From vast views to vineyards: Why a river cruise is the best way to get a true taste of Bordeaux

Independent

21-04-2025

It's 10.30am and I'm sipping my first glass of Bordeaux. Spittoons are available but the silky merlot and cabernet sauvignon blend that dances down my throat is too good to waste – even if it is still breakfast time.
Bordeaux wine is, after all, the French region's proudest export. Even King Charles made sure he came to the city during one of his first state visits to France as monarch in September 2023.
Forget the French road trip. A river cruise is the best way to discover the various vineyards and culture of Bordeaux, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2007, and the locals are on board with welcoming passengers – as I discovered on a trip with Avalon Waterways.
The operator is the latest to launch sailings along the calm Garonne and Dordogne rivers, with Avalon Waterways president Pam Hoffee sharing that the region is top of its cruise passengers' wish lists for ideal itineraries.
Local wine – and lots of delicious cheese – is, of course, a key part of the schedule on and off the ship, with pairings at dinner and excursions focused on visiting charming chateaux.
It was at the 15th-century Chateau Siran in Medoc, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary where the Garonne and Dordogne rivers meet, that I sipped its highly regarded 2017 vintage for breakfast after visiting the vineyard's vast stainless steel tanks used to ferment the wine before it is aged in oak barrels for up to 15 months. The velvety fruit blend with delicious hints of vanilla is worth waiting for.
Across the river, to the east of Bordeaux along the Dordogne, there is an opportunity to blend your own wine at Chateau La Dauphine.
It felt like being back at school as we were presented with a worksheet explaining how to use sight, smell and taste to identify a wine's flavours. It is a good party trick to take home.
We were given test tubes to blend the vineyard's merlot and cabernet sauvignon and it was here that I gained an extra appreciation of how much skill is involved – especially as my mixtures failed to find the right balance between acidity, alcohol and tannins.
My efforts tasted sharp compared with the smooth and fruity aromas of the actual wine on sale; I was told it takes 20 to 30 samples to make the perfect blend. I may have to stick to drinking rather than developing wine.
You don't have to be a wine lover to enjoy Bordeaux, though.
The region also has chocolate factories dating back to the 19th century. I could have spent all afternoon in Mademoiselle de Margaux, which sells chocolate sticks in delicious flavours such as orange or salted caramel. The sticks resemble vines of the nearby wineries but were actually a happy accident after a production line fault in 1969 created a series of twisted sticks that soon became popular with locals.
It is not just the chocolate and grapes that make Bordeaux wonderful, it is also the people you meet. The long stays in port that you enjoy with a river cruise provide more time to get to know the locals.
On the right bank of the Gironde estuary in Rue St Simon in Blaye, I met Les Kellen, a charming South African who runs Le Petite Cave wine bar and store, as well as the Etalon Rouge Vineyard and Winery.
He has more than 40 years' experience producing and selling wine, and the first formal classification of Blaye and Bourg wines are even named after him. Kellen isn't shy about telling us that he can drink three bottles of wine on a daily basis, partly due to the wine tastings he hosts, but also as he considers it to be your first fruit of the day.
Kellen proudly shares his tips on wine drinking, including the importance of making eye contact when saying cheers 'or you will have seven years of bad sex'.
He seems to have a key to many buildings the vicinity as he leads us on a tour of the area including Airbnbs that he owns, an art gallery, and a workshop that houses his collection of classic cars including a 1955 Porsche 356 and his wife Clarissa's own artwork.
There is a colourful canvas on the wall that is full of patterns made by visitors over the past three years and we were invited to make our own works of art using corks or brushes. The results showed a range of artistic skill including my own attempt at a palm tree that sadly belongs more in a nursery than an art gallery.
Away from the vineyards and wine shops, you will find lots of character in the city centre of Bordeaux, Saint-Pierre, which is easily accessible from the Garonne.
It was a delight to meet Bruno, an eccentric French tour guide with an immaculately fluffed beard and top hat, as well as matching leather gloves and shoes that would look at home on a Paris runway.
But it was Bordeaux he spoke so proudly about as he led an e-bike tour around the cobbled streets, stone buildings and squares of the old and new town, pointing out landmarks such as Rue Sainte-Catherine, which is full of cafes and boutique shops.
Bruno emphatically proclaimed that it isn't just the longest pedestrian street in Europe at 1.2km, but the largest shopping street on the continent – and I imagine it is where he buys his fashionable garments.
He explained how the 18th and 19th century architecture we pass still looks immaculate and almost new after the mayor, Alain Juppe, offered tax rebates to anyone who cleaned the frontage of their buildings in 1995. It is easy to spot who complied even two decades later.
The 128-capacity ship, Avalon Artistry II, has 64 cabins that it calls 'a view with a room', reflecting the 30ft wide open panoramic windows that can be almost fully slid open to become open-air balconies. It's a great way to take in the beautiful chateaux and vineyards as you float by. It is also helpful that the bed faces the view, a feature across the fleet, so you can lie back and appreciate the scenery.
There are also floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounges and restaurants, where passengers sip specialty cocktails such as the fruity Bordeaux Sunset or the zingy Cruiser, swapping tales from excursions each afternoon and evening.
Relaxing on the top deck is also a treat, where you are greeted by cyclists and runners along the gritty urban cityscape of Bordeaux on one side and the French countryside on the other.
It is a view to drink to at any time of day.
How to do it
An eight-day Avalon Waterways Bonjour Bordeaux: Chateaux, Wineries & Charming Villages is priced from £1,700pp based on a 13 May 2025 departure. Flights and most excursions are included.