Romantic Travel in France's Bordeaux Wine Region

Do the two of you appreciate fine wines--or are you looking for a personalized vacation that emphasizes not only fine wines but culinary adventures? We recently interviewed Ronald Rens, Wine Master and President of The Bordeaux Wine Experience, which specializes in high-end wine and culinary tours in France's Bordeaux region. Aimed at an English speaking international clientele, the company offers small group tours open to individual travelers and private wine tours, good options for romantic travelers.

What is The Bordeaux Wine Experience and why does it hold special appeal for romantic travelers?

The Bordeaux Wine Experience is considered as the leading wine tour company and offers personalized services with English / French speaking hosts, for customized wine tours throughout the region of the châteaux of Bordeaux wines.

Our tours are friendly, fun and informative combining visits to prestigious châteaux and tastings with very different wines to experience a wide range of tasting characteristics.

Our guests will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the rooms of our 18th century château named after the Bordeaux wine appellations such as Margaux, Sauternes or Pauillac, all beautifully decorated with authentic furniture and warm colours.

What might surprise travelers about the Bordeaux region?

Bordeaux is truly a wine lover's Mecca, boasting over fifty appellations and over 10,000 châteaux. Travelers will discover first-hand the sophistication and exquisite appeal of the world's finest wines: Lafite, Mouton, Latour, and others. Well over 2000 years old, Bordeaux is recognized as a vital cultural hub, if at times appearing exclusive or aloof. The port town mesmerizes tourists with its quaint, narrow streets and unique architecture of City Centre and the Old Quarter. Bordeaux also boasts nine public museums, notably the Museum of Fine Art, the Natural History Museum and Aquitaine Museum. The rugged beauty of the city's Atlantic coast offers beachgoers a number of recreational opportunities.

We understand that fine dining is an important part of a visit to the Bordeaux region. Can you describe a typical dining experience on one of your tours?

An important part of the fun of traveling is sampling the local cuisine.

The Bordeaux Wine Experience offers travelers the opportunity to sample the best tables of Bordeaux, and in our opinion La Tupina is the most original. Situated in an old stone building, you can see the food being cooked in traditional French style.  But of course we include meals at Michelin rated tables and in private chateaux. A real highlight on all our tours is the Farewell dinner in the private dining room at our own Chateau Coulon Laurensac.

If a traveler enjoys wine but isn't particularly knowledgeable about the subject, will they typically enjoy a Bordeaux visit?

A wine tour is a vacation and you are on vacation to have fun. Some of our guests are just discovering the basics of the wonderful word of wine where as others already have a more in depth wine knowledge. All guests have a common interest in travel, food and wine and enjoy the good things in life. 

Your guide will quickly have a feel for the way our guests are interested in wine and can explain things in a way that will be interesting for all "levels" in wine knowledge.

In an informal relaxed atmosphere we will introduce you to the fun of wine and wine tasting. There is plenty of room for more advanced discussions for those who have more experience or a specialty interest

Who are the people behind The Bordeaux Wine Experience?

We, Ronald and Margaret Rens, founded The Bordeaux Wine Experience. We have almost 25 years experience in visiting, tasting and touring Bordeaux and its wine region. We design and run all of our tours ourselves. We both are Wine Masters, certified by the Dutch Wine Academy and both have a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Science.   Traveling with The Bordeaux Wine Experience means traveling with us. We visited and studied most of the well known wine producing area’s in the world. As everything in wine is about taste (and taste buds) we found out that our preference lies in the Bordeaux wines. They are our preference and our passion.

At what kind of accommodation will guests be staying?

During your tour with The Bordeaux Wine Experience, you’ll stay at the beautiful Michelin rated Bed and Breakfast rooms of Château Coulon Laurensac. The enchanting Palladian Château (built in 1790!) is located just ten minutes from the city of Bordeaux and has beautiful views of the vineyards surrounding the property.

The chateau, which figures in the prestigious "Special Places to Stay" guidebook, offers two suites, one junior suite and two deluxe rooms. That is why five couples is the maximum number we can accommodate at our chateau.

What kind of people take your tours and what age groups can one expect?

That's one of the most interesting parts of our profession. We receive and get to meet guests from all walks of life and of all ages. We have received people from the world of finance, education and the medical professions. We have had guests who were CEO's, real estate agents, airplane pilots and entrepreneurs, both active and retired. The age of The Bordeaux Wine Experience travelers, generally ranges from early to mid-30's up to late-50's. Until now we have had people in an age range from 25 to 80 years. All have a common interest in travel, food and wine.

What should travelers prepare for when traveling to France?

Many things are different in France. That's of course part of the thrill of traveling abroad.

The French organizational skills are at a different level than there cooking and wine making skills. Although we meticulously prepare every step of our tours, we at times have to improvise which means we sometimes all have to adapt to a new reality. If you have read any of Peter Mayle's books on living in France, you know what we mean. We live here so we know that functioning in France means we all have to be a little flexible at times. If you'll come to France with an open mind, a little flexibility and a mild sense of humor, I am sure you will love this French experience as much as we do.

What else would you like romantic travelers to know about The Bordeaux Wine Experience?

A Wine Tour is more than "just" the wine! When guests tour with The Bordeaux Wine Experience, they get to meet château owners, wine makers, are invited into chateaux, see art collections and visit unique and private gardens.

Eat in restaurants varying from typical local cuisine to Michelin-rated tables. And of course live the very special experience of eating in private dining rooms of some wonderful Bordeaux châteaux.

For More Information:

visit The Bordeaux Wine Experience, www.BXWINEX.com
visit Château, www.CLBX.com
Phone: 00 33 (0)556 20 64 12
Fax: 00 33 (0)556 21 79 44