Since 2013, this competition has been rewarding the best wine-tourism initiatives in the Bordeaux wine region across seven different categories. The prizes awarded are a mouthwatering symbol of excellence! As witnessed by the seven Best Of Gold winners from the award’s 2019 edition.

Château Les Carmes Haut Brion has a passion for architecture, and its highly contemporary cellar is designed to please. Curious visitors will love the artistic forest trail at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte. And for those in search of some excitement, why not fly over the vineyard at Château Vénus in a plane?

Fancy a snack? Come and taste some local produce in Château Guiraud’s ancient chapel. Unless you prefer to spend the night at Château La Tour Carnet, packed with medieval history...

At Château de Climens, you can uncover the secrets behind the world of biodynamic winemaking. And finally, Château Prieuré-Lichine offers a warm welcome for those keen to explore traditional winemaking.

A vineyard “must”, Château de Monbazillac shows no sign of dying on the vine! The historic monument is constantly reinventing itself in its attempts to captivate visitors.

the layout of the site’s museum is fun and educational, immersing curious visitors in the venue’s history and the Monbazillac appellation with its golden nectar. You then embark on a signposted tour of the park, beckoning you to enjoy a stroll and take a close look at the ecosystem of the vines.

The cellars cultivate an air of mystery, serving as the backdrop for a fact-finding mission into the grapes designed for children. And, just so that the whole family can get the most out of their visit, the Pavillon des Arômes devoted to different aromas welcomes adults for a tasting.

Art exhibitions and events re also held throughout the year. More than enough, in other words, to ensure you make some wonderful discoveries.

We know that your love of wine is often a pretext to slake your thirst for culture. So Château Philippe le Hardi should peak your curiosity.

In addition to being one of the largest of Bourgogne’s wine estates -102 hectares of vines converting to organic farming - this remarkable château, with its varnished tiles, is a spectacular piece of heritage closely tied to the region’s history.

Château Philippe le Hardi won the "Exceptional Offer" award at the 2024 Wine Tourism Trophies in the "Architecture and landscape" category.

For your information, Philippe le Hardi, son of the King of France Jean le Bon, was in his time owner of the site. After a series of inheritances and buyouts, Château Philippe le Hardi consists of a patchwork of parcels in the Côte d'Or and the Côte Chalonnaise. The diversity of “climates” provides a variety of wines each year, from Mercurey to Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru, a Santenay 1er Cru, Pommard and Aloxe-Corton.

Visits to the property are organised daily, bookings highly recommended. The tour usually finishes in the magnificent 9th century vaulted cellars with a tasting of four estate wines. A real treat for culture seekers.

Tips nearby:

Le Cellier Volnaysien : Volnay, 5 min from Beaune. Restaurant in a typical Bourgogne-style house. Fresh and high-quality cuisine. Vaulted room, stone walls and fireplace. Regional specialities: jambon persillé (cubes of cooked ham in parsleyed aspic jelly moulds), snails, oeufs en meurette (eggs poached in a red wine sauce with pieces of bacon and small onions), chicken in wine... Excellent regional wine list.

In charge of the Château du Coing wine estate is a female dream-team that showcases the best of their Muscadet terroir to produce a high-quality wine and exciting wine tourism attraction in the heart of the Nantes wine region.

At Château du Coing, wine production is a family affair and one in which women have fought hard to carve out a role.

Aurore, holder of a degree in sales, marketing and oenology, came to work in the vineyard alongside her mother in 2011. The women have complementary skills, and this has been the key to their success.

Aurore is passionate about her terroir, champions sustainable growing and takes an increasingly organic approach.

On the 75 hectares exclusively set aside for Muscadet grows another grape variety that is unique to the Nantes wine region, and grown nowhere else in the world, and of which the winemaker is particularly proud: Melon de Bourgogne. Aurore is also points out that their wines are left on the lees, a method discovered several centuries ago by local winemakers, and one that enhances the wine’s mouthfeel, adds complexity and increases the wine’s ageing potential.

Their wine estate is as renowned for its classic Muscadets as it is for its 20-year-old vintages and crus communaux. The estate’s wines are the perfect match for local dishes, and regional restaurants are past masters at pairing the region’s produce and wines.

The two winemakers are passionate about viticulture and enjoy sharing their knowledge, passion and produce with visitors. The estate is perfectly situated, surrounded by the Sèvre and Maine – two rivers that lend the AOC its unique characteristics – and by architecture typical of the Nantes region.

Aurore likes to remind visitors that because of the region’s diverse terroirs, there is more than one type of Muscadet. She is also keen to restore Gros Plant to its former glory, a lively white wine with fresh lemony notes that pairs well with produce from the not too distant Atlantic Ocean.

VinoValley Saumur is a wine-tourism venue with a difference that includes a troglodyte restaurant (La Table des fouées), a wine bar (Le Double V), and a wine merchant and gourmet deli (VinoValley) specialising in Loire Valley wines.

The troglodyte restaurant is a unique space with a stunning six-metre high ceiling with light provided from a 12-metre high central skylight! Sample a diverse range of local produce and delicacies, including the Fouées’Burger, and taste the local speciality that gave the restaurant its name: the fouée. This small loaf is baked in the kitchen’s wood-burning oven, and regular tweaks on the classic recipe provide a range of different and unique flavours. Meals are served with a Loire Valley wine, of course, but instead of choosing from a wine list make your way to the centre of the restaurant to pick your bottle with advice from our team of experts!

Over in the wine bar, tasting is a hands-on affair thanks to our cutting-edge system that serves wine by the glass! Move to our wine shop to find hidden gems among our 250 different Loire Valley wines and 50 items of local produce. Our passionate VinoValley Saumur team are on hand 7 days a week, offering their skills to help you discover the Loire Valley’s wines in all their glory!

For a truly immersive experience why not hire our venue for your next event: choose from an unforgettable equestrian dining experience in the troglodyte restaurant, an evening of entertainment in the wine bar, encounters with winemakers and much, much more. Or let us bring our restaurant to you with our La Table des Fouées food truck and its mobile wood oven.

And for a truly memorable experience why not discover the Loire Valley wine region from on high? Let VinoValley Saumur and its partner Montgolfière Sensation whisk you aloft in one of their 19-passenger hot-air balloons, one of the largest in the region!