Private Wine Tour in the Médoc
The Médoc wine region encompasses the mythical appellations of Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac, St Estéphe, and Haut-Médoc, all on the left bank of Bordeaux. This star-studded wine region is packed tightly with famous Châteaux and vineyards. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west, and the Gironde estuary to the east, both of which help create the unique terroir by shaping not only the microclimate but also the soils that characterize each appellation.
The grapes on the left bank make the region’s rich red wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon (which dominates), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and occasional, very targeted Malbec and Petit Verdot. The best examples of Médoc wines are full-bodied, concentrated, and extremely elegant.
A wine-tasting tour of the Médoc is de rigueur for French wine lovers, and we offer various one-day tours from Bordeaux to give our guests a unique introduction to the region’s excellent food and wine. For more than 20 years, Cellar Tours has organized food and wine tours, and in the Médoc we work with an array of wonderful, hand-selected wine estates that make incredible wines and offer friendly, personalized tours, elegant hospitality, and a superb wine tourism experience.
Your private chauffeur will drive throughout the day so that you can focus on the tastings. Here is a sample itinerary for a day out in the Médoc.
As featured in
Signature journey
Highlights include private chauffeur, classified-growth tastings, lunch in Saint-Estèphe and a hands-on blending workshop.
Day 1Médoc
Gourmet lunch at Maison d’Estournel
This morning, your elegant and friendly private chauffeur will collect you at your hotel or château in or around Bordeaux City. Board the plush Mercedes, sit back, and relax. Destination: Médoc. Dutch engineers arrived in the 1600s and began draining the once-salt marshes, making the flat region suitable for viticulture. Little by little, aristocrats and tycoons of the day moved in and established large estates with enormous châteaux and vineyards.
Thomas Jefferson visited Bordeaux in 1787, compared its wines and drew up his own informal ranking of leading estates. Learn all about the history of the region today while tasting fabulous wines!
Arrive at your first estate of the day, Château Giscours. In the 19th century, Jean-Pierre Pescatore transformed the old residence into a neoclassical château; Giscours itself says he did so to impress Empress Eugénie de Montijo. The estate’s history reaches back to the 14th century, while its vineyards have been documented since the 16th century. Winemakers have produced wine on the property since the 1550s, and a century later, it graced the tables of France’s Sun King Louis XIV. Your dashing Dutch host has lived in Bordeaux for decades and is passionate about his adopted wine region. Tour the estate and learn all about the history of Giscours, taking in the beauty of the majestic property and even lovelier château. The highlight this morning will be your premium private wine tasting inside the château.
Lunch: Now it’s time to settle into a terrific meal. We have a wonderful treat planned—a seasonal, locally rooted menu at the gorgeous La Maison d’Estournel, designed to complement the estate’s wines. This beautiful Médoc gem is the former private villa of Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel, founder of the mythical Château Cos d’Estournel.
Acclaimed three-Michelin-starred chef Jérôme Banctel, of Le Gabriel at La Réserve Paris, now leads the restaurant’s culinary direction, with a menu rooted in the Médoc and its seasonal produce. The cuisine combines Michelin-level technique with a relaxed approach. Lunch is stylish yet informal, and the dishes are contemporary interpretations of regional specialties that highlight the quality and authenticity of the area’s ingredients and local producers. Enjoy “L’art de vivre” as you sip your delicious wine and soak up the regal surroundings and manicured grounds.
Afternoon: After a memorable lunch, you have another exciting activity to look forward to: an “Assemblage” private tutorial at the cru classé Château Lagrange winery in the beautiful wine country of St Julien. Learn how the winemakers here select the percentage of vinified single-varietal wines for their blends, and have fun making your blend. Finish with a tasting of your blend and, of course, a bottle of Lagrange. This is an entertaining way to finish your wine tour of the Médoc.
Evening: After your day in the Médoc, your driver will drop you off at your hotel or château in Bordeaux or Saint-Émilion. We hope you had a great time!
Genevieve has spent more than 20 years creating private food and wine journeys across Spain, Portugal and France. She regularly visits the regions featured in these collections, meeting with winery, hotel, guide, and restaurant partners and exploring new experiences. She also reviews feedback from Cellar Tours guests. Her role is to help travelers choose the wine region, itinerary style, and pace that best match their interests—not simply the destination with the most famous name.
Personal expenses, gratuities, and any additional meals or tastings not listed in your itinerary are not included unless specifically stated. Your personal proposal will clearly show what is included and what is not.
Yes. Winery visits and tastings in your confirmed itinerary are privately arranged for your party.
We plan your Médoc journey around your individual requirements. Share mobility considerations, allergies, dietary preferences, and pacing needs early so we can adapt transportation, dining, château visits, and walking tours wherever possible.
