Vignobles et Châteaux was one of the best places we found in Bordeaux region for discovering excellent wines--and a completely unexpected find!
Located right in the center of town in Saint-Emilion, we happened to discover this beautiful wine shop and restaurant after having only a light lunch. I didn't realize at the time that they also offered light snacks, which would have been perfect with the wine tasting.
They offer several levels of wine tastings, and I chose the most basic option, Discovery, with four wines. Before we started, I talked with one of the staff members about the types of wines I enjoy. My husband wanted to try something from the Saint-Julien region, so he thoughtfully selected wines for both of us based on our preferences.
We ended up with a tasting of five excellent wines, progressing in intensity. The pours were quite generous, so we ordered a dips plate to enjoy with them, which was delicious.
What made the experience especially enjoyable was how personalized and educational it was. With each wine, he explained what we were tasting, the region of France where it came from, and why he had selected it based on what I told him I liked.
One of the wines I ended up loving was 2022 Château Beauregard, a Pomerol that is approximately 67% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. This surprised me because I don't usually care for Merlot! My husband especially enjoyed the Château Léoville Poyferré 2021 from Saint-Julien.
We enjoyed the tasting so much that we purchased two of the five wines to take back to our cruise ship. In hindsight, we should have bought more and had them shipped home!
The shop and restaurant are beautiful, and we enjoyed our tasting on their lovely outdoor patio. The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely interested in helping us discover wines we would enjoy.
The tasting flight and explanations were so educational that I would definitely take one of their wine classes the next time we're in the area.
A wonderful place to discover excellent wines in Bordeaux--and somewhere I would happily return to. read more