Birthday celebrations in Bordeaux reinforce the close links between the city and the surrounding vineyards.
This week, La Cité du Vin celebrates its 10th birthday. For the last decade, this extraordinary building has been bringing the vineyard into town. Not just the Bordeaux vineyard, but wines and wine regions from across the globe – here they all come together for a unique consumer experience.
Vue extérieure©ANAKA-2024_XTU architects_ Cité du Vin
A cultural and viticultural space on the banks of the Garonne River, La Cité du Vin is part of Bordeaux’s reinvention as a wine tourism destination. This trend, already well established in the vineyards, is now embracing – and being embraced by – the city.
The 3,000 m² self-guided, interactive and multimedia exhibition aims to inform, educate and amuse in an approachable way, making wine accessible to a broad audience. It takes visitors on a journey through the world of wine and vines, from Antiquity to the present day, across five continents and in eight languages. It shows how our universal wine heritage continues to inspire people and shape both lives and landscapes, just as it has done for millennia.
©Cité Du Vin
The tour ends in the Belvedere, eight floors up, with a glass of wine from a selection of 20 wines from around the world, served under a monumental chandelier made from thousands of wine bottles.
Celebrations
They are celebrating their tenth anniversary in style, inviting the whole city to join them on their journey. There are international tastings, celebratory bubbles from around the world, a free exceptional evening opening with tastings, and even yoga sessions in the eighth-floor Belvedere overlooking the city. Guided architectural tours will reveal the secrets of this stunning golden building, created by architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières. It was inspired by old, gnarled vines, wine swirling in a glass and the eddies of the Garonne River on whose banks it stands. The celebrations conclude with an outdoor party featuring live music and DJ sets where everyone is invited – a festive atmosphere that has become signature of La Cité du Vin.
©Lucas Berthoumieu
Working closely with the University of Bordeaux and the ISVV (Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin), La Cité organises conferences – many available online to promote wine culture. It is also an educational centre, disseminating information far and wide about the wonderful, diverse and constantly evolving world of wine.
Highlights
Over the past decade, La Cité du Vin has established itself as one of Bordeaux’s most iconic visitor attractions, welcoming millions of guests from around the world and hosting a remarkable programme of exhibitions, cultural events and educational initiatives. Among the milestones that have marked its first ten years, one stands out in particular: in 2019, La Cité du Vin received the prestigious Special Achievement Award at the Great Wine Capitals Best Of Wine Tourism Awards.
©Cité du Vin
The distinction recognised both its international influence and its exceptional contribution to wine tourism, celebrating a venue that has successfully connected wine culture, education and visitor experience on a truly global scale.
Wine, dine and learn
Le 7 Restaurant, on the seventh floor of La Cité du Vin, is open for breakfast, coffee, cocktails, lunch, dinner and even afternoon tea – although it might be afternoon wine. Choose from over 300 wines, with a strong focus on organic and sustainable wines from more than 50 countries, including 15 wines available by the glass. There is also a relaxed ground-floor bistro on the banks of the river, a wine shop featuring bottles from around the world, and a boutique promoting local craftsmanship around the theme of wine.
Workshops and tastings organised by the sommelier team are offered throughout the year, covering topics as enjoyable as food and wine pairing and as serious as environmental challenges.
Centre stage
It may be the most emblematic, but La Cité du Vin is not the only wine-centric experience in the city. The Bar à Vindu CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council) is a showcase for the wines of the region, offering flights that take visitors on a journey through the appellations of Bordeaux, always guided by expert in-house sommeliers.
bar-a-vin_©gbonnaud_civb
Opening later this year, 67 Pall Mall, the famous London wine club, will launch its first outpost in a wine region – Bordeaux. Housed in a beautifully renovated 18th-century building in the heart of the Triangle d’O, the club is designed around an 8.2-metre-tall wine tower that will house 7,500 bottles of red wine beneath a magnificent 15-metre cupola. Although a private club, the ground floor will be open to the public. Visitors can enjoy more than 5,000 wines, of which 1,000 will be available by the glass. Masterclasses, wine dinners and curated wine itineraries led by Master Sommeliers.
©67 Pall Mall Bordeaux
Out of town
Now you have mastered wine in the town centre, you’ll be ready to explore the vineyard for yourself – and it couldn’t be easier, even from the city centre. The Tourist Office organises daily guided visits from the city centre – no need to drive. Day and half-day excursions depart for all four corners of the vineyard, visiting a selection of properties and always accompanied by an expert guide.
If you prefer to travel independently, that’s easy too. Although the Bordeaux vineyard is vast and spread out, some properties are rso close to the city, they almost qualify as an urban vineyard! In Pessac-Léognan, both Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion (Regional Best Of Wine Tourism winner in 2019 in the Architecture & Landscapes category) and Château Haut-Brion can be reached by tram.
©Les Carmes Haut Brion
Or take the train south to Cérons, where Château de Cérons (2025 Regional Best Of Wine Tourism winner in the Innovative Wine Tourism Experience category) is just a short stroll from the station. Alternatively, hire a bicycle at the station and explore the region with La Bulle Verte. This is all part of the Route des Vins de Bordeaux en Graves et Sauternes.
©Station Bulle Verte _ gare de Cérons
The train can also take you north into the Médoc, passing many famous names along the way. Stop in Margaux and walk to Château Marquis de Terme (2023 Regional Best Of Wine Tourism winner in the Wine Tourism Services category). And continue further north to Pauillac, step off the train and stroll to the waterfront to visit a true urban winery: Château Grand-Puy Ducasse (2026 Regional Best Of Wine Tourism winner in the Architecture & Landscapes category). It is an unusual yet historic location, producing wine since 1820. After three years of renovation work, the cellars opened to visitors in July 2024.
Wine and waterfront, from tasting in town to touring the vineyards, Bordeaux’s city and the vines have never seemed closer.
Author: Wendy Narby for Great Wine Capitals