Many visitors taste Bordeaux wine without ever understanding why one bottle costs ten times another, and this workshop is designed to fix that in an hour and a half. It takes place in the city centre, at 3 Rue d’Enghien, and it is led by a professional sommelier. You begin with the basics of French wine: terroir, the appellation system and how to read a label without feeling lost. You then taste seven different wines, with a platter of cheese, cured meat and chocolate to go with them. The practical part comes at the end, when you create your own blend from two Bordeaux grapes, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and discover how much the proportions change the glass. It is the most hands-on way to understand what Bordeaux means by blending, and it makes sense of the difference between the left bank, where Cabernet dominates, and the right bank, where Merlot leads. The workshop is rated 4.9 from more than a hundred reviews, and groups are capped at twelve, which keeps it conversational. It suits anyone who plans to visit the vineyards and wants to arrive informed, or who wants a wine experience in the city without leaving for the day.
How to visit
The meeting point is 3 Rue d’Enghien, 33000 Bordeaux, and the activity ends back at the same place. The page gives a start time of 10:30 in the morning with a request to arrive at 10:25, so it is a good first activity of the day. The session lasts about an hour and a half and is run in English. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the start.
What to expect
A short introduction to terroir, appellations and labels, followed by the tasting of seven wines with a platter of cheese, meat and chocolate. The blending is the main event: using Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, you assemble a mix to your own taste, which makes the structure of a Bordeaux wine much easier to understand than any explanation.
Groups are small, with a maximum of twelve, so there is time to ask questions. It is a morning of tasting, so it is wise to eat a light breakfast and plan nothing demanding for the rest of the morning.
Making the most of it
Schedule it early in your trip, before a vineyard day, so that you can use what you have learned. It makes a good rainy-day activity as well, since it is entirely indoors. Combine it with the Musée du Vin et du Négoce or La Cité du Vin if you want a full day on the theme of wine.
If you are travelling in a group of friends or as a couple, the blending becomes a friendly competition, and the bottle you make is a fine souvenir of the way a Bordeaux wine is built.
A useful tip for the blending
Go in with an open mind and resist copying the sommelier’s proportions. Part of the fun is to discover that your own taste may favour a softer, more Merlot-led blend or a firmer, Cabernet-led one, which maps directly onto the right-bank and left-bank styles you will meet later on the vineyard tours. Take photographs of your notes, and if you find a style you like, mention it at the next château so the guide can steer your tasting towards it.
What to expect
The experience
A sommelier-led tasting of seven wines and a hands-on workshop in which you blend your own Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, in a group of no more than twelve.
Best time
Early in your trip, before a vineyard day, as the session starts at 10:30 in the morning.
How long
About an hour and a half.
Tips
Arrive five minutes early, eat lightly beforehand and ask the sommelier about left-bank and right-bank styles.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Visitors who want to understand Bordeaux blends before visiting the châteaux.
- Families
- Mostly an adult tasting; check the age policy with the organiser.
- Couples
- A playful way to share a morning, with your own blend as a keepsake.
- Pair with
- The Musée du Vin et du Négoce or a Saint-Émilion day trip.
- Time needed
- Ninety minutes.
Good questions
Where is the masterclass held?+
The meeting point is 3 Rue d’Enghien in central Bordeaux, and the activity ends there.
What is included?+
A tasting of seven wines, a sommelier guide, a platter of cheese, meat and chocolate, and the creation of your own blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
What time does it start?+
The page gives a 10:30 start and asks you to arrive at 10:25.
How many people take part?+
Up to twelve.
Can I cancel?+
Yes. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time.
