Wine Lover's Escape to Saint-Emilion: Private Half-Day Shore Trip

Embark on a vibrant Shore Excursion from Bordeaux City or Bassens Port of Call to the Saint Emilion wine producing region!

Today we will come and pick you up at your Cruise Ship in Bordeaux city or Bassens Cruise Port. Meet your English speaking guide who is an expert on Bordeaux Wines. Your driver / guide is also a certified guide which means that he or she is licensed to conduct tours in historical villages such as Saint Emilion and has access to monuments and museums that are not accessible to those that do not possess this licence. 

Once you have met your guide, he/she will go over the program and itinerary of of this tour from Bordeaux. Then, board your comfortable, air conditioned Mercedes minivan and begin to make your way to the Saint Emilion wine producing region. 

Travel in a spacious Minivan

Your private Bordeaux Wine Tour to Saint Emilion will take place in one of our very spacious Mercedes Minivans. This vehicle can take up to 8 persons. All our vehicles are equipped with an on board P/A system that allows you to hear the commentary of your driver/guide no matter where you are seated. Also, there is free Wi-Fi access as well as bottled water in all our vehicles.

Wine & History combo on a Saint Emilin Half Day Wine Tour

This private half day small group wine tour packs a lot of delights into a few hours. On this exclusive private tour for 2 to 8 persons maximum of St Emilion organized by Ophorus, you will enjoy tasting delicious classified growth Bordeaux red wines. Add to this the rich historical attractions of this UNESCO World Heritage site and you see why the half day option makes for such a great tour.

Depart from Bordeaux and reach the right bank wine region

Starting in the city of Bordeaux, a short drive in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan brings you out of the city to the picturesque countryside plains and rolling hills of the right bank wine producing area. This is the heart of Bordeaux's famous wine region, where many vineyards carry the Saint Emilion AOC designation. Each of these local wineries produce vintages with distinct soil features backed by a long winemaking heritage.

Your first major stop on this personalized Saint émilion half day trip will be in one of the local estates for a visit and wine tasting at one of the Grands Crus Classés Chateau's. Here, we have scheduled an appointment for you. You will be greeted at the Chateau and will get to discover the vineyards, tour and taste different vintages in this carefully selected domain.

The wines are a blend of Merlot grapes with deep, bold flavors, along with other local grape varieties, especially Cabernet Franc and, to a lesser degree, Cabernet Sauvignon. A local guide of the winery will reveal all the steps in the wine production process for you, as well as share some historical details about the estate.

Your Ophorus guide will be with you during the visit so don’t hesitate to ask any questions. All our driver/guides have great knowledge about wines and they will be happy to share any basic or more technical information concerning French or Bordeaux Wines. Whether you have questions about history, technique, flavors, aromas, food & wine pairings don’t hesitate to ask them anything that relates to wine to make this half day a very special one.

Then visit a most charming medieval village

Following your wine tasting session, your private half day trip in this Bordeaux wine region continues with a guided walking tour of the eponymous village. Stroll through the quaint, cobbled streets of this medieval town, while your tour guide recounts local history, from the days of the 8th century hermit Emilion, to the 19th century mining galleries, which still lie beneath the village.

Important historical sites include the Romanesque cloister and the Monolithic church carved into the limestone cliffs, also known as the underground monuments. Since this is a private tour and our guides have a privileged access to this monument, we can organise a private visit of this attraction on your private tour if you are interested in mixing culture & wine.

It is no coincidence that Saint Emilion has been awarded the UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999. After the walk, enjoy some free time to explore on your own in the village. Why not enter one of the many wine cellars to continue your tasting session? Finally, you will head back to Bordeaux where the wine tour concludes after having learned a lot about this famous wine producing area. We also provide a full day shore excursion from Saint Emilion.

A Famous monk, a cave and centuries of wine making

Perched on a hilltop overlooking the Dordogne Valley, the picturesque rooftops and medieval stone buildings of the beautiful village of Saint Emilion are a delight to the eye. A unique microclimate and Saint Emilion’s fertile soil made the area a haven of wine making.

This tradition goes back to the later centuries of the Roman Empire. The first vineyards were planted here in the second century AD. In the fourth century, the Roman poet Ausonius already mentioned the delicious grapes of Saint Emilion.

The legend of Emilian

The first indications of human settlements in the area date back to the Roman Empire, but the story of Saint Emilion starts in the eighth century AD. At that time, a monk from Brittany, fleeing persecution in his hometown of Vannes sought refuge in one of the natural caves near the settlement of Ascum Bas.

Although he lived the simple and secluded life of a hermit, Saint Emilion allegedly performed several miracles from his Aquitaine hideaway. Soon, his renown spread far beyond the town and region, bringing pilgrims and disciples from far afield to visit him. The small settlement grew fast as it became a religious center. After Saint Emilion died, his followers made sure he would be remembered by giving the town of Ascum Bas the new name Saint Emilion.

Much later, monks developed more intensive and widespread vineyards. This is when the reputation for Saint Emilion wines started building towards what it is today. The rich Merlot-based blends of these fertile plains have given local wines a great appeal, and several wines produced in chateaux near Saint Emilion have been given the highest possible awards under the French appellation wine rating system.