Discovering Bordeaux: River Cruise, Part 3 & Return to Bordeaux

Following our brief afternoon visit to Saint-Émilion, we cruised back along the Dordogne River to the Garonne, and then on to Bordeaux for the evening. There we could stroll the beautiful river-front promenade and enjoy the city by night before heading south to our last port, the town of Cadillac in the heart of the Graves region.

Sauternes grapes with the noble rot

In addition to being known for its white (as well as red) wines, this region of Bordeaux is the home of world-famous Sauternes wines. Sauternes is made from grapes that have been affected by what is called "noble rot" -- a fungus that causes a somewhat raisin-like drying out. This results in a very concentrated, perfumed and distinctly flavored sweet wine.

Our education and experience began with a visit to, and tasting at the producer La Tour Blanche. Here we had a tour of the production facilities and a tasting of Sauternes from 2007 and 2009 so that we could compare the development of the flavors from two different vintages. Interestingly, a good year for Sauternes--cool and wet--is exactly the opposite for the other grapes of the Bordeaux region. 

So interesting and delicious was the tasting that we decided to buy a small bottle for our own future dining pleasure (and which we later enjoyed back in Florence).

 





Current tastes are less inclined to sweet wines but a visit and special lunch at the Château d'Arche persuaded us to be more open-minded. We feasted on a three-course lunch (smoked salmon, caramelized hen, and peach melba), in which each course was accompanied by a different Sauternes selected to complement and enhance the flavors of each dish.

Sauternes lunch

Much to our surprise, this really worked well. While we would probably not ourselves try to plan a dinner in which each course was accompanied by a glass of Sauternes, the experience did broaden our horizons.And also made us think that we should more frequently finish a meal with a cheese plate accompanied by a glass of Sauternes.

Our three lunch sauternes

Following lunch, we returned to the ship in a very pleasant state of mind after this delightful meal and accompanying Sauternes, and embarked for our final sail back to Bordeaux. 

Grand Hotel de Bordeaux

We had two more nights and one full day in the city while under the charmed care of Uniworld. Rather than sight-see again, we opted to spend our last day in a cooking class at the Grand Hotel de Bordeaux.

Our head chef Stéphane

After our immersion into Italian life and food over the past few years, we decided that it was time to become reacquainted with traditional (and new!) French ingredients and cooking techniques.








And so the next morning we were whisked off the ship to the kitchens of the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, Le Pressoir d'Argent, to meet Stéphane Carrade, executive chef, and the two sous-chefs who would guide 12 of us through the preparation of our amazing lunch.

Opening & cleaning scallops

What surprised us most was the reminder of the large amounts of butter routinely used in French cuisine.  (while living south of the Apennines, we have become olive oil people). French butter is delicious, and the resulting dishes so delicious that we decided not to worry about what it might be doing to our arteries.
 
Lunch included:  1) an appetizer of scallops prepared with roasted yellow beets, 2) a main course of local fish and sauteed cèpes mushrooms with a mousseline sauce made from Jerusalem artichokes, and 3)  a dessert of lemon cream framed by spiced biscuits. Of course, this all sounds all-the-more more delicious in French!

Zesting a lemon for dessert

So we set to work learning how to open and clean scallops, how to filet fish, saute mushrooms, zest lemons.

Lee was especially interested in the techniques of the pastry chef, and so volunteered to help prepare dessert. What interested us as much as the food preparation were the techniques for plate decoration.


 

The Executive Chef pours the champagne

After hours of hard work (truly, we did peel, saute, and stir) it was time to begin our lunch celebration with the prerequisite of every meal in a French fine-dining venue - a glass of champagne. And what a feast it was!!!






 
Close-up food porn pictures from our lunch.

Scallops with roasted beets

Fish with cèpes and Jerusalem artichoke mousseline

Lemon cream with spiced biscuits & lemon sorbet

Lee as a Michelin starred chef!

Discovering Bordeaux: River Cruise, Part 2

From our stops along the Gironde estuary we turned eastward towards the Dordogne River, sailing to the town of Right Bank town of Libourne. The area along the Dordogne is known as "the countryside of a thousand and one castles" because of the castles that were constructed along the banks of this winding and beautiful river, by wealthy merchants from the Bordeaux area. From our two-night base in Libourne, we were able to explore further inland to the villages of Bergerac (home of Cyrano of the large nose) and then Saint-Émilion. 

The Hermione

On our way to Libourne we experienced a special event:  we sailed alongside the Hermione, a restored French frigate from 1799, as it headed to Bordeaux to help inaugurate the city's new esplanade.

The Hermione is famous for having brought General Lafayette to the United States in 1780 so that he could join the American side in the Revolutionary War. As our routes parted, the Hermione's canons fired a broadside of 8 successive shots to say "au revoir!"



 

Cyrano de Bergerac

Bergerac is a charming town, and is well known for its wines. It is also home to many culinary delights such as foie gras and duck confit.

 
Our walking tour took us through the lovely winding streets of the town with a stop at its enticing food market and statues dedicated to Edmund Rostand's romantic hero, Cyrano de Bergerac and Roxanne, his lady love.

Savoring duck confit & local wine

Happily, we were on our own for lunch and so could indulge in a feast of tasty local specialties including: salade de gesiers (sauteed duck livers and kidneys -- tastes far better than it sounds), and confit de canard. 

Confit is a centuries-old process of preservation that consists of salt curing the leg of a duck or goose and then cooking it in its own fat-deadly but delicious.

Chateau de Monbazillac

Following lunch we were back on the bus and off to the Château de Monbazillac, one of the area's most prestigious cellars, to visit and to taste some of the local sweet wines.





