Head of the wine cellar at the Chateau de Berne, in Provence, Brigitte Guiet enjoys sharing her passion for her work with wine enthusiasts. Each day, she prepares her wine cellar to provide the best experience to her numerous visitors. 

The heart of the Chateau de Berne seems to be beating here, in the wine cellar you manage.

There is always something happening in the vineyard, whether it be our guests or the general public … The Festival Food Truck is a real success and our jazz picnics liven up all the Sundays during summer! The wine cellar is the nerve centre of our vineyards, which attract more than 60,000 visitors each year. We work closely with the hotel, the restaurants and the spa. Entry to the wine cellar is free. We of course welcome our guests, who receive a bottle of Viognier wine when they arrive, as do visitors to the vineyard who are curious to discover our wines.  

What type of wine tastings do you offer?

We offer a range of wine tastings. From a simple visit to the cellars to a vertical tasting of all wines of the same colour, and moving on to suggestions of which foods go with which wines, everything is tailored to the level of knowledge of each person.  

Which places would you recommend to visit to understand the wines from this region? ​

The Museum of Arts and Popular Traditions at Draguignan gives you an understanding of the ancient skills of the winemakers of Provence. I also recommend Thoronet Abbey, built by Cistercian monks in the twelfth century, who even then were cultivating the first grape vines on our land. And then there is the House of Wines, at Arcs-sur-Argens, which offers the most complete map of all the Provence wines.

Acknowledged as one of the best winemakers in the world, Alain Brumont has revived the Madiran wine and the Tannat grape variety. Today his Chateaux Bouscassé and Montus (AOP Madiran) vineyards produce world-class prizewinning wines.  

You have developed a genuine philosophy? 

I’m like the foot of the vine. I have come from the ground, I was born next to vines, and I live in partnership with my environment: the best soil and climate. I want to express the idea that I have about this environment, to interpret the essence of the soil, the climate and allow people to enjoy this alchemy in a glass five, 20 or 30 years from now .... I want to offer the best interpretation of the Gascony region and a wine to accompany all the important moments and events in life.

And a very personal method? 

Each portion of my vines is separated by wood to protect them from contamination; I am one of the rare winegrowers who doesn’t use insecticides! I only use water from our springs, which come out of our unpolluted hills. Our vines have grass growing around them, the land is rich in ancestral plant life and the vine rows are perfectly orientated so that the grapes get 15 hours of sunlight each day. Each grape receives individual attention (200 hectares of vines are pruned five to seven times a year). That is almost a world record!

Is the winemaking also performed in a special way?

We hope to nourish the imagination of the wine tasters by telling a story: about humanity, a particular place, a specific soil, a civilization ... To give them sensations of taste, smell and even touch. These are the elements of winemaking. It is the art of composing the ideal division between the grape varieties and the land and giving your wine something special, which will make it unique and exceptional.  

At the heart of the Savoie vineyards, the Chateau des Allues is a charming place to stay, with its stylish rooms and large organic garden. On the menu: natural cuisine, Savoie wines and an enchanting landscape.

A charming manor house transformed into a stylish guest house, the Chateau des Allues is a magnificent and friendly stop on the Savoie Wine Route. In the dining room, Stéphane is passionate about his cooking, which uses the produce of his 88 square-metre organic garden and is accompanied by Savoie wines. Attending to your every need, he will give you his recipes, the names of his favourite restaurants, and reveal the secrets of his organic garden during a special workshop. Ask him for a list of the best walks in the Savoie vineyards and enjoy the magnificent views. 

The mythical hillside of Hermitage, where the vines seem to plunge towards the Rhône River. A trip to this exceptional wine-growing area on the banks of the Rhône, labelled Vineyards & Discoveries. 

Take a trip to the wine cellar of Tain-l’Hermitage vineyard, and enjoy an informative tour which allows you to walk along the tracks of the Hermitage hillside to discover the secrets of the famous Côtes-du-Rhône wines. The view plunges down to the river across the terraced vines and offers a breathtaking vantage over this Vineyards & Discoveries site. When you arrive, the new tour of the wine cellar offers a tasting of Rhône wines to learn how they are made. 

Spoked wheels, soft leather, gleaming brass and a wine tasting! All the ingredients are here for a unique and delightful getaway in a vintage car in the heart of the Armagnac vineyards.

Sitting in your gleaming vintage convertible, you are invited to one of the more unusual wine tourism trips: travel through the most beautiful vineyards of Armagnac in a vintage car which takes you back in time to a slower pace of life when vehicules drove at 40 km/h. Guided by a chauffeur dressed in period costume, you will taste Armagnac brandy, that precious nectar, at various chateaux, vineyards and villages along the way, including Larressingle, the ‘little Carcassonne’ of the Gers region, and Lavardens, recognized as one of the ‘Most Beautiful Villages of France’.

On board a toue cabanée, a typical boat of the Loire River, mix the discovery of the natural heritage of this majestic river with historic monuments and tastings of the Loire Valley wines. 

With the winemaker Denis Retiveau as your captain, enjoy a timeless experience and let yourself be carried along by this majestic river. The very gentle glide of the wooden boat is perfect for the discovery of the Loire Valley vineyards, chateaux and historic monuments from a fresh angle. The boat trip turns gourmet with the tasting of Loire wines and local delicacies. A scenic and friendly experience of wine tourism.

