Vineyards of Bordeaux – Bike & Boat St Emilion to Sauternes

A gentle day in the saddle that’s bound to leave a satisfying taste in the mouth! Set off to explore the world-famous region where Merlot is king with Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon just occasionally coming along for the ride. Little roads lead past plentiful ‘caves’ and famous classified ‘Châteaux’, edging vineyards producing wines favoured by pilgrims (Pomerol, created by the Knights Hospitalier for travellers to Santiago de Compostela), by the Court of Versailles (Fronsac) and prized across the world (St Emilion) . Stop off to admire the bells at ‘Angelus’ or tour the oak barrels, underground chapel and granary at Manoir Galhaud, home to delicious Grands Cru, Grands Vins and Crémant.  Saint Emilion itself needs no introduction today – a superbly famous ‘appellation’ and fascinating fortified village built on limestone catacombs. Check out the King’s Keep and don’t’ miss the monolithic church – cool off underground and discover all 38 m of this ‘secret’ monument, or climb up its 68m high bell tower. It might have 196 steps, but the vineyard views have to be worth it! Back on board, there’s time to share all the day’s discoveries and a glass or two as MS Bordeaux sails through the early evening along the Dordogne to the small harbour below rocky Bourg-sur-Gironde.

Overnight mooring – Bourg-sur-Gironde.

Miles 13-27 Kms 21- 43

The joy of Côtes de Bourg vineyards has to be the sheer variety of the wines they produce – their personality varies with the soil and from estate to estate. Every good reason to tour on two wheels and stop off to savour the flavours of place. Choose from eminent Châteaux such as Monconseil Gazin, Marquis de Vaubanaud or Eyquem. Take to the Gironde Corniche route for a delightful helping of manor houses on one side and magnificent gardens on the other, and go in search of the history of Blaye’s impressive Vauban fortress, commissioned by Louis XIV, along the underground passages of the citadel. Ups and downs are the order of the day in this hillier part Bordeaux’s wine country, but there are plenty of refreshing places to stop (including historic wash houses!) and at Plassac, the fine Gallo-Roman villa will surely reveal the roots of this remarkable vineyard area.

Overnight mooring – Bourg-sur-Gironde.

Miles 12-22 Kms 19-35

Wave goodbye to Bourg-sur-Gironde’s rocky promontory over breakfast as MS Bordeaux cruises up the wide estuary to Larmarque on the other bank of the Gironde. Here today’s vineyard roads lead through the Médoc, serving up warmer-blooded wines (drink at 19°C!) with some of the region’s most powerful flavours. Pedal off past windmills on a star-studded wine-route, where Châteaux like Lamothe Bergeron lay on a most colourful spectacle for visitors to their famous cellars with really informative video presentations and lighting effects to celebrate their wine-growing heritage. Maucaillou, Poujeaux, Palmer, Prieuré Lichine – so many line the route, crescendo-ing to grand master of the ‘Grand Cru’, Château Margaux. From here, why not pedal on to the region of Pauillac and Saint-Espèphe to touch upon other Médoc heavy-weights including Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour? With their turrets and terraces, fine facades and porticos the Châteaux buildings alone make it the stuff of fairytales – even before you settle down to a tasting! But the city of Bordeaux awaits – and back on board what more appropriate vessel to take you there but MS Bordeaux itself. Sailing along the River Garonne towards the Pont de Pierre, it’s time to rest up, relax and enjoy the panoramas.

Overnight mooring – Bordeaux.

