The Médoc, in the Gironde, is one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions, on the peninsula between the Gironde estuary and the Atlantic Ocean. Its gravelly soils suit cabernet sauvignon and merlot in particular, producing structured red wines in the Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Haut-Médoc and Médoc appellations.
The châteaux route, which follows the estuary, links famous estates, several of which appear in the 1855 classification. You visit cellars and châteaux, taste the wines, and also discover the marshes, the estuary fishing villages and, on the ocean side, wild beaches fringed with dunes and pine forest.
Close to Bordeaux, Blaye and the Pointe de Grave, the Médoc can be explored in a day or a wine-tourism weekend. Booking estate visits in advance is advisable, especially during the autumn harvest season.