The crunching of the grey gravel under foot, the warm breeze carrying the scent of the cellar in the air, the shimmering green sea of ripe and plump vineyards in full flower. Bordeaux! What can one say about this gem of France that truly does the place justice? As beautiful as the city is (and it is the largest urban area classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site), its really the surrounding countryside which carries the true heart and soul of Bordeaux.
Wine has been produced in this part of the world since the 8th century, and the growing and tending of vineyards, the harvesting and distillation of wine, as well and it’s blending and bottling, are taken incredible seriously and studied and honed into a fine art which is passed down through the generations.
Our chateau for the two days, Chateau de Meyre, (more on where we stayed can be viewed on http://www.chateaumeyre.com/en/main.php) was located in the heart of the Medoc region, between the very famous vineyards of Margaux and Moulis. Medoc loosely translates into ‘middle region’ as it is situated between the sea and the river Garonne, allowing its soil to have the perfect balance of water stress and easy irrigation through the gravelly terrain. The surrounding villages and vineyards attract wine connoisseurs from all over the world, who flock to experience the delicate red wine of Medoc, and Margaux is very well known for being a leader in 1855 Classification of wines which was carried out by Napoleon the 3rd in the year the name suggests. Before we left this wonderful part of the world, we also visited a second chateau in Margaux proper, named Chateau Rauzan Gassies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A2teau_Rauzan-Gassies). It’s fascinating history and illustrious winemaking heritage were really interesting to understand.
We also managed to spend a day in the town of Bordeaux itself, a perfectly laid out and pedestrianized city sitting straight on the fresh darks waters of the coast. La Belle au Bois Dormant, the Sleeping Beauty, Bordeaux really has a wealth of history juxtaposed with a vibrant student population which keeps the ancient city alive! My favourite aspect of walking the streets of Bordeaux again was the chance to learn more about Eleanor of Aquataine, a powerful woman leader who made some radical choices for her day, the late 1100s – to keep her lands over her children and marry and divorce influential kings over political strategy.
On a side note, it was in Bordeaux that we had our first real doppelganger episode on ‘Embrace the Detours’ when we met, and I tell no word of a lie here, French Gary. Yes, the sommelier and summer management intern at our Chateau gave a complimentary tour of the vineyards and cellars of Chateau Meyre and of course we jumped at the chance to learn more about one of my favourite things. Unbeknown to us, in all his full three-quarter trousers, fitted blazer, loafers and neckerchief glory, was French Gary. The splitting image, in the flesh. Needless to say, Gary and French Gary hit off something wicked. When we get our own Chateau and start making wine, we know the perfect person to oversee the whole operation!
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