Miles 27-34 Kms 43-56

UNESCO World Heritage Site and capital of Aquitaine, Bordeaux is full to the brim with impressive squares and imposing buildings. What’s more there are fantastic museums, Gallo-Roman sites and it’s crowned with the gloriously Gothic St André Cathedral renowned for its unbelievably orate flying buttresses. This is a great city to explore either by bike or on foot. Head for the ‘Golden Triangle’; admire the Napoleonic Pont de Pierre, look up at PeyBerlan bell tower or reflect a while by the ‘water mirror’ in the Place de la Bourse; sample the wine bar in the prestigious ‘Maison du Vin’ (Bordeaux Wines HQ!) or pedal off to pastures ‘new’ to discover the modern architectural wonder and fine new generation museum, ‘Cité du Vin’, or the tree-filled ‘Darwin-Ecosystem’ recently established in restored quayside buildings. Whether you choose to indulge in a day of full-blown culture, a spot of shopping or a large plate of fresh seafood with a glass of crisp Entre-dux-Mers by its side, vibrant Bordeaux is sure to go down a treat. Alternatively – if you prefer to stick in the saddle for the day and discover those delicious dry white wines ‘sur place’, follow the river path from the city centre to Latresne to take the Roger Lapébie cycle path to Creon and La Sauve. Beyond Bordeaux, it follows a disused railway line, edging its way into the Entre-Deux-Mers wine region, before looping back to the Big City. Whichever option you choose, there’s sure to be plenty of experiences to share  back on board MS Bordeaux later as you admire the views on the next cruise to Loupiac.

Overnight mooring – Loupiac.

Miles 7-29  Kms 11-47

Today’s circular cycle ride leads from Loupiac through Sémillion-lined slopes, stopping off to make some sweet Sauternes discoveries. There are superb river views to enjoy at first stop Sainte-Croix du Mont, then at Verdelais, you’ll want to pay your respects to that most magical of French painters, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. The fine Sauternes wines owe much to the River Ciron in this area, so keep that in mind as you find yourself negotiating the week’s only really significant slope! Come the warm and dry weather of autumn, as its cool flow meets the warmer waters of the River Garonne, mist drifts across the vineyard slopes to create the perfect conditions for the Sémillion grapes to reach their full sweetness. Famous vineyards line your route as you pass through the village of Sauternes itself, amongst them Château d’Yquem, Clos Haut-Peyraguey and Château Guiraud. But Bastide village and birthplace of Bordeaux wines awaits – Cadillac. With its medieval fortified walls, little streets and market place, it’s a delightful place in the region of Graves  / wine region Entre-Deux-Mers to sip back and relax, before the final miles back to MS Bordeaux and its early evening cruise to its final mooring in Castets-en-Dorthe.

Overnight mooring – Castets-en-Dorthe.

Miles 24-30 Kms 39-48

Pedal out past corn- and sunflower fields today to La Réole and you’ll find plenty of firmly French discoveries en route from the fresh, aromatic dry white Bordeaux flavours of ‘Entre-Deux-Mers (the wine region in between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers) to the walled town of Saint Macaire and home of famous 20^th century writer, François Mauriac. And what could be more French than a suspension bridge designed by Gustave Eiffel himself? Pedal over it to cross the Garonne as you reach the mightily impressive hill town of La Réole, once the second largest city after Bordeaux and now home to not one, but two castles; narrow cobbled medieval streets and a wonderfully preserved Benedictine Abbey church – L’Eglise St Pierre. But here it’s a bit of English history which steals the show. Aquitaine’s history is an complicated mix of English / French rulers, but La Réole proved so loyal to the English crown that Richard the Lionheart wanted to reward the locals as he passed through en route to the Holy Land in 1190. His gift – a town hall – still stands today, the oldest town hall in France and one that’s somehow a little bit of England too. Finally, a ride alongside the Napoleonic ‘Canal de la Garonne’ leads the way back directly to the boat at Castets-en-Dorthe… although what’s a few extra miles between friends at the end of the day, when there are superb views to be enjoyed from hilltop village, Meilhan-sur-Garonne?

Overnight mooring – Castets-en-Dorthe.

Miles 13-31 Kms 21-50

Depart after breakfast following your final night on board the MS Bordeaux. (10 km taxi ride required from Castets-en-Dorthe to local train station for onward services to Bordeaux.)