Be sure to also check out the other options in St-Emilion.
While you can easily fit your wine country excursion into a day trip from Bordeaux, you could also use it as an excuse to get away from it all. There aren’t a lot of hotels to choose from, but there are loads of adorable gîtes (vacation cottages) and bed-and-breakfasts. Even more intriguing, many wine producers have onsite bed-and-breakfasts and offer their overnight guests tours and tastings. Your best bet is to visit the Gîtes de France website: www.gites-de-france.com. This vast network has been around for decades and has very strict standards about cleanliness and comfort. If you want to stay at a vineyard, just search for “Oenology” under the “themed stays” heading on the site’s English version. If you can surf in French, go to the Gîtes de France Gironde site (www.gites-de-france-gironde and look under “dans le vignoble”), which will give you plenty of options in the Bordeaux region. Aside from vineyards, both sites list restored dovecotes, ancient outbuildings, and country castles, as well as humbler farms and homes. Rates for a double with breakfast run 65€ to 120€ per night, depending on comfort levels. Many bed-and-breakfasts offer a table d’hôte, a dinner with other guests for 25€ to 50€. For an enjoyable lunch while out in the vines, stop off at Café Lavinal in the village of Bages. This small hamlet (pictured above) has been renovated by Château Lynch Bages, which offers guided tours and tastings in its enormous, hi-tech and “resolutely modern” (as its owners describes it) winery that was recently built on the extensive grounds of the chateau that overlook the Gironde. It’s open Mon–Sat 9am–12:30pm and 2–6pm by appointment only. Tours last 90 minutes and cost 25€.There is also an upscale hotel-restaurant, the Cordeillan-Bages (www.cordeillanbages.com).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
