BWE Bordeaux Trip 2026

[Michael-P]

Isn't it time for us to copy the planned 2020 trip but for 2026? If I recall correctly, the organizing work was spread out to a bunch of BWE folks so no one had to do too much....

[Comte Flaneur]

Yes Michael - I think we could contact the various estates we had nailed down for that trip as a starter for ten - happy to help

[Michael-P]

I am happy to help too. Can't do March 2026.

[Claudius2]

Guys
I still have the wines I was going to bring in 2020, except for the 2003 Pontet Canet, and frankly, it was pretty ordinary.

What date is likely?
I'm still rather tied to Wendy's work commitments and ideally May would be the most suitable.

cheers
Mark

[AlexR]

Mark,

May is a good time, but it is also riddled with public holidays:

1st is Labor Day
8th is VE Day
14th is Ascension Day (and many people take the Friday off to make a long weekend)
25th is Whitmonday.

All the best,
Alex

[DavidG]

Sounds like a decent window between May 16-23?

[Michael-P]

16-23 May 2026 works for us too.

[stefan]

Probably we can make 16-23 May 2026 as well, if we can renew our passports in timely fashion.

[Nicklasss]

Depending the target size for a group, it is still in many months but i think i could go as well.

[JimHow]

It is amazing that you know where you will be 9 months from now, MichaelP, I don’t know where I will be 9 hours from now. Are you finally going to be on a honeymoon? I’m tired and old now, I can’t imagine a schedule like what we had planned in 2020. Tom, Gail and I did a trip in Bordeaux a couple Octobers ago where we lounged through one property in the morning and one in the afternoon for a couple days, it was really nice. That’s about the most I can handle these days. And in any event, I would want to see the list of attendees, if they are BWEers who are posting actively on the site and are contributing to the health and welfare of BWE I would consider joining, but if they are just folks planning to attend offline, I’m not really interested. I’m assuming this is a trip that would be organized in the name of Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts?

[dstgolf]

Those dates could work for us.

The 2020 plan was a little ambitious with a repeat of 2005/15 with morning/afternoon tastings along with Chateau lunches/dinners daily. A little too busy for us at this stage for 5 days in a row. The itinerary was amazing but it took a lot of work to organize the agenda especially with some committing to look after a particular day then backing out putting the onus on others. These things don't just happen. there is a lot more planning involved than most realize.

[Michael-P]

I agree there is a lot of planning to do and we did it for 2005, 2015 and 2020, so I'm sure we can do it again for 2026. The key is to have enough on the organizing team that no one person is swamped.

As to the density of the schedule, I would propose (let's see what folks here think) a split schedule, one relaxed and one more dense, with overlap. For example some may recall in 2015 we had, I think, Weds afternoon off, and someone (OK, me) organized a tasting that 5 or 6 of us attended. So the "base" program with one morning tasting and one dinner/tasting, the "dense" program the same plus a lunch tasting. Maybe Weds off for the "base" and not for the "dense"? Open to suggestions.

As to the the attendees, I agree this is a BWE event, organized by BWEers, so only true BWEers can attend. There is some gray areas of that definition is, as with most things, but we can start with the confirmed attendee list from 2020, cut the obvious non-BWEers, then see who from that list wants to do this, first in line? And limit it to 20 folks?

Michael-P

[JimHow]

I’m in.

[JimHow]

As for the schedule, I can see myself going to one venue in the morning and one in the afternoon every day, that’s the most I can handle in my old age. Looking at 25 barrel cellars in 5 days is not a “vacation” to me.

[dstgolf]

Here was the proposed 2020 . A little more ambitious than I'm capable of at this time but certainly provides a framework.

BWE France 2020
TodayPrevious periodNext period
Mar 22 – 28, 2020



Sun 3/22
7p - Welcome Dinner at La Tupina6 Rue Porte de la Monnaie, 33800 Bordeaux, France
12 - Bus pick-up

Mon 3/23
10a - Château PalmerLIeu-dit Issan, 33460 Margaux, France
5 – 6:30
12p - Lunch Le Saint Julien Restaurant11 Rue de Saint-Julien, 33250 Saint-Julien-Beychevelle, France
7 – 8:30
2p - Château Montrose3 Avenue des Vignolles, 33180 Saint-Estèphe, France
8:45 – 10:15
345p - Château Sociando-MalletRoute de Mapon, 33180 Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, France
11 – 2p
6p - Dinner at Château KirwanChemin de Kirwan, 33460 Cantenac, France
12 - Bus pick-up

Tue 3/24
10a - Vieux Château Certan1 Route de Lussac, 33500 Pomerol, France
7 – 8
2p - Château Bélair-MonangeRue de la Madeleine, 33330 Saint-Émilion, France
8:30 – 9:30
12p - Lunch at Château Teyssier (Maltus)Château Teyssier Vignonet, 33330 Saint-Émilion, France
12 - Bus pick-up
330p - Château La Fleur-Pétrus7 Rue de Tropchaud, 33500 Pomerol, France
10 – 11
5p - Château Tour Saint Christophe1 Casse Vert, 33330 Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, France
11 – 3p
6p - Dinner with Howard Kwok at Château de Bellefont Belcier33330 Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, France
4 – 6:30




Wed 3/25
11a - Lunch at Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande with Nicolas GlumineauPauillac, 33250 Pauillac, France
7:30 – 9
230p - Tasting at Thunevin (Valandraud)
10 – 11
5p - BD's Champagne Reception

