The Graves vineyards :
Historic cradle of Bordeaux wines
Come and explore the oldest vineyards in the region, dating back to 2000 years ago. Admire the beautiful „chartreuses“, these large emblematic houses of the Graves wine-growing region. While meeting the winemakers and visiting their vineyards, you can taste red and dry white wines from the Graves Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) but also sweet wines from the Graves Supérieures (AOC).
In Podensac, the Maison des Vins de Graves offers a fine sample of the wines produced in the heart of this historic appellation. A few steps away, you can taste in the Maison Lillet this famous local aperitif in white, red or rosé.
By the way, do you know why this vineyard bears the name of « Graves »? It’s because of its soils, which include pebbles, gravel, sand, silt and clay. At the end of the day, the heat emanating from the gravel spreads over the vines, allowing the grapes to ripen properly. Like Sauternes, Graves wine owes its flavour to nature and above all to its geographical location along the Garonne.
The Sauternes-Barsac vineyards:
A unique terroir and wine
This world-famous sweet white wine is one of the unmissable wines of the region. This golden wine with a subtle colour owes its flavour to nature, and more particularly to the Ciron, a small river running through the South of Gironde. Morning mists appear when the cool waters of the Ciron meet the milder waters of the Garonne in autumn, allowing a microscopic fungus, „botrytis cinerea“, to grow. This fungus causes the development of noble rot, which concentrates sugar and increases aromatic richness. In 1855, having in mind the coming Universal Exhibition in Paris, Napoleon III asked for a classification of French wines. 27 chateaux were classified in the Sauternes and Barsac appellation, and then divided into three categories. Sauternes’ renown became historic!
Prestigious châteaux and family-run wineries welcome you all year round to visit their wine cellars and taste this golden beverage.
The Bordeaux wine route in Graves and Sauternes
Discovering our vineyards and their treasures will guarantee you lovely experiences. If you’d like to take part in a wine-tasting tour, check out the châteaux’s openings (and much more besides) on the Bordeaux Wine Route in Graves and Sauternes’ website, the only one to gather classified growths in all three wine colours.
Visit, taste and venture along the wine route
The hillsides on the right bank of the Garonne :
breathtaking panoramas
Opposite the Graves and Sauternes vineyards, on the right bank of the Garonne, white wine is king. Among these vineyards with rich historical pasts, you can taste wines such as Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Loupiac and Cadillac. Sweet or dry, white wines come in all shapes and sizes, and the winegrowers will be delighted to explain how they produce them.
Lovers of outstanding views will be contented as they explore the vineyards and hillsides of this region. Take a break and meet the winegrowers, who have been passing on their passion for their trade for generations. An authentic land and authentic people for an unmissable visit in the South of Gironde.
In fact, it was in the heart of these hillsides that illustrious figures such as François Mauriac and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec came to seek inspiration. Free wine tastings are available all summer at the Saint-Macaire Tourist Office. You will also find there the wine cellar of the Coteaux Macariens winegrowers, which offers more than a hundred different wines.
If you like dry, sweet or sweet white wine, then you’ve come to the right place!
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