Last-Minute Bordeaux Vineyards: Self-Guided Wine Tour
Do you have a free day to explore Bordeaux vineyards but have not planned your château visits in advance?
As you may know, some Bordeaux châteaux accept visitors, but most of them require appointments. Top Bordeaux wineries such as the first growth châteaux need to be contacted months and weeks in advance to secure time slots. In my experience, it is not likely that you would snatch an appointment at a first growth château if you book last-minute.
However, there is a way to accommodate spontaneous visits at Bordeaux wineries. There are some Bordeaux wineries including interesting grand cru classé that can be booked on a last-minute basis.
In most cases, you will need a rental car to explore Bordeaux wineries. However, some wineries can be visited by train to Saint-Émilion and then a walk from the town of Saint-Émilion.
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How to Make Last-minute Reservations at Bordeaux Wineries?
Before making your winery reservation it is important to decide on the wine region you are going to. Then select wineries available in your chosen wine region and make reservations at desired times.
Here are some resources on helping you select a wine region:
Pessac-Léognan Wineries Open to the Public
I do not recommend driving to wineries if you do not have confirmed appointments there. Bordeaux châteaux often have limited staff onsite, so when you arrive, there is a chance the door won’t be answered.
It is also important to time your appointments and movements well. Consider visit times and distances between various wineries and give yourself extra time to stop for an occasional photo, coffee or even to find a château entrance. Wine tours may get cancelled if you are more than 10 minutes late.
If you need help putting together your timed itinerary, please check out my Bordeaux Wine Tour Planning Service. I will make reservations for you and deliver a custom timed itinerary including your favourite wineries and other grand cru classé wineries available on your date.
To plan a self-guided tour in the Médoc, you may find my Médoc Tour Guide useful.
Which Bordeaux Wineries Can Be Booked Last Minute?
Saint-Émilion and Pomerol
These Sain-Émilion chateaux visits can be booked and paid for online, which is very convenient if you do not want to spend hours to research and wait for email responses:
Château La Croizille, Grand Cru Classé
Château Yon Figeac, Grand Cru Classé
Château Saint-Georges Côte Pavie
Château Haute-Nauve: family winery visit and tasting
In addition, there is an option of paying on the site when you book through Rue des Vignerons.
My recommended wineries in the Saint-Émilion area are:
Château Beauséjour Bécot, Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B
Château Franc Mayne, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé
Château Guadet, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé
One last source of information: if you are in the town of Saint-Émilion, you can drop by the Tourism Office and ask for the “chateau of the day”. Every day, the tourism office appoints at least one winery to hold open doors for visitors. Sometimes these visits are free, which is a good bonus.
The Médoc
These Médoc chateaux visits can be booked and paid online:
Château Lanessan in Haut-Medoc has an interesting history and connection with horses
Château Haut-Breton Lariguardière in Margaux offers a variety of wine tasting experiences including wine games.
These wineries would be my selection in the Médoc:
Château Lamothe Bergeron – Try their tour with macarons!
Château Siran – The secret bunker and the escape game are great.
Château Dauzac – A 1855 Grand Cru Classé winery with an impressive cellar in Margaux
Chateau Marquis de Terme – stop by for a glass of wine and dine at their winery restaurant Au Marquis de Terme.
When driving on your own remember to plan your trips from winery to winery carefully. Distances in the Medoc can be significant. For example, a drive from the city of Bordeaux to a winery Saint-Éstephe can be as long as 1.5 hours.
Below I have included a map of suggested wineries in the Médoc.
Pessac-Léognan
The Pessac-Léognan wine region is relatively close to Bordeaux. It is known for excellent red wines as well as crispy whites and of course its legendary chateaux such as Château Haut Brion and Château Pape Clément.
My favourite wineries to visit in Pessac-Léognan are:
Château Pape Clément, the oldest winery in Bordeaux
Château Latour Martillac, a family winery with great reds and whites.
Some of the wineries of Pessac are located quite close to Bordeaux and can be reached by bus or a quick Uber ride.
Here is a map of Pessac-Léognan wineries that will help you plan your wine tour with ease.
