Bordeaux’s River Wine Festival

Bordeaux (33 Gironde, Nouvelle Aquitaine) has improved its image and facilities in recent years and now celebrates its river (Garonne) with a River Festival (27 – 30 June 2024) every other year – Bordeaux Fête le Vin with singing and  dancing on the quays throughout the weekend.

. Over 4 days of festivities, explore Bordeaux’s winemaking heritage on the quayside with a rich programme of tastings, experiences and emotions.

France’s biggest wine tourism festival

Every year in June, the Bordeaux Wine Festival takes place along the quays of Bordeaux. During this festival, visitors and locals alike can (re)discover the great diversity of wines from Bordeaux and its region through a variety of events. Leading the way is the legendary Wine Tasting tour and its many appellation pavilions, where wine professionals share their expertise over a glass of wine. Not far away, the gastronomic village awaits gourmets with local specialities produced locally.

Tens of thousands of visitors attend and take part in the many events held every year.

Magical drone shows

The 2023 edition of Bordeaux Fête le Vin unveiled a brand new attraction: a ballet of drones performed over two evenings to amaze and delight locals and visitors alike. On the evenings of 23 and 24 June, spectators could watch drones take to the skies in a choreographed musical performance that could be seen from the Bordeaux Wine Festival grounds on the Left Bank.

This show, which was specially designed for the Wine Festival, will also be back for the 2024 edition!

All aboard the tall ships

Bélem, Thalassa, Nao Victoria… do any of these names ring a bell? These are the great historic sailing ships that have docked on the quays during previous editions of the Bordeaux Wine Festival! These majestic vessels, which travel the seas, are an integral part of the identity of the Wine Festival, and each year they come to moor on the Bordeaux quays for the duration of the festivities. Year after year, visitors can climb aboard and enjoy a guided tour led by the crew. 

In 2024, they’ll be there again!

TICKETS & TASTING PASS

The Bordeaux Wine Festival can be fully enjoyed with the Tasting Pass, an essential way of discovering the diversity of wines available at the Festival. From June 27 to 30, visitors will be able to present their tasting card at each pavilion to taste the wine of their choice.

ACCESS TO THE TICKET OFFICE

 

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Discover the tasting tour

Previously the riverside tended to be more industrial and delapidated – or bordered by heavy traffic – so along with many other aspects of the city it has become more visitor-friendly and relaxed.

Bordeaux will play host to a new festival open to the public and centred on the Garonne river, music, and dance . In previous years this has coincided with the arrival of the Belem, France’s last surviving three-masted tall ship, which will drop anchor in the Port de la Lune, in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. For 10 days, the Bordeaux waterfront will be swarming with experienced yachtsmen and sailing enthusiasts: excitement and atmosphere guaranteed!

For more info see www.bordeaux-fete-le-fleuve.com

For more recommendations on where to stay, eat, visit etc see “le weekend in Bordeaux”

By Train TGV to Bordeaux with Rail Europe

Only one hour from Paris by plane, and three hours by train (TGV), Bordeaux is the capital of southwestern France. It is distinguished by its exceptional 18th century architecture that has earned it the title of “Little Paris” around 200 years ago, and more recently its World Heritage status by UNESCO. Its recent urban developments are in a city where life is good, and where gastronomy, culture, shopping and services are held, near the famous vineyards of the world’s finest wines. Many discovery tours and gourmet strolls are offered in order to taste the local produce, and particularly the prestigious wines. Every two years, the Bordeaux Wine Festival takes place in the last week of June. It was the first tourism event for wines in France, and it is a very unique program which boasts many simultaneous festivals.

Things to be sure not to miss in Bordeaux:

• The Esplanade des Quinconces, the largest downtown city square in Europe
• The facade of the dock, its walkways, taverns and river excursions
• The Grand Théâtre, the Rohan Palace and the Palace of the Bourse… Masterpieces of the eighteenth century
• The cathedral and the two basilicas, historical steps on the way to Saint Jacques de Compostelle
• The squares of old Bordeaux, its many craft shops and vast number of outdoor cafés
• The “Bordeaux Triangle,” the four-seasons market, its palace, opera house and luxurious boutiques St. Catherine Street, with its many shops and sidewalk cafés
• The district of Chartrons, a former headquarters for traders, antique dealers, and artists alike
• The Saint-Michel district, its many flea-markets and their hidden treasures The numerous museums and antique art galleries

Read more at: Bordeaux on France.fr