This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
The largest wine region in France, Bordeaux enjoys a strong international reputation. Mythical names, such as Pétrus, Haut-Brion or Mouton Rothschild, resonate among lovers of good wines. The region also offers many other attractions, both historical and gastronomic. To discover them, what could be better than a river cruise in Gironde?
History, wines and heritage
Like many other cities in Europe, Bordeaux offers us an appointment with history. Here, the wine trade very early on allowed the region to forge a reputation for excellence throughout the world.
Even if its wine history goes back more than 2000 years, when the Gallic tribes planted the first vines, it will be necessary to wait until the XIIe century and the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine with the future King of England Henri Plantagenêt so that the golden age of Bordeaux wines began. It is thanks to this union and the exclusive commercial agreement that Plantagenêt will sign with Great Britain that the Aquitaine region will begin to become known for its wines.
At the time, Bordeaux cuvées were only light wines, called “clarets”, and they traveled in barrels by boat to the Atlantic Ocean, from the Gironde estuary.
It is precisely on this estuary, witness to the rise of the Bordeaux wine trade, that our discovery of the region will take place aboard the magnificent boat MS Cyrano de Bergerac.
Go back in time
At the port of Bordeaux, we join what will be both our five-star accommodation and our means of transport to visit the various tourist and oenological attractions of this region, part of which is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The 35 members of the crew welcome us on board by giving us a taste of French hospitality, offered by CroisiEurope. Culinary specialties and local wines will be served throughout our stay to better taste the Bordeaux adventure. The 110-meter-long boat limits its number of passengers to 174, who are notably accommodated in 41 cabins with panoramic windows, which allows for a more intimate experience than that offered by the maritime giants also serving this destination.
After a good night’s sleep, head to the lounge bar at the front of the boat to listen to the guide summarize the history of the Bordeaux vineyards. After the rise of Bordeaux wines under the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine, the Hundred Years War put an abrupt end to trade between France and England. It will be necessary to wait for the XVIIe century, with the arrival of Dutch, Irish and English merchants so that the activity of the vineyard resumed. Settled in the Chartrons district – which we will visit at the end of the cruise – these immigrants, with a certain commercial talent, will breathe new life into the wines of the time.
The XVIIIe century will then be that of the export of cuvées to the West Indian colonies. Bordeaux will then experience extraordinary popularity until the French Revolution. In England, the high society will snap up the most full-bodied and refined Bordeaux wines. The first sealed and bottled cuvées will see the light of day. While everything was going well for the vineyard, a plague fell on it between 1860 and 1880: phylloxera. Entire vineyards were ravaged in Europe by this killer pest. Fortunately, the grafting of the vine appeared as the solution to be adopted to guard against it. The XXe century will be marked by the controlled appellations of Bordeaux wines. A way to regulate wines, but also to have them recognized for their qualities and their terroir. Exceptional land that we will explore during these five days of cruising.
Our first stopover will allow us to discover the Médoc and its famous Route des châteaux (or grands crus). A tasting stop is planned to taste the quality of the wines, rather substantial, of the appellation. The second day of the excursion will be more devoted to historical discovery. We will go up the estuary, to visit the citadel of Blaye, a marvel of engineering, a former military complex completed in the 17the century under the direction of Vauban, but having foundations dating from the Middle Ages (it is said that Eleanor of Aquitaine would have been imprisoned there for 15 years). On the corniche road taken to get there, the view of the estuary is breathtaking. A short visit at the end of the morning to the village of Bourg will allow you to taste the fig of Bourg, a local confectionery covered with marzipan dipped in chocolate. Legend has it that King Louis XIV, still a child, wanted to pick a fig from a tree and that a monk lifted him up to reach it. In honor of this story, confectioners have created this little delight in the XXe century !
The penultimate day of the excursion will be one of the most memorable. After a stopover in Libourne, head to Saint-Émilion to visit an exceptional vineyard and discover one of the most beautiful little medieval towns in France. Saint-Émilion is both a village and a legendary appellation. Not only do legendary wines come from it, such as Cheval Blanc or Château Angélus, but it is also a very old wine region. If the date of the beginning of the first vines cultivated in Bordeaux remains uncertain, we know that from Roman times rich wine-growing villas rose on the lands of Saint-Émilion.
The return to the boat will end the trip in style. The last supper on board will consist of the best products from New Aquitaine: oysters from the Arcachon basin, ballotine of foie gras, duck breast with morello cherries and Bordeaux cannelé for dessert, all served with excellent Bordeaux wines, in white and red.
Before ending our adventure, a final excursion is planned in Bordeaux itself. This will be the guided tour of its historic Chartrons district, a former swamp inhabited by Carthusian monks, then by European merchants in the 18th century.e century, before becoming the lively neighborhood it is today.
Bordeaux, the modern
After soaking up the rich history of the Bordeaux vineyards, a visit to the Cité du vin de Bordeaux is a must. Much more than a museum, the modern cylindrical building houses a series of interactive, immersive and multi-dimensional exhibitions that inform us about the world of wine, from yesterday to today, wherever the vine is cultivated. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the Via Sensoria route gives a whole new meaning to wine tasting.
Climate change is at the heart of this exhibition. Some vineyards, steeped in tradition, have had to change their ways. The example of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild company is convincing. A pioneer of modern viticulture in Bordeaux, the company has never stopped innovating over the centuries. Today, with their Mouton Cadet brand, the company, headed by Philippe Sereys de Rothschild, is launching a range of certified organic wines, in concert with its harvesting partners. Other vineyards also have this environmental concern that characterizes our time. A visit to the annual Bordeaux Fête le Vin festival will convince you.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team of the Duty, relating to marketing. The drafting of Duty did not take part.