Bordeaux & St Emilion: Wine Tasting Class, Blending & Vineyard Tour

Summary

Small group Bordeaux wine class plus St Emilion village tour

You’ll start in Bordeaux with a hands-on wine tasting class and blending workshop led by a local guide, then head out for lunch before exploring a working château near St Emilion. Taste eleven wines in total, wander medieval streets with your small group, and soak up stories from locals along the way.

What’s the experience like?

I’ll admit, I thought I knew Bordeaux wines before this day trip from the city to St Emilion — but sitting around that big wooden table in the city center, swirling my glass and trying to guess the grape, I realized I’d been bluffing. Our guide (her name was Camille, she wore these bright red shoes) had us sniffing and sipping eleven different wines. Eleven! The room smelled like toasted bread and blackcurrant, and someone cracked a joke about “notes of student debt” — which made everyone laugh harder than it should’ve. Honestly, the blending workshop part was trickier than I expected. My attempt at mixing didn’t taste quite right but hey, it made me appreciate the pros even more.

Afterwards we had a bit of free time for lunch (Camille pointed us toward a tiny bistro — I still think about that duck confit). Then we piled into a minivan for the drive out to St Emilion. The countryside sort of sneaks up on you — one minute it’s city streets, next it’s all rolling vines and old stone houses. At the château, the air was cooler and smelled faintly like damp earth and oak barrels. We met Jean-Luc who runs the place; he poured us three or four more wines straight from these heavy bottles with dusty labels. He told stories about his grandfather planting those vines after the war. There was a quiet moment in the vineyard where you could hear nothing but birds and maybe your own footsteps on gravel.

Walking through St Emilion itself felt like stepping into a postcard — cobbled lanes, sunlight bouncing off limestone walls, little shops selling canelés (I bought two). Camille showed us some hidden corners of the village that most people just walk past. She also tried to teach me how to pronounce “Saint-Émilion” properly… Li laughed when I tried to say it in French — probably butchered it completely. The whole thing felt relaxed but real; no rushing or stiff scripts.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Wine tasting and St Emilion visit

• Small-group wine tasting in Bordeaux
• Visit Château Growth Classified and wine tasting
• Tour UNESCO village of St Emilion
• Return to Bordeaux to end tour

Top questions

How many wines do you taste on this Bordeaux & St Emilion tour?

You’ll taste 11 different wines throughout the day during both city and château sessions.

Is lunch included in this Bordeaux wine day trip?

Lunch isn’t included but there’s free time for lunch with recommendations from your guide.

Does this tour include pickup in Bordeaux?

The tour starts in central Bordeaux; transport by minivan is included for travel to St Emilion.

What’s special about Saint-Emilion village on this tour?

You get a guided walking tour of UNESCO-listed Saint-Emilion plus time to explore its medieval streets.

How many people are in each group?

The group is limited to eight people for a more personal experience.

Is there an age limit for wine tasting?

You must be at least 18 years old to participate in wine tastings on this tour.

Will we visit an actual working winery near St Emilion?

Yes, you’ll visit a château near Saint-Emilion for a guided winery tour and tastings.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The entire tour is conducted only in English.

What’s included

Your day includes an interactive wine tasting class with blending workshop in Bordeaux city center (tasting 11 wines), all transport by minivan between Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion, guided visits of both a working château (with three or four more wines tasted) and UNESCO-listed Saint-Emilion village, plus plenty of time for lunch at local spots recommended by your guide before returning to Bordeaux in the evening.