Not far from there, in Chinon, aboard a traditional boat on the Vienne River, discover exceptional landcapes and heritage with Julien Ayrault, your captain, and taste Chinon wines and local products with the winegrower, Jean-Max Manceau.

In Nantes, come aboard a typical traditional wooden boat called « Toue cabanée ». On the Erdre river, one of the most beautiful rivers in France according to French king Francis 1, you will enjoy a comfortable journey that will enable you to marvel at beautiful landscapes while meeting up with a winemaker from the Nantes vineyards. A truly unique encounter!

And if you’re looking for a spot of relaxation, then climb aboard the Raboliot, a typical local boat, for a trip down the Loire river, at the foot of Piton de Sancerre and its vineyards. Sylvain, its captain, will share with you the secrets of the flora and fauna of the  last wild river in Europe.

At Chateau Coutet, the Beaulieu family has always produced a great organic Saint-Emilion wine. A magnificent vineyard well suited to biodiversity, near Bordeaux.

Situated within the three major wine-growing areas of the Saint-Emilion vineyards, the Chateau Coutet covers 16 hectares. Wild tulips, orchids, newts and small lizards are some of the diverse range of plants and animals which thrive in this leading example of organic wine growing, which won the Best Environmental Practices in Wine Tourism category in the Best of Wine Tourism Award 2016.

The universal and living cultural heritage of wine now has the perfect setting: La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. Follow the guide, Philippe Massol, director of the foundation that is leading this unique and pioneering project.

Philippe Massol, Managing Director

What is the Cité du Vin?

The Cité du Vin is a cultural and tourist site dedicated to wine, unique in the world. It opened on 1 June 2016 in Bordeaux.

Through an approach based on culture, civilisation, heritage..., the Cité du Vin is a showcase for all the vineyards of the world. On site, visitors can take advantage of a wide range of activities. Starting with the Permanent exhibition of 3000m², which shows how wine has influenced human life and territory through 19 thematic modules. The entrance ticket also includes access to the Belvedere, where visitors can taste a glass of wine from around the world and enjoy a panoramic view over Bordeaux. Visitors can also take advantage of a temporary exhibition each spring; tasting workshops (discovery, food and wine pairings...); cultural events (conferences, meetings, debates) in the Thomas Jefferson auditorium. The Cité du Vin is also a place for outings, with several food outlets, a cellar with wines from around the world, and a boutique, a true concept-store for wine.

Who is the Cité du Vin aimed at?

The Cité du Vin is accessible to all! It doesn’t matter if you are a newcomer, a connoisseur, a wine lover or a professional, with family and children, or with a disability (the Cité du Vin has the “Tourisme et Handicap” label for the 4 categories of disability). It is a site suited to all audiences, both French and international, with trilingual signage and a tour companion available in 8 languages to activate the multimedia content in the Permanent exhibition.

The Cité du Vin is managed by the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations. What is its role?

The Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations is a recognised public-interest foundation. Its role is to safeguard, enhance and pass on the multiple cultural, historic and symbolic facets of wine, by making them accessible to the widest possible audience. It is committed to an approach that combines individual, collective, educational, immersive, dreamlike and multisensory experiences. It’s for this reason that the City of Bordeaux entrusted it with the operation and development of the Cité du Vin, the world’s leading cultural site dedicated to wine cultures and civilisations. The Foundation has also been selected to take part in the creation of the Universal Wine Museum in Beijing, which will open in spring 2022.

Owner of 42 vineyards around the world and a famous producer of great Bordeaux wines, Bernard Magrez likes to share his fabulous treasures: leading Bordeaux heritage sites such as the Pape Clément, Tour Carnet, Fombrauge and Clos Haut Peraguey.  

Some see it as the career of a man driven by a quest for perfection, others see the passion of a determined entrepreneur. Many have listed the crowning moments in the career of Bernard Magrez, a man still striving for excellence. His genius found its full expression in the wine district of Bordeaux and, in 1986, the purchase of Chateau Pape Clément. Home to seven centuries of wine production, this chateau became his life’s work.

In 1999, Bernard Magrez purchased Chateau Fombrauge (grand cru classé Saint-Emilion) and Chateau La Tour Carnet (Grand Cru Classé 1855 Haut-Médoc), adding to the list of 40 properties owned by this passionate wine expert. In 2012, these were joined by Clos Haut-Peyraguey (Premier Grand Cru Classé dans l'AOC sauternes​).

The pursuit of excellence and sharing the art of the Bordeaux vineyard lifestyle

In this frenetic quest for perfection, there is a respect for the beauty of the fruit and for the wine connoisseur savouring each and every taste. At the same time, Bernard Magrez, ‘the man with 40 chateaux’ and ‘the creator of rare wines’, now pursues excellence by organizing tailored visits, activities and events, during which he shares the experiences of a unique and authentic lifestyle.

This exclusive event, which includes a description of the origins of the great Bordeaux wines, forms part of a range of luxurious and refined visits, in which guests plunge into the heart of the centuries-old legend. This is how the concept of the Bernard Magrez Luxury Wine Experience was born.