Welcome to part four of a Summer in France (Vineyards). This is a shorter post to share with you a couple of quick day trips out in the countryside in the wine regions of Blaye, Pauillac & Saint-Émilion.
Blaye
The wine from this region is “Blaye – Cotes de Bordeaux”. The small city of Blaye is just across the river from the Médoc region with a ferry connecting the two sides. It’s a small town north of Bordeaux that contains a Citadel from the 17th century.
We explored the Citadel before heading into town. It also has a small port, a few shops and cafes on the main drag…and that’s about it. The population of Blaye is about 5,000. Unfortunately, when we visited most businesses were closed for the long Easter holiday weekend.
Our hopes to find an open tasting room didn’t work out, so we decided to head back to Bordeaux. We drove along the wine route and the views were incredible.
The next day we headed into the Médoc region. We saw a sign for Fort Médoc and pulled over to explore it. The fort was constructed along the Gironde Estuary in 1689 and it was open for us to walk around. Here’s a short clip with aerial views of the fort by the tourist office.
The vines were just beginning to sprout at all the vineyards. It seemed that very mile or two there was another beautiful château on the horizon.
Pauillac
Our next stop was the village of Pauillac.
Leaving Pauillac, we drove past another beautiful property. 
Choosing a chateau at random, we walked in and asked about a tasting. Without reservations, they first said no, then decided to let us tag along for a tour and tasting with another couple. The wine was delicious.
Saint-Émilion
Our favorite day trip from Bordeaux is to visit this beautiful town. Saint-Émilion is an ancient village that has been producing wine since the 2nd century. Much of the town’s medieval remains are from the 12th century. Constructed circa 1000 are the catacombs next to the church. The old town itself is mainly pedestrian, heavily cobblestoned and streets can be steep. Famous for its award winning wine, there are wine shops everywhere.
It was another great day in the beautiful French countryside enjoying good food, wine and history. We didn’t have an agenda other than to explore, drink more wine and relax, so we hope you enjoyed this chapter of Summer in France (Vineyards). If you have a chance to visit the Bordeaux area, don’t miss this great wine village and its incredible wines.
On a final note, we arrived in Bordeaux from Saint-Émilion on the evening of the 12th day of National Strikes. We ran into the protests as they set off smoke bombs and loud booms. I snapped a few pictures from afar and we decided to duck into a wine bar to avoid the drama. After all, Danny was still thirsty as I’d only let us share one bottle of wine today since he was driving.
The following day, the French government approved the new retirement age which became law. We’re hoping that the strikes and protests will subside soon.
Next week, we are in Toulouse, France with sunshine and slightly warmer weather. Stay tuned for more.
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