by With a name as romantic as Port of the Moon, you would expect Bordeaux to be something special, and it is. Created in the age of Enlightenment, it is a historic French city that lures wine lovers and foreign travellers from all parts of the world. Sophisticated and alluring in its appearance and appeal, it is a grand destination in every respect.
Bordeaux is not to be snuffed at, by any means. A prestigious location to visit, its true beauty lies in its old buildings, rich culture, long trading history, and established vineyards and wineries. For travellers seeking a cultivated wine holiday, there is no other place to go than Port of the Moon, Bordeaux.
Riverside Beauty
Bordeaux is a port city that has an enduring legacy with the international wine trade. Located in the south-west of France, it first served as a business centre for wine merchants in the 1700s. A tradition that continues to this day, the architecture of Bordeaux still also retains much of its elegance from that time period.
Lavish and decorative in every way, the Palais Rohan – quarter of Hôtel de Ville is a perfect example. Palatial in its interior, its rooms are numerous, ornate and exquisite. With immaculate style and detail, chandeliers hang golden from high ceilings, while trompe l’oeil décor features on the dining room walls.
Occupying the edges of a crescent-shaped bend in the Garonne river, Port of the Moon has a captivating presence. It features other significant buildings dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. Important religious structures include three churches of Saint James which pilgrims visit on the route of Santiago de Compostela.
Aside from Paris, Bordeaux has the most protected buildings in the country. With excellent examples of neo-classical and classical design, the city was classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 2007. Conserving the originality of metropolitan Bordeaux and the preservation of its character is of vital importance to local, regional and national governments.
A Vintage Landscape
Whether you arrange to fly to the city itself, or organise a booking with National Car or another reputable car hire business before you arrive in France, Bordeaux offers more sights than you might have time for. Renowned for its vineyards and châteaux vintages, it attracts buyers and wine-making experts from afar.
Bordeaux is world famous for its vineyards. The area consists of 10,000 wine growers and has well over a dozen different soil types. From heavy clay to grey stone and gravel, the texture of the local terroir provides a strong medium from which some of the most dramatic and flavoursome vintages are created.
Red wines account for the majority of wine produced in Bordeaux. Including the Gironde estuary, it is the most proficient wine producing region in France. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the two most popular grapes planted in the area. Dark red and intriguing, they are grown, harvested and blended with other less common varieties, such as Cabernet Franc and Malbec. White grapes in the area include Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
City of Wine
Bordeaux is a city of wine with a reputation for quality and well-preserved tradition. When shopping the boulevards and inner streets of the city, the main product that you will be sure to find is wine.
With many specialist shops selling over 500 different kinds, wine enthusiasts certainly won’t be lost for choice. So, if sampling the odd glass of fine red or white wine whets your appetite, you will not run out of options here. Bordeaux is simply bon!
