St Emilion Village & Vineyards
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Port
Bordeaux, France
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$129.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Saint Emilion region and village seem like the perfect place to begin your introduction to the heartland of the Merlot grape. This region produces delicious, rich, round wines and the vines on the 'hill with a thousand châteaux' reach right up to Saint Emilion's 13th-century town walls. Don't miss the surrounding moat dug out of solid rock. Members of the local wine brotherhood, the Jurats, proclaim the vintage banns here in much the same way as their ancestors did during the reign of Richard the Lionheart.
Enjoy a short orientation tour among the main attractions of the town -- the Collegiale Church and its magnificent cloister from the 12th century, the ramparts, the marketplace, and the monolithic church. Consecrated to the holy hermit by the Benedictine monks, the latter is unique in Europe for its size and represents the ultimate Christian transformation of natural caves in the cliff-face used for religious purposes.
Strolling through the streets, you will also see the Cadene gate and the King's Tower.
You might have some free time before you head out to one of the nearby château wine estates. Listen to an explanation of the techniques of winemaking during a visit to the cellars, before a wine tasting session introduces you to the local terroir.
Notes:
You will not enter the underground part of the monolithic church, the catacombs or the monastery. Minimum age to participate in wine tasting is 18 years.