I rode from Nantes to Bordeaux on the secondary roads as usual, easy ride, hardly any traffic and no trucks but many villages and towns, fine and warm weather now heading south.

Bordeaux – population 800,000, wine capital of the world bringing in 15 billion euros each year. The main reason to come here is to go on the many wine tours to the different regions.

I booked a full day Food and Wine tour to the Margaux region, visiting four Chateaux or wineries and lunch 115 euro. To qualify as a Chateau you have to grow, ferment and bottle the wine on the premises, theoretically you could do this on a small scale in your backyard and garage and call yourself a Chateau. Many other rules and regulations and conventions add the to the mumbo jumbo surrounding the production of wine in Bordeaux.

Book your tour through the Bordeaux Tourist Office.