Bordeaux Wine Festival (Bordeaux Fete le Vin) – is a celebration dedicated to the wines of Bordeaux and Aquitaine. This is a holiday for everyone – and those who create wine and those for whom it is created. It takes place in the French city of Bordeaux in June and was originally held every two years. But from 2023 it was decided to hold it annually.
The Bordeaux region, long known for its wines (especially since France has been a country of vineyards and excellent wine in all centuries), celebrates its main export with a wine festival.
The wine festival was first held in 1998 on the initiative of the mayor of the city, Alain Juppé, and with the assistance of CIVB and Bordeaux Grands Eveninges, in order to talk about the best winemakers in Bordeaux and support local producers. And almost immediately it gained great popularity, becoming international.
Today the festival is visited by hundreds of thousands of true connoisseurs and simply lovers of French wines from many countries of the world to try the wines of Bordeaux and Aquitaine and get acquainted with their diversity.
The holiday opens with a solemn procession through the city – wine producers' associations parade in historical costumes to the largest city square, Place de la Bourse, where the city mayor proclaims the festival open. From this moment on, wine, and above all wine –, is the main character of the holiday.
At the festival, all wine connoisseurs can try wines from the most famous and common French brands. Every day (during several festival days) for all guests from 11 am to midnight, about 80 varieties of Bordeaux and Aquitaine wines (from the manufacturer or distributor), as well as local delicacies, are presented for tasting.
Typically, the main festive events take place on the embankments of the Garonne River, where numerous shopping pavilions of famous French wine brands – are located such as Cotes de Bordeaux, Saint–Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, Medoc, Graves... They form a real «wine road», which stretches for several kilometers, and local vinarnis open their doors to visitors.
The festival program is very busy. There are sessions and seminars on wine tasting, exhibitions dedicated to the culprit of the entire celebration, master classes on how to drink and understand wine correctly, wine tastings with their eyes closed, where experts compete in determining brands, harvest year and place of production. Guests and participants of the festival will also enjoy live music concerts, theatrical performances, various shows, performances by artists from all over the world, wine barrel rolling competitions, wine fraternity parades... And many other interesting and exciting events.
A large wine feast in honor of the god of wine Bacchus is especially popular, when everyone can come to the left bank of the Garonne with their provisions and have dinner in friendly company at a giant table, which is installed especially for the feast.
In addition to direct tastings and folk festivals, during the festival you can also get acquainted with the unusually beautiful architecture of Bordeaux or go on a variety of thematic excursions around the vineyards, or on excursions dedicated to the history and culture of the region, and visit ancient French castles.
In general, during the festival, many places in the city of Bordeaux are open to celebrations and fun, and numerous cafes will feed you real French cuisine. It is not for nothing that this holiday is visited by thousands of foreign tourists. After all, the Bordeaux Wine Festival – is a real culmination in the life of wine. And the holiday ends with a grandiose fireworks display.