Decanter July 2021

TRAVEL SECRETS OF THE LOCAL EXPERTS We asked eight of Bordeaux’s top English-speaking wine-country trip planners and guides to reveal their favourite places, from off-the-beaten-track secrets to once-in-a-lifetime gems STORY CEIL MILLER BOUCHET Of the 57 appellations in the Bordeaux region, our guides (see ‘Meet the experts’, p104) picked out Sauternes and Fronsac as must-visit appellations for their low-key charm, bucolic landscapes, family-owned properties and growing roster of wine tourism experiences. A perfect day in Sauternes, according to Janice Brooks, offers so much more than the usual cellar visit followed by a sip and swirl. Her favourites include Château Sigalas Rabaud (www.chateau-sigalas-rabaud.com), a small, family-owned property where your guide could be the marquis himself. ‘There are children’s games, and delicious gourmet tapas or meals on the terrace overlooking the vines,…

Regular readers may notice something different about this issue. If you are among that number, firstly, thank you for your commitment and, secondly, I hope we haven’t given you a nasty shock. As you will have noticed, we’ve given the magazine a bit of a spring clean. It had been quite a while since the design was last refreshed, so we decided it was high time to smarten up some of the more cobwebby bits. We’ve increased the paper quality, and we’ve also freshened up some of the content, adding a new section, Uncorked, to showcase shorter stories, and bringing in another new regular to help those climbing the learning ladder (in fact, that’s all of us). However, we haven’t lost any of our in-depth expertise; we’re expanding our highly…

Learn as you go: where to get educated The Bordeaux Wine Council (www. bordeaux.com) gets top marks in wine education from all of our experts – many of whom teach there – for its wide array of English-language wine education, ranging from half-day introductory classes to week-long in-depth explorations. Its website is also a treasure trove of information about the region and its wines. Also in Bordeaux, L’Atelier de Dégustation (www.latelierdegustation.com) offers private English-language wine tasting and education classes in the heart of the historic Chartrons district, where the wine merchants traditionally housed their barrels in stone warehouses. For Right Bank aficionados, the Maison du Vin de St-Emilion (www.maisonduvin saintemilion.com) offers both beginners’ and in-depth classes.…

MICHAELA MORRIS is a wine writer, judge, educator and speaker. Based in Vancouver, she teaches about Italian wine across Canada and abroad. She is also a VIA Italian Wine Expert STEPHEN BROOK is a contributing editor to Decanter and the DWWA Regional Chair for Piedmont. The author of almost 40 books, he has won several awards for his work in wine CARLA CAPALBO is an awarded food, wine and travel writer and photographer. Among others, she has authored three books since 1998 focusing on the regional food and wines of Italy ALDO FIORDELLI is a widely published Italian journalist, wine writer and author, and a DWWA judge. He became a qualified sommelier in 2003, and has written books about food, wine and art RICHARD BAUDAINS has been a regular contributor to Decanter since 1989, and is the DWWA Regional…

Room with a view: the best chateâu stays in Bordeaux ‘More and more wine properties are opening up their château bedrooms to guests,’ says Martin Hurst, who often sends his clients to Château Beauregard (www.chateau-beauregard.com) in Pomerol, where the historic charterhouse has been restored with five private rooms, and Château Le Pape (www.haut-bailly.com), which has also refurbished its elegant property to receive guests in an intimate setting just outside the Bordeaux city limits. On the Right Bank, Château Troplong Mondot (www.troplong-mondot.com) gets top marks from all of our experts. With the postcard-perfect view (right) of the village of St-Emilion (a 20-minute stroll through the vines) and impeccable wine-country art de vivre, you can’t go wrong choosing one of the charmingly decorated rooms in the main property or the private two-bedroom…

MEET OUR PANEL OF BORDEAUX EXPERTS Martin Hurst & Tim Olson of The Bordeaux Concierge left New York careers to run private, tailor-made tours and experiences for wine lovers, as well as road trip itineraries. thebordeauxconcierge. com Janice Brooks of Bordeaux with a Smile is an Alabama native and a trained actor who also instructs masters students in wine and spirits. She focuses on wine-country history. bordeauxwithasmile@ gmail.com Mary Dardenne of Decanter Tours (no relation) works with independent travellers and wine club groups. Originally from Texas, she’s a certified travel advisor with The Travel Institute decantertours.com Sarah Seguret, who runs My Bordeaux Tours, is an Irish native and accredited tour guide who specialises in biodynamic wines, as well as the latest trends in wine viticulture and gourmet dining. mybordeauxtours.com Caroline…