Charming Saint-Emilion: Private Half-Day Wine Tour for 2
- Duration: 4 Hours (approx.)
Pick up at your accommodation in Bordeaux
This morning, we will come and pick you up at your hotel or accommodation in Bordeaux.
Meet your English Speaking driver/guide who is a local Expert of Bordeaux Wines
Your driver/guide will come and pick you up directly at your accommodation. Once you have met your guide, he/she will go over the program and itinerary of this half day Saint Emilion Wine Tour with you. Then, board your comfortable, air conditioned Mercedes minivan and begin to make your way to the St Emilion wine producing region.
Travel in a Premium Vehicle
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 normally but on this occasion, the vehicle will only be for you. This allows you to choose the seat that you think best in terms of social distancing while still enjoying the information passed on by your guide.
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 on all tour vehicles. Bottled water is also available in all our vehicles.
Wine & History combo on a St Emilion Half Day Tour
This private half day small group wine tour packs a lot of delights into a few hours. On this exclusive private tour just for 2 persons of St Emilion organized by Ophorus, you will enjoy tasting delicious Bordeaux wines. Add to this the rich historical attractions of this UNESCO World Heritage site and you will 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 St Emilion half day trip will be in one of the local estates for a visit and wine tasting at a Grand Cru Chateau. Here, we have scheduled an appointment for you. You will be greeted at the Chateau and will get to 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 village
Following your wine tasting session, your private half day trip 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.
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 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.
