elysag

My boyfriend and I are thinking of going to France in August. We have around two weeks to travel (we can tack on a couple of extra days if necessary). The planning problem is that his mom and brother will be starting off with us for 4 or 5 days and his mom insists on going to Bordeaux. We would like to spend the rest of the time exploring Burgundy and then spend the last few nights in Paris. I understand that Bordeaux and Burgundy are not near each other and that this creates logistical problems. We could be convinced to go somewhere other than Burgundy. Our main interest is touring wineries and exploring small towns. I assume we will travel to Bordeaux by train and then once we separate from his mom and brother we will rent a car.

Michael

My impressions of wineries near Bergerac (next door to the Bordeaux region) is that they are not the same as in the States. Most of them clearly do not wish to sell just a couple bottles of wine. There are exceptions, but I would not choose to go to Burgundy because of the potential to tour the wineries. To explore small towns (and what to you expect to discover there?), the Dordogne, next to the Bordeaux area might be just the ticket. You could always try to taste the wines of the area. Pécharmant (near Bergerac) is said to be equal to some of the better Bordeaux wines, and Cahors, on the other side of the Dordogne, produces a particularly rich red.

On the other hand, if Burgundy is what you are looking for, you can't miss in vineyards and picturesque towns.

StuDudley

I agree with Michael on the difference between visiting wineries in France & the US. Both Michael & I live in the San Francisco Bay Area - so we're both quite fimiliar with visiting wineries.

I've spent several years (total) visiting many different regions in France. Nothing I have read in the dozens & dozens of travel books and on travel forums about France, has convinced me to visit the Bordeaux winegrowing region. In fact, one book said that the famous wine villages have not profited from the wealth that the wine sales have generated - and that the area is somewhat dusty & windy. The city of Bordeaux (which I have visited 3 times) pretty much "clears out" in August, I understand.

If you want to see vineyards & perhaps visit some wineries, visit Burgundy and then drive south to the Cote du Rhone and visit the wineries there, and also Provence. The Dordogne, like Michael indicated, would be a good choice also. Both areas are jam-packed with vacationers in August - except for the last week in August.

Stu Dudley

Michael

Unless one is a oenophile looking for a vertical choice from a single winery, it is better to go to a wine merchant to taste wine. There are several in Bordeaux, within arms length of the Opera. That would give the wine enthusiast the opportunity to taste a variety of Bordeaux; and they do not mind selling individual bottles.

StCirq

Your mother should be dissuaded from visiting Bordeaux and focus on Burgundy (or the Dordogne). For one thing, if all she wants to do is taste Bordeaux wines, she can do that anywhere in France. For another, you can't just pop into the major Bordeaux wine châteaux - many only host buyers and wine celebrities. For yet another, Bordeaux is not, overall, a particularly interesting city (though it does have great food). It's certainly not high at all on the list of most frequently visited cities by Americans. I like it well enough, but I've had the opportunity to get to know it well over 20+ years. Most Americans, barring those who are disgorged from river cruises, never even think to go there - and with some good reason.

I can say with complete certainty that your mother would far better enjoy visiting St-Emilion and the Dordogne wineries. Same for Burgundy and Provence. She can buy a good Bordeaux at any supermarket in France, by the way.

elysag

Thanks for the advice. Just to be clear, it's his mother, not mine! She would probably consider herself an oenophile. Since she has it in her head that she must visit Bordeaux, I do not think there is anything that I can do to knock that part of the trip off. My boyfriend and his mom and brother went to Burgundy a few years ago so she wants to go somewhere different. She went to Provence last year and did not like it. This is why she will be with us for 4 or 5 days and then we will be on our own. When they went to Burgundy, they found an English couple that has a small wine touring company and they went to several wineries and then the couple took care of shipping wine home for them. They stayed in Beaune. I think they are looking for a similar experience. I will look into the other areas suggested near Bordeaux (the Dordogne, Pecharmant, etc.) It sounds like we might want to do a day or two in the city of Bordeaux and then rent a car to go exploring nearby.

Now on to the rest of the trip... if we are leaving from near Bordeaux, how do you suggest splitting up the rest of the time we have? Does it make sense to drive from there to Burgundy or should we do something else? We are very flexible but still want to end up in Paris for the last few nights.

StuDudley

Like I mentioned earlier, Bordeaux is one of the cities in France that pretty much "empties out" in August, & many residents go on vacation elsewhere. In my Michelin Red Guide, they recommend 14 restaurants in Bordeaux. Of these 14, 11 are closed most of August. Of the 9 "upper end" restaurants, only 1 is open in August.

>>>if we are leaving from near Bordeaux, how do you suggest splitting up the rest of the time we have? Does it make sense to drive from there to Burgundy or should we do something else? <<<

No reason at all to drive all the way to Burgundy. I think the Dordogne is MUCH more interesting than Burgundy (we've spent 10 weeks in the Dordogne & 4 weeks in Burgundy/Beaujolais). E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach my Dordogne itinerary (incl St Emilion) to the reply e-mail. I've sent copies to over 700 people on Fodors.

Stu Dudley

Michael

You can drive to Burgundy in one long day, using the A89 autoroute through the Auvergne to Lyon and then north. But being in the Bordeaux area, I would choose to visit the Charente (try their cognacs and pineau--many producers advertise tasting in the winery), visit the Romanesque churches of the area, see La Rochelle and the Ile de Ré, and visit the Dordogne. Drop off the car in Brive-la-Gaillarde and take the train to Paris. Why cross all of France if you have not yet seen interesting areas that are much closer?

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