Bordeaux Uncorked: Private Premium Wine Tour from San Sebastian
Description
Saint-Émilion could be the setting for a French romantic comedy where you eat divinely, drink magnificently, and everything is just perfect. The sun is shining, the churches are underground, the 'chateaux' are gorgeous, and there are 10,000 different types of wine. O.K.That’s exactly what we propose for our tour.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We’ll pick you up promptly for a two and a half hour drive to our first stop, the lovely village of Saint-Émilion. Don't worry, time will pass quickly because our guide will fill you in on what we’re going to see. We’ll cross Les Landes, one of the largest pine forests in Europe, created by Napoleon III to stimulate the economy of what was then a big swampy, sandy wasteland. We’ll stop for a coffee and a croissant, of course (we’re in France, after all!).
Saint-Émilion could be a set for a French romantic comedy but no, it’s real: a town of cobblestone streets that is devoted to wine production, and with excellent tips for lovers of gastronomy and architecture (an underground church totally excavated in rock in the Middle Ages? Yes!). More than enough reasons to be considered a UNESCO heritage site.
After the walk, we’ll visit a family 'château' that has been producing wine since the 17th century. We’ll get to know its corners and walk through the vineyards (some of the oldest on the planet), where magic happens. We’ll try three Grand Cru Classé wines because a class in “theory” without the “practice” isn’t the way to retain concepts. ;-)
We’ll discover more wine secrets in the back-office of a local winery, as well as the greatness of this crop in this corner of France. Actually, we should say GREATNESS, all caps: did you know that there are more than 60 different Designations of Origin on the banks of the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde rivers? And that more than 10,000 different wines are produced here? To understand all this, we have a sommelier to give us a masterclass and tasting (five great wines from different Bordeaux denominations) about the fascinating world of wine.
When the wine goes to your head, it’s time to eat. We’ll take you to a restaurant that combines centuries-old stone with a historic 'château', and with the glass of modern architecture. The menu? Local French cuisine with plenty of seasonal products, a touch of modernity and a parallel tasting of three local wines.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up from different locations is possible for an extra charge.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchair accessibility is extra paid - contact for details
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Please carry your passport or your European Union ID
Reviews(10)
From San Sebastián we spent the day with Martin whose history knowledge and cultural insights were extraordinary. We experienced two winery visits with tastings. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at a nearby Château.
Sounds like a beautiful day between San Sebastián and Bordeaux :) Great wines, château lunches and long conversations about history and culture along the way make for a pretty special combination. Martin will be very happy to know you enjoyed both the wineries and the deeper cultural side of the experience. Thanks for exploring Bordeaux with us!
We had an incredible trip to Bourdeaux with Mikel. The tour was organized perfectly and Mikel was a terrific guide- friendly and knowledgeable. We would highly recommend!
This was a great daytrip from San Sebastián to Bordeaux. Ernes was very knowledgeable and took great care of us during the whole experience. The drive to and from flew by due to great conversation and scenery. I would highly recommend this and will definitely book with Ernes and Ikusnahi Tours again.
🙌 Thanks for the review! We are very happy that you had an awesome time in Bordeaux with Ernes. In Spanish we say: es un crack! What literally means - he is very good in what he is doing. Knowledgeable, fun, not to mention his enthusiasm. Also we are so happy to be located between two amazing wine regions: Bordeaux and Rioja. True treasure if you love wine! All the best!
All around amazing experience and incredible guide. Every detail of the experience was thoughtful and crafted to provide a top class tour. The tour guide was super knowledgeable and provided interesting education on the region, wines, culture, and history. Would highly recommend this trip and company.
Thanks so much! I'm so happy that we spent this day together! Few people realize that when staying in San Sebastian they can easily access two important wine regions: Rioja and Bordeaux. Bordeaux is a complex region and its wines vary from bank to bank. So yes, its important to visit a chateau and learn about their traditions and yes, its crucial to do a class with a sommelier ...and yes, its a pure pleasure to enjoy an elegant French lunch! We love this tour and you can't imagine how happy I'am that you loved it too. Best, Ernes
We did this tour from San Sebastian since it was our first time going to France and really had an amazing time, Ernes was super friendly and clear on the expectations for this trip and made us feel comfortable the whole time, both the wineries were great and exceeded our expectations! We also did the lunch after paired with wines and was also a beautiful location and a great gastronomical experience, will definitely recommend them and book with them the next time we are in the area!
Mikel took on a full day wine tour in Sept. 2018. Entire day was very well done and we would book again.
Excellent tour. Ernes was one of the best hosts/tour guide I’ve ever experienced. The day was informative, relaxing, and enjoyable. The food was wonderful. Good wine.
My wife and I had the best time our tours while in San Sebastián. We learned so much about San Sebastián culture, Bordeaux wine country, food, wine, and more. We have taken tours in various European cities, and the two tours from Ikisnahi were the best. I strongly recommend booking Bordeaux and San Sebastián Pinxos tours.
I just wanted to let everyone know how great this tour was. I booked this tour 2 days before I arrived in San Sebastian. I had booked a previous tour and it was canceled last minute because they were full. I kept checking Viator hourly and finally, Ernes tour came up and I booked it immediately. He is so knowledgable about this region and the history he provided was wonderful. I learned so much on this tour. We then had lunch in Saint Emilion at La Tertre and it was one of the best meal of my trip. The service was amazing! Thank you so much again Ernes for making my Spain trip so memorable. If you are ever in LA, please let me know and I'll take you out for a great meal.
<p>My boyfriend and I decided to do a full day Bordeaux tour from San Sebastian. The tour with Ernes as our guide was excellent. A 12 hour tour out of Spain and into the Bordeaux region of France seems like a long day, but honestly, the driving portion breezed past in no time at all. Ernes was extremely accommodating and fun to be around. Whether it was light hearted conversation or deep political intrigue...the hours flew past. </p> <p>Let's not forget the wine of course. The Chateau choices were perfect as was all the food. You can genuinely tell when something is generic or individually planned and a lot time had been put into this tour to make sure that is was specifically correct for our visit. Ernes takes this very seriously and is a great citizen of the world.</p>
