Women & Wine

One of the many fine places for the smart packing women to travel, feeling safe and with many things to do is Bordeaux, France. You’ll also as eat like a queen

I found it very safe and clean, sophisticated, yet laid-back, yet diverse. Lovely place for those who enjoy walking. A small upscale town, a college town, on the water. Springtime presents lovely gardens and overflowing flower shops. An abundance of wine stores and amazing shopping, i.e. clothes and leather goods. Then there is the access to one of the world’s finest wine areas. Day trips abound with knowledgeable guides. Few things whet a wine lover’s enthusiasm more than driving along France’s D2 highway, the Route des Châteaux just north of Bordeaux on the Médoc Peninsula, hemmed in on both sides by row upon row of vineyards as far as the eye can see. The names on road signs tick off a fabulous list: Margaux, Latour, Lafite and Mouton Rothschild, Palmer, Léoville Barton, Pichon Longueville, Cos d’Estournel. A wine aficionado’s dream location.

Château Kirwan,a winery in the Margaux appellation. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus (Third Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. We were fortunate to drink a couple glasses of famed Les Charmes de Kirwan. And it was by far my favorite of this trip.

The people of Bordeaux are helpful and we found some to be down-right funny!

Upon arrival in Paris, it is quite easy to catch the train for the 2 hour and 45 minute excursion down to Bordeaux. If you catch the TGV you’ll have access to wi-fi, power sockets and head rests needed for a power nap. Upon arrival you’ll find the town is compact enough to grab a taxi (which are Mercedes) to any one of their many comfortable hotels. Once arrived, day excursions are readily available, with comfortable buses cruising along the Garonne River, past Gothic cathedrals and 18-19 century mansions,. Be sure to take in a a few notable art museums and the public gardens surrounding the Three Graces Fountain. There are sidewalk cafes galore, offering a cafe au lait and a pastry also allowing opportunities to meet other people from around the world. Small raclette restaurants pop up around the area as well, and who doesn’t love large vats of melted cheese over grilled veggies and dried meats??

While I know travelers seldom have their dogs with them, it’s nice to know that Bordeaux is a dog friendly city (on leash) throughout their parks and gardens which only adds to the delight when cafe-sitting sipping your favorite cup of tea or glass of cab franc.

Another great outing is a day or two in Cognac. The countryside, the drink and the eating establishments are simply exquisite, like a day in a Cary Grant movie 🤷🏻‍♀️😘🍷

As you can see below, Bordeaux and it’s surrounding villages provide an abundance of photo ops. One of the many great traits of the French is that they LOVE their flowers. I Loved all of the Wisteria.

A highly recommended girls trip for those that are foodies, outdoorsy and wine aficionados. Oh and the men are beautiful, too.

** for more info on the wines/vineyards tours please note -most of the Bordeaux Families vines are found in the heart of the Bordeaux vineyards, nestled between the right bank of the Garonne to the south, and the left bank of the Dordogne to the north. It is the kingdom of the Sauvignon grape, the Semillon grape, and the Muscadelle grape, varieties that are primarily used to produce the dry or sweet white wines typical of the region. Here, in this region Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are mainly blended together into high-quality red wines and the production is rising steadily.

By clicking of the snapshots below you can enjoy a slideshow of Bordeaux, Cognac, St. Emilion and surrounding villages