Highlights
- Bike tour of the St-Emilion region with train ride from Bordeaux
- Enjoy lunch and a wine-tasting lesson at a family-run cheateau
- Cycle through vineyards and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the French countryside
- Pass renowned St-Emilion wine chateaux like Pomerol and Cheval Blanc
- Taste four different wines throughout the day
- Discover the delightful village of St-Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Small-group tour with a maximum of 16 people offers a more personalized experience
Useful Information
Small-Group Tour of St-Emilion by Bike
When you arrive in St-Emilion, hop on your bike and follow your guide to the first wine chateau of the day – a family-run venue located in the middle of a beautiful park in the heart of St Emilion. After you are greeted with your first sample of wine, sit down to a delicious three-course lunch in the gardens of the chateau or in the orangerie, depending on the weather (please see the Itinerary section below for a sample menu). When you’ve finished eating, learn about different wine-tasting techniques with a class that includes two glasses of wine from the chateau. Train your nose to recognize different flavors and learn how to analyze the color. Then discover more on a tour of the chateau and wine cellars.
Jump back on your bike and cycle 10 miles (15 km) through the beautiful vineyards of St Emilion and past many well-known chateaux like Pomerol, Petrus and Cheval Blanc. Make your way to Chateau Soutard, a classified-growth chateau set within 66 acres (27 hectares) of land and fully renovated in 2010. Enjoy a tour of the vineyards and the wine cellars, learn about the winemaking process and how the grapes get from the vine to the bottle, and try three different wines.
Finally, bike into the village of St-Emilion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that dates back to the Middle Ages. While the village is known for the hundreds of surrounding vineyards that produce St-Emilion wine, the charming village itself is also worth a visit. Take a guided tour, and then cycle back to the train station for your return journey to Bordeaux.
This easy bike ride is a total of 12.5 miles (20 km).
Itinerary
Starter:
- Charcuterie (ham, pate, dried sausage, chorizo)
Main Course:
- Roast pork or beef (cold) with a vegetable salad
Dessert:
- Chocolate cake
- Lemon pie
Reviewed by Caro G, November 2012
Our bike tour on October 5th in St Emilioin area near Bordeaux was wonderful. We were treated with a very knowledgeable and passionate tour guide Juliette, who started by taking us on a personal tour of St Emilion early in the day before the majority of the visitors arrived and then fitted us with our bikes and helmet. We rode around the town on scenic and safe backroads seeing
many chateaus and vineyards. At lunchtime, we were treated to a beautiful French picnic complete with handmade pates, sausage, terrific desserts and local wine. When the bicycling was finished we were taken to a large chateau and given a special tour of their wine-making operation.
All in all, it was a very unique experience that we will cherish as a special memory of our recent European adventure.
Reviewed by mina, Australia, November 2012
There is no other way to see St Emilion then by bike. My daughter and I took this tour and we were not disappointed. We rode our bikes around St Emilion and our tour guide was great. She was full of information about the vineyards and the region. We ate lunch in a family run vineyard and the food and hospitality was great. The owner also took us on a tour of her home, this was greatly appreciated as she didnt need to. Our guide was so understanding as my daughter being young required a few stops and the guide was more than accomodating. The ride was great we saw so much of the region, tasted so many wines at the chateaux and the tour and information at the vineyards was great. would recommend it to any one. Great for families.
