“There are two kinds of wine in the world: French and others,” Leslie Kellen declares, pausing on a corner in Blaye with an umbrella in one hand and a glass of bordeaux in the other. His face creases into a smile and, despite the sudden spring shower that has sent locals scurrying indoors, I hardly notice the raindrops as I step out from beneath the red awning of La Petite Cave wine bar.
With the rest of the rather incongruous group, all juggling glasses, brollies, bags and improvised rainwear, I follow our host, Pied Piper-style, along Rue St Simon. Under the early afternoon clouds, the pearl-grey water of the Gironde estuary — the meeting point of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers — shimmers in the distance.
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More scarlet canopies provide a temporary respite. We then realise that Kellen, a convivial amalgam of raconteur, philosopher, creator, dreamer and bon vivant, has the keys to many doors. As well as running the wine bar and having a stake in the Étalon Rouge (Red Stallion) vineyard, he and his artist wife, Clarissa, run a gallery, studio and wine cellar. As unexpected as it is eclectic, the tour is one of Avalon Waterways’ Discovery Excursions — the others being Classic and Active — and certainly lives up to its name.
Avalon Artistry II can carry 128 passengers
Setting down our glasses in the lofty, stone-walled studio, we try our hand at painting a communal canvas that, rather embarrassingly, given my childlike daubs, goes on show back on board Avalon Artistry II that evening. In the enclosed courtyard adjoining the studio, we admire Kellen’s remarkable collection of bicycles, motorcycles and classic cars, from colourful and characterful Citroën 2CVs to a sleek 1955 Porsche Speedster. Throughout, he shares his refreshingly unstuffy outlook on wine and his disdain for snobbery surrounding the subject.
What you need to know
Where is it? You can fly to Bordeaux, but think about taking the train as an alternative: the journey from Paris by TGV takes only two and a half hours.
What to pack? Some tours involve a fair bit of walking so pack comfortable shoes. Evenings on board are smart-casual so leave your glad rags at home.
Insider tip Bordeaux is a fantastic cycling city, flat and easy to explore. Take time out from the tours and explore on one of the bikes carried on board.
First fruit of the day
“A good wine is the wine that you like,” says Kellen, whose love of French culture brought him to Blaye from South Africa 25 years ago. “And if you have a glass of wine with your breakfast it’s your first fruit of the day.”
Avalon Waterways recently launched its first cruises in Bordeaux, exploring the Garonne and the Dordogne and travelling through the heart of the wine region. My week-long itinerary, sailing round-trip from Bordeaux and visiting places that read like a wine list — Cadillac, Médoc, St Émilion — is certainly catnip for oenophiles. However, you don’t need to be a connoisseur to savour this pretty region of southwestern France.
Arcachon is renowned for oyster harvestingAlamy
The daily choice of shore tours includes visits to châteaux, strolls through pretty riverside towns such as 12th-century fortified Libourne, hikes and ebike tours (many of them admittedly through vineyards) and trips celebrating the region’s other multisensory pleasure: gastronomy. You can sample ocean-fresh oysters on a day trip to Arcachon on the Atlantic coast, try crunchy almond pralines on the walk up to the Unesco-listed Citadel of Blaye or, on one of the optional experiences, join a cookery class to make fluffy French cream puffs (£126pp).
At Libourne I combine the best of both worlds on a wine and chocolate tour (£75pp). A ten-minute drive from our docking spot is Fronsac, one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Bordeaux, lying on a curve on the Garonne. Its smooth wines, made predominantly from a blend of merlot and cabernet franc, first found favour with the French royals. When Maria Josepha of Saxony, the mother of three monarchs including the last king of France, Louis XVI, decided to visit in 1750, they did a bit more than roll out the red carpet. The newly built Château de la Dauphine was named in her honour and the grand country house, today privately owned, is an elegant focal point amid the vines.
We hear how the hilly vineyard focuses on biodiversity, working in tune with the cycle of nature, and we meet the “gardeners”, Dauphine and Merlot, a pair of handsome black Ouessant sheep who help keep the vegetation at bay.
Château de la Dauphine is owned by the Labrune familyAlamy
Wine blending with a difference
Then it is time to head indoors for our private wine-blending session. Each of us has three glasses, a measuring tube, a spittoon and a paper chart that is the equivalent of a wine wheel of fortune. The central hub is set out with various aromas — floral, fruit, spices and herbs — fanned by an expansive and lyrical glossary of potential tasting notes, including leather, cocoa, truffle, grapefruit, fresh hay and prune. It seems a lot more serious than Kellen’s sip-and-stroll format.
Our tutor Benjamin Barreau dispels any nerves as he hands out pre-course glasses of rosé. It has just gone 10am — technically 9am back home — but we need little encouragement, as he says: “Use it for practice before we start.”
Jeannine participating in the private wine-blending session
It might be early, but it is too nice to waste and none of us uses the spittoons. However, mine comes in handy when I attempt some rookie alchemy to create the perfect wine from the bottles of single-grape varieties lined up in front of me. The first is so dry my mouth puckers, the second is only marginally better. Barreau assures us that it takes professionals 20 to 30 attempts to come up with a blend that ends up being bottled. While mine certainly would not have passed the royal muster of yesteryear, I am chuffed to get a personalised wine-blending certificate to take home.
A posh version of Nestlé Matchmakers
I feel well qualified for the next task as we stop at the Mademoiselle de Margaux shop for a chocolate tasting. The confectioner is best known for Sarments du Médoc, dark-chocolate twigs resembling vine branches with delicate flavours such as orange, raspberry and mint. It is fun to learn that, rather than being the product of a judicious marketing campaign, these twigs were invented by accident in 1969 when the chocolate machine clogged up and the previously uniform straight sticks emerged in a serpentine shape. We tuck in. They remind me of a posh version of Nestlé Matchmakers.
With all that wine and someone else to do the driving, a river cruise is the perfect way to discover this corner of France. The 128-passenger Avalon Artistry II is a comfortable ship that belies the fact it was originally launched in 2013. Before the new Bordeaux itineraries it underwent a top-to-bottom refurbishment and looks new. The bright colours and dated geometric patterns of old have been replaced with muted neutrals that are easy on the eye. Tables for alfresco dining have been added outside the Panorama Bistro, the casual dining venue at the front of the ship that is open for lunch and dinner. There is also the Sky Grill barbecue on the sundeck, which has a whirlpool tub and plush outdoor lounge furniture, creating a perfect spot to sip a sundowner.
Rooms aboard the ship have been recently refurbished
Most days the ports are quite close to each other, so there is plenty of time ashore and often a couple of excursions. But I usually find time for a post-lunch snooze in the well-designed cabin where the bed faces the river and a panoramic window slides wide open, creating the feeling of a balcony.
Meals are imaginative and well presented. I particularly like the Avalon Fresh menu, which runs alongside regular dishes and showcases plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Each night I meet fellow guests in the lounge to swap tales of the day’s adventures. There’s always a jolly atmosphere, enhanced by the free daily cocktail hour.
Back in Bordeaux I go down for my last breakfast and eye the sparkling wine on offer. Well, Kellen did say it counts as the first fruit of the day and, if I make a buck’s fizz, that would be two of my five. Santé.
Jeannine Williamson was a guest of Avalon Waterways, which has seven nights’ full board on the Bonjour Bordeaux: Châteaux, Wineries & Charming Villages cruise from £1,999pp, including flights, transfers, daily excursions and wine with meals, departing from Bordeaux on March 31 (avalonwaterways.co.uk)
Dining and Cooking