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As someone who thoroughly enjoys wine but wanted to know more, venturing to Bordeaux, France, during harvest would be a masterclass—and a trip there had long been on my travel wish list. Tasting wines from appellations like Cadillac, Graves, Cotes de Blaye, and Entre-Deux-Mers were this solo traveler's ultimate dream, and lounging around a château didn't seem half bad either. I booked a trip for the end of the summer, and as I planned it, began to research the best tours for exploring the vineyards and beyond.
As someone with social anxiety, I've never been keen on big groups, especially when attempting to experience a destination. When I began looking for tours, I found that most entailed large group viewings on buses, and many private tours exceeded my budget. I felt stuck, but just when I was on the brink of giving up, I came across Alexandre and Retro Tour Bordeaux.
According to Airbnb, the $208 tour would consist of the driver on his bike and myself in a sidecar making our way through Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion, including its medieval city, stopping at different châteaux along the way. With a perfect five-star review rating on Airbnb, I was hopeful it would be an excellent alternative to seeing Bordeaux by bus.
Alexandre picked me up from the brutalist architecture-inspired Renaissance Bordeaux Hotel in the trendy neighborhood of Bacalan's Old Docks. The bright red, vintage-inspired 1940s-style motorcycle shined in the sun, and the sidecar was equally fabulous, with no front window and a comfortable seat. I threw on a speedster helmet and we zoomed away.
For more than four hours, we rode from Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion, first on the major highway, then through small one-way roads of gravel and dirt. We crisscrossed through vineyards, stopping at some to steal a few grapes. We took quick peeks at major wine players like Château Bélair-Monange, known as the primary producer of wines in Saint-Émilion until the 20th century, stopping for just enough time to get a good view of the estate. Our first actual pit stop was the town of Saint-Émilion. The medieval city was filled with travelers (and even some from the mega buses I was happy to avoid). We parked our ride near the Eglise Monolithe de Saint-Émilion, scoped out the area, and walked along small stone-paved roads, window-shopping the quaint wine stores and outdoor eateries.
Hopping back on the bike, we drove straight through Saint-Émilion. As we exited the village, we snuck behind Château Haut Sarpe for a peek at an infamous local wine bar, Glou-Glou. According to Alexandre, all-night wine parties at the small vine-covered bar were known to attract both residents and travelers.
Next on the Bordeaux wine tour, we made our way to Château Tour Saint Christophe in the neighboring district of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. The only distinction from Saint-Émilion was that wine produced here had to have at least 0.5 percent more alcohol. We began our second stop with a private tour and wine tasting Alexandre had organized. A representative from the recently renovated winery, which won the 2022 Grand Cru Classé, greeted us and gave us a quick tour of the château and its facilities. I learned about seasonal harvests and climate change's effects on this region. With warmer weather, more sugar is in the grapes, causing the wine to contain more alcohol. This effect of global warming forces wineries to shift to wine pairings since some of the wines could only be handled with an offset of food.
Walking along stone walls created by Spanish and French masons, we gazed at the Saint Laurent Valley and the château's vineyards sitting on cascading narrow terraces, ready for winter sleep. Once back inside, we began the private tasting, trying three different harvest years, all different types of red wine grapes. Pro tip: 2019's Château Tour Saint Christophe, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is expected to be a good vintage. Get a soon-to-be-released bottle if you like Merlot or Cabernet Franc.
After the tasting, we returned to the road. Almost every street we were on was one-way, and being in the sidecar, I could easily reach out my hand for a swipe of grapes. At one point, Alexandre asked me if I would like a drive inside a vineyard field. Without a second to pause, I said yes, and we veered off the main road into a winery. As we sped by the fields, the vineyards began to blur into green blots, and the cloudy blue sky gave a sharp contrast. Still unsure if this was usually part of the tour, I sported a child-like grin when Alexandre asked if I wanted to go again.
We started our trek back to my hotel, with the sun beginning to set. Arriving, I waved goodbye to Alexandre and thanked him for the experience. As I sat down for dinner at the rooftop restaurant Gina Bordeaux, I began reflecting on my recent encounter. This adventure reaffirmed my confidence as a solo traveler and appreciation of tours like this that help me feel comfortable but also adventurous. Holding a glass of wine (the correct way) and looking toward The Cité du Vin (a deconstructivist architectural masterpiece) and the rest of Bordeaux, I smiled.
