ...
Wine Tours
What is a Bordeaux Wine Tour ?
First you have to understand that wine tourism is something "new" here in Bordeaux. Before few years ago it was not so usual to welcome the visitors in the estates. Now the minds change but we are not in the "Napa" and don't imagine arriving on day, stop at the first winery on the road, ring the bell and taste. No ! it does not work like that especially if you come on Sunday or during the week at lunch hour (12-2pm).
Most of the Chateaus will welcome you with pleasure, but it is better to take an appointment, to select the place where you want to visit & taste.
Some local travel agent can do it for you in all the vineyard, check our Bordeaux wine tours selection.
A visit takes around 1h-1h30, they will explain you the history of the estate, the terroir, the vineyard, the process then you will taste the wines from the estate.
Usually you can visit 3 Chateaus per day.
It exists more than 10.000 wineries in the Bordeaux vineyard but only less than 200 are very renown and famous.
First rule : more the winery is famous, more it is difficult to visit.
Forget about Cheval Blanc, Yquem, Margaux, Lafite & Latour.
At the opposite, some Chateaus want to be open to visitors and have their own staff who make the visit and the tasting :
Mouton Rothschild, Pape Clement, Smith Haut Lafite, Franc Mayne ....you just need to take an appointment.
Second rule : The others 9800 wineries less prestigious have to be also visited. Because it is a family estate and they don't have staff, most of the time you will meet directly the owner. A wine tasting is not just a glass of wine in your hand it is an unique opportunity to share with him on his passion and his products.
Third rule : The vineyard is large St Emilion, Sauternes, Pauilac are far away from each others. So you need to think about one day per vineyard. One day St Emilion, one day Medoc, one day Sauternes & Graves, one day Blaye & Fronsac.
For a full wine tour it is a minimum of 3-4 days.
First you have to understand that wine tourism is something "new" here in Bordeaux. Before few years ago it was not so usual to welcome the visitors in the estates. Now the minds change but we are not in the "Napa" and don't imagine arriving on day, stop at the first winery on the road, ring the bell and taste. No ! it does not work like that especially if you come on Sunday or during the week at lunch hour (12-2pm).
Most of the Chateaus will welcome you with pleasure, but it is better to take an appointment, to select the place where you want to visit & taste.
Some local travel agent can do it for you in all the vineyard, check our Bordeaux wine tours selection.
A visit takes around 1h-1h30, they will explain you the history of the estate, the terroir, the vineyard, the process then you will taste the wines from the estate.
Usually you can visit 3 Chateaus per day.
It exists more than 10.000 wineries in the Bordeaux vineyard but only less than 200 are very renown and famous.
First rule : more the winery is famous, more it is difficult to visit.
Forget about Cheval Blanc, Yquem, Margaux, Lafite & Latour.
At the opposite, some Chateaus want to be open to visitors and have their own staff who make the visit and the tasting :
Mouton Rothschild, Pape Clement, Smith Haut Lafite, Franc Mayne ....you just need to take an appointment.
Second rule : The others 9800 wineries less prestigious have to be also visited. Because it is a family estate and they don't have staff, most of the time you will meet directly the owner. A wine tasting is not just a glass of wine in your hand it is an unique opportunity to share with him on his passion and his products.
Third rule : The vineyard is large St Emilion, Sauternes, Pauilac are far away from each others. So you need to think about one day per vineyard. One day St Emilion, one day Medoc, one day Sauternes & Graves, one day Blaye & Fronsac.
For a full wine tour it is a minimum of 3-4 days.
Appellation
What are the mains Bordeaux vineyard appellation ?
There is more than 30 different appellations in the Bordeaux vineyard.
An appellation is related to a geographic part : the name of a village (St Emilion, Margaux, Sauternes ...) or the name of an area (Medoc, Entre 2 mers, cotes de Blaye ...).
The vineyard is separated in the middle by the Gironde river.
We call the right bank the right side of this river and the the left bank the left side.
On the Right bank : St Emilion, Pomerol, Blaye, Fronsac ...
On the Left Bank you find : Medoc, Graves, Sauternes ....
The Gironde river splits in 2 others rivers, the Dordogne & the Garonne and in the middle of these it is the "Entre 2 mers" appellation.
Have a look on the Bordeaux vineyard map
Medoc :
The Medoc is a long wide band situated on the left bank. Most of the production is red wine & the mains appellations are :
-Margaux
-Pauillac
-St Estephe
-St Julien
-Listrac
-Moulis
Graves :The Grave is a small appellation close Bordeaux. They produce both red & white wines.
The most famous appellation is the Pessac Leognan.
Sauternes :The Sauternes production is sweet white wine. It is a very small appellation but very famous.
Entre 2 mers :
This appellation is less known but they product very special dry white wine which goes very well with fish & sea food.
St Emilion :The village and the vineyard are listed as human world heritage by the UNESCO. The production is mainly red wine. Situated close the Dordogne valley, the landscape is made of plateau and small hill.
Pomerol :
Close St Emilion there is the Pomerol appellation. The production is red wine made with more than 90% of Merlot.
May be the smallest vineyard but one of the most famous with it Star "Petrus".
Note that we don't say Chateau" we just say Petrus !
Arround St Emilion
Puisseguin, Montagne, Lalande de Pomerol, Fronsac, Lussac ....
Arround Blaye
Cote de Blaye, Cote de Bourg
There is more than 30 different appellations in the Bordeaux vineyard.
An appellation is related to a geographic part : the name of a village (St Emilion, Margaux, Sauternes ...) or the name of an area (Medoc, Entre 2 mers, cotes de Blaye ...).
The vineyard is separated in the middle by the Gironde river.
We call the right bank the right side of this river and the the left bank the left side.
On the Right bank : St Emilion, Pomerol, Blaye, Fronsac ...
On the Left Bank you find : Medoc, Graves, Sauternes ....
The Gironde river splits in 2 others rivers, the Dordogne & the Garonne and in the middle of these it is the "Entre 2 mers" appellation.
Have a look on the Bordeaux vineyard map
Medoc :
The Medoc is a long wide band situated on the left bank. Most of the production is red wine & the mains appellations are :
-Margaux
-Pauillac
-St Estephe
-St Julien
-Listrac
-Moulis
Graves :The Grave is a small appellation close Bordeaux. They produce both red & white wines.
The most famous appellation is the Pessac Leognan.
Sauternes :The Sauternes production is sweet white wine. It is a very small appellation but very famous.
Entre 2 mers :
This appellation is less known but they product very special dry white wine which goes very well with fish & sea food.
St Emilion :The village and the vineyard are listed as human world heritage by the UNESCO. The production is mainly red wine. Situated close the Dordogne valley, the landscape is made of plateau and small hill.
Pomerol :
Close St Emilion there is the Pomerol appellation. The production is red wine made with more than 90% of Merlot.
May be the smallest vineyard but one of the most famous with it Star "Petrus".
Note that we don't say Chateau" we just say Petrus !
Arround St Emilion
Puisseguin, Montagne, Lalande de Pomerol, Fronsac, Lussac ....
Arround Blaye
Cote de Blaye, Cote de Bourg
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