 

Tasting the local sweet wine

The château dates from around 1550 and has been faithfully preserved. This area was a Protestant stronghold during the Wars of Religion. Because of the prestige of its wines, it was largely left unscathed through the religious wars and the French Revolution.

We strolled around its lovely grounds overlooking the vineyards, and tasted two of its sweet white wines. The grapes are grown in clay and limestone soil, and are picked when over-ripe so that the sugar content is high, after having been attacked by a fungus (the "noble rot") which occurs in the fall of the year. This process concentrates the flavors and sweetness even further.

We then re-boarded our bus to head back to the ship and to an unusual adventure.

Libourne during the mascaret--note the waves

The Dordogne is one of the few rivers in the world that experiences a phenomenon called "un mascaret" or "tidal bore". Such bores occur in areas with a large tidal swing  between high and low water -- more than 20 feet for the Dordogne! -- and where incoming tides are funneled into a shallow, narrowing river or lake via a broad bay. 

We had a full moon, which further amplifies the tidal swings. Our ship risked being caught in the mini-tsunami effect resulting from the clash of in-rushing high-tide inflow, against the inertial outflow of water resulting from both the natural flow of the river and the residual effects of the low-tide outflow.

Surviving the mascaret!

But thanks to the vigilant crew of the River Queen, we were fully prepared for these events. At each change of tide the ship had to leave berth for the safety of the middle of the river, until the mini-sunami had passed. 

This happened each night while we were berthed at Libourne.  We were fortunate enough to witness this while awake one afternoon, from the ship's top deck with drinks in hand! Not exactly Titanic, but fun and certainly interesting.

Our last morning here included a brief visit to the Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot for a wine tasting and the charming villa of Saint Émilion. Unfortunately, it was a rainy and blustery day but that did not stop us. We did not mind because we knew we would be returning here for a few days after the cruise. Wine talk to come.

Blending cabernet sauvignon and merlot, this château produces a premier grand cru wine--very high quality.

Our tasting here offered a glimpse of the wonderful wines ahead from this "right bank" area of Bordeaux.

What was special about this visit to Saint Émilion was the to the subterranean, monolithic church which dates from the 12th century. The church was dug out by hand from a limestone cliff and has the most amazing pillars and sculpture. Difficult to conceive of all the wine shops and restaurants above!

Discovering Bordeaux: River Cruise, Part 1

It was now time for our river adventure to begin, and so on Sunday, October 2 we boarded the Uniworld River Queen for a week of exploration and education. Here is the link to the cruise with all the details:  Uniworld Bordeaux River Cruise

Our Bordeaux itinerary

The River Queen

Lobby of the River Queen

The ship was beautiful:  the cabins were a bit cozy but well-designed and comfortable, and the common areas were elegant and spacious. We can't say enough wonderful things about the staff and the cruise director--all were knowledgeable and gracious and fun.








Much of the week the weather was rather gray, but that never stopped us from enjoying the well-planned itinerary, sights, and events, and getting to know some of our interesting shipmates. Knowing that our floating home was awaiting our return made for a great end to each day.

Chateau d'Arsac

Our first stop was the village of Pauillac, gateway to the legendary Medoc wine area and the prestigious "chateaux road".  Pauillac is positioned at the intersection of the Garonne River and Gironde estuary, in the middle of what is called the "Left Bank" of the Bordeaux wine region (i.e., facing upriver from Bordeaux, the area is on the left). 

Wine tasting test

The Chateau d'Arsac was our first vineyard visit. There we were treated not only to a wine tasting, but also a class aimed at helping determine our personal preferences for wine types - the results of which were delivered to us on ship later that evening. The chateau grounds included interesting contemporary sculptures juxtaposed against the traditional grand chateau and vineyards.

Philippe Raoux, is the fourth generation wine-maker at this estate. The estate was abandoned for many years until he bought it in 1986 and began replanting the vineyards and restoring the site.

In all, our driving tour took us through the famous Haut Medoc communes of St Estephe, St Julien, Margaux and of course Pauillac (considered by most to be the heart of the Medoc wine region). And we of course saw many of famous sites of Bordeaux wine production, including the spectacular Chateau Margaux.

Chateau Margaux

By the time we were returning to Pauillac and the ship, it had begun to rain! Fortunately from here on out the weather would steadily improve.

Classy visitors to the chateau

Never to be daunted, just before reaching the ship, we hopped off the bus at the Pauillac Maison du Vin to purchase some very special bottles of wine for dinner. While lingering over these world-class wines and trying to decide which to buy, we met another couple from the ship who were equally engaged in the pursuit of very special wines.




 

Lee selects one of our wines!

 We immediately made friends and agreed to get together and to share in wine tastings featuring our prize acquisitions over dinner. And so we enjoyed several interesting and fun evenings with John and Lori, who were equally enthusiastic about this trip.

Our second full day took us to the other side of the Gironde estuary (the Right Bank), where we docked at the town of Blaye. In contrast to the very flat land of the Medoc, the area around Blaye is made up of limestone cliffs and rolling hills. 

We traveled by bus along the beautiful Route de la Corniche Fleurie, thus named because many of the ship captains who traveled to far off places returned with exotic plants which they planted in their gardens situated along this road. The area has been inhabited for many thousands of years and so we also got to visit some of the ancient cave dwellings.

Our next to final stop for the day was the Moulin of Lansac, a windmill working since 1820 but originally constructed in the 16th century. 

We returned to Blaye to tour the 17th century citadel built by a famous military engineer, M. Vauban. He created the fort in the form of a star to better defend it from all angles.

The fort never engaged in a battle--its reputation alone was sufficient to keep potential enemies at bay!

Back to the River Queen for relaxation, dinner and serious wine tasting and preparing for the next day's adventures.