Our day of wine tasting in Bordeaux started at Chateau La Louvière! We arrived a little past 10 in the morning, so we were a few minutes late, but luckily they were very accommodating. We started the tour at the tasting room where our tour guide showed us the other châteaux owned by the same owner of Château La Louvière, André Lurton. He then led us outside to the back of the château where he explained its history. The oldest vines in the property date back to the 14th century, and the château was built in the 18th century and recently restored by the current owner in the 1950s. Our friendly guide was very thorough. He explained the whole process of making wine--from hand-picking and sorting the grapes, pressing, fermenting and storing. He showed us the different rooms where all these things happen, particularly the room where all the stainless steel vats are and the cellars where barrels of red and white wines are stored. The winery was busy preparing for the Vin Expo, so there was a lot of activity in one of the barrel rooms. We had two toddlers and 10 adults in our group, and though the toddlers were running around the place, not once did he express any displeasure at them. He was so nice! I think it helps that he's in his early 20s. He also seemed to appreciate all the questions people had. After the tour of the winery, he led us back to the tasting room, and proceeded to pour us wines. We thought we were only going to taste one red and one white, but he actually let us taste 5 different kinds of wine--2 whites (blends of mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon), two reds (blends of 70 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 30 percent Merlot), and a sweet wine (a Sauterne). They were all good, but the château's grand vins (or first wine) were standouts. For 8€ per person, the tasting fee was a great value, and the wines themselves were very reasonable. Some of us bought wines to drink back at the château and some to take back to the States. I would definitely recommend this winery if you're in Bordeaux. The Pessac Léognan appellation is the oldest in the Bordeaux region, so they've been producing wines for a very long time! Make sure you book ahead of time via e-mail, which is what my sister did for our group of 12. Salut! read more

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