France Vacation - Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion, and Wine Tasting

5/7/19

Our train arrived late on the night of the 6th, so we ran to our respective hotels to check in, drop off our bags, and grab a quick dinner in anticipation of our wine tours the following day.  We stayed at YNDOHOTEL, a boutique hotel located in a quiet neighborhood about 5-10 minutes walk from all the action.  Our room was pretty small, but everything seemed to be very new.  The staff were all quite personable as well.  Like most places on our trip, we didn't spend a lot of time in the room, so details are pretty scarce from me.

The following morning, we met up with our guide, Stephan, to check out some vineyards and the nearby town of Saint-Emilion.  If you're in Bordeaux, I'd recommend having Stephan take you around.  Really personable guy and very knowledgeable.

Our first stop was to Chateau du Tailhas in the Pomerol region.  We sampled 3 vintages: 2001, 2010, and 2016.  Stephan taught us the different ways to taste, with the most fun one being what I can only describe as similar to gurgling.  I called it the mouth tornado.  Here's how the internet explains it.

With a sip of wine in your mouth, part your lips a small bit (this won`t be noticeable to anyone watching).  Gently breathe in and tilt your head forward (if you stopped breathing the wine would come out the tiny opening of your mouth).  This quietly `gargles` the wine, adds a huge amount of oxygen to it and the flavors will explode in your mouth.  

 We ended up buying a case of wine here and having it shipped back to Arkansas.

Our next stop was to Chateau Corbin, for obvious reasons.  The owner was actually kind enough to guide our tour herself.  Allison and Jennifer kept referring to her as their long lost cousin, but that didn't land us a discount.  Shipping back to the US was really expensive, so I just waited until we got home and ordered a case from some store in NY that has cheap shipping options.  Frugal McDougal over here.

After our first two stops, we ventured into Saint-Emilion to grab lunch and visit the underground monolithic church.  It is absolutely massive.  Unfortunately they did not allow pictures, so I stole a few from the internet.

Our last tour of the day was after lunch at Chateau Beau-Sejour Becot.  We got to taste a couple of their vintages, as well as a few bottles from the family's vineyards in the surrounding areas.  We also got a tour of their underground cellar that was full of thousands of bottles ranging from the 1920s to their current vintage.  I tried not to touch because I can't afford to pay for a wine avalanche.

After the tour, we filled up our wine tank at Bar a Vin and then headed to Monument aux Girondins.  It is located at the head of a very large square near the river.  There are tons of statues, which makes it perfect for taking stupid pictures.  The square was filled with booths being set up, so I think there is some sort of festival coming up soon.  Unfortunately it had yet to start, so I couldn't check and see if the French liked Fried Oreos as much as I do.

On our walk to the Water Mirror and Place de la Bourse, it started pouring down rain, so we only got a quick picture in the square before running to our restaurant.

5/8/19

We slept in to fight off our wine hangovers and then met up for lunch, where we realized that everything we wanted to see was closed for VE Day.  So we just drank until our flights that afternoon.

Restaurants

Le Grand Cafe

Stopped here for a round of drinks and a quick dinner on our first night.  Reviews look very hit or miss, but our service was good and I enjoyed my scallop dish.

Osteria Pizzeria Da Bartolo

After doing a ton of French food, sometimes you just need a pizza, especially when you are a bit buzzed from an all day wine tasting.  The restaurant is located in a crowded little alley right off the Place de la Bourse and the food and service were excellent.  The owner heard that Jennifer and Adam were on their honeymoon, so he bought a bottle of Limoncello over to the table, sat down and drank it with us.  It was a very fun dinner.

L'Envers du Decor

Stopped here for lunch in Saint-Emilion at the suggestion of our guide, Stephan.  Grabbed some oysters, which we split with the table.  By split with the table, I mean that Jennifer ate one and I ate eleven.  The chicken and steak were delicious and the wine choices were perfect, which I guess is par for the course when your guide is a sommelier.

Bar a Vin

Bar a Vin is a wine bar run by the city of Bordeaux's tourism department.  It's always crowded and we had to wait about 10-15 minutes to get a seat even though we showed up early.  Since it is run by the tourism department, the wine is super cheap, ranging from $3-$8 per glass.  It was a great stop before stumbling our way to dinner.