Thu 3/26
9:45a - Château Mouton RothschildChâteau Mouton Rothschild, 33250 Pauillac, France
4:30 – 8
1130a - Lunch with Alfred Tesseron at Château Pontet-CanetChâteau Pontet-Canet, 33250 Pauillac, France
8:30 – 10
330p - Château Lafite Rothschild33250 Pauillac, France
11 – 2p
Dinner at Château du Tertre14 Allée du Tertre, 33460 Arsac, France
12 - Bus pick-up


Fri 3/27
945a - Domaine de Chevalier102 Chemin de Mignoy, 33850 Léognan, France
5 – 7
1130a - Lunch at Château Haut-Bailly103 Avenue de Cadaujac, 33850 Léognan, France
8 – 9:30
3p - Château Pape Clément216 Avenue Dr Nancel Penard, 33600 Pessac, France
12p – 4p
7p - Dinner at Château Rychlewski

Sat 3/28.....Pass out

[stefan]

>>
Looking at 25 barrel cellars in 5 days is not a “vacation” to me.
>>

Yeah. Maybe this time we can skip most of the cellar visits.

[RPCV]

I’m in but agree with Jim and Stefan. One morning and one afternoon cellar visit and only three days is more like it for me. I’ll go to Paris and Lyon for a few days after.

[DavidG]

At our stage of the game, I'm thinking we would do the meals with the group and skip most of the winery visits. If that's too peripheral or too complicated, we'd understand. We might do our own itinerary and intersect with the larger group a few times?

[Michael-P]

Seems like the traditional (historical) BWE schedule has been roughly:

Morning tasting
Lunch tasting
Afternoon tasting
Dinner tasting

Is that too much for folks? With maybe a Weds break of some sort (stop after lunch)?

[dstgolf]

Michael,

That pace is too much for us. I'd be happy with Sunday dinner with everyone in Bordeaux. Tues,thurs,Fri lunch with tasting, afternoon tasting, and dinner with tasting. Wed just lunch and dinner with tastings. I'd rather not be on a bus early each am for a morning tasting and return every eve around midnight. I'm too old that!

[JimHow]

Two of the best days and nights I've ever spent in Bordeaux were with Tom and Gail a couple Octobers ago. We were joined by Alex on the first day, and Timmy joined us half way through the first day and into the second day.

On the first day we went to Pavie Macquin in the morning, then met up with Timmy at the restaurant at La Dominique. Then we spent a couple wonderful hours in the town of St. Emilion. Then we did the tour of Belfont-Belcier and Tour St. Christophe. Then we went back to our hotel to chill for a bit and went to Alex's house for dinner.

On day two we went to Branaire Ducru in the morning, no rush, then lunch by the river in the town of Pauillac (wonderful), then one of the best BWE afternoons ever, a whole afternoon with the owner of Chateau Siran, one of the highlights not only of my BWE life but my life... period. Tom called it "the best BWE chateau visit ever." I wholeheartedly agree. Finished up by an even fancier dinner at Chateau Rychlewski.

So.... The point is, yes, everything I described above is consistent with what Michael described. But that was just over two days. I am much more in the mindset of what Danny is proposing. And I also think that, yes, we can accommodate what David was suggesting, some mixing and matching, etc. The point is, I can only speak for myself, as thrilled as I was by that 2020 itinerary, I can't imagine doing it today. Nonetheless, I have no doubt we can reach a good compromise.

[Nicklasss]

Using my analytical side, and my limited wisdom, here are my 2 cents… even if i can’t be sure 9 months in advance i will attend.

First thing identify the number of participants maximum of the group.

I think we should go reverse, and MichaelP (or someone else) to propose a plan. Everybody posting what they want with their own limitations/preferences is going nowhere.

I understand the challenge to set something that will please the most, but different days occupation is probably the best. Example :

Monday: strong start with 4 Châteaux on Right Bank, one including lunch and one dinner.
Tuesday : half lazy day with 3 Châteaux Médoc, one for lunch, one before, one sfter. Back for dinner in Bordeaux.
Wednesday : super lazy, one morning, one lunch in Pessac, free pm and dinner.
Thursday : other busy day, like Monday, but in Médoc?
Friday : lazy day with one morning and one lunch Right Bank and pm in Saint-Émilion.

And yes being in Châteaux is great, but there are great wines everywhere in Bordeaux city.

If we want something shaping up, the two/three promotors should propose something.

[JimHow]

I'm sure we can come up with something reasonable, I think if we do one chateau in the morning, then lunch, one in the afternoon, dinner in the evening, with a half day on Wednesday, that sounds manageable to me. I'm sure we can work something out if individual BWEers only want to do just a half day or skip some of the festivities. May 16-23, 2026, works for me.

[Claudius2]

Guys
Looking over the 2020 schedule does show what a great event it would have been though I do get the point that it would be hard work for some and now in my late 60s and with quite a few health issues, I do get that.

The solution would be to either extend the time frame or reduce the visitations. I can handle either and it may be an idea to leave a day or two with no official visits to relax and just chat and sightsee.

Alex
I obviously don’t know local public holidays - but there does seem like quite a few.

Cheers
Mark

[greatbxfreak]

I am nearly 80 years old, with legs that are getting older and tired, but my brain is still working fine.

When I am with Alex and my friends tasting en primeur, we usually do three visits in the morning and 3-4 in the afternoon. Sometimes we have lunch at the chateau, but usually we eat at the local restaurants. We are not often invited to dinner at the chateau, except for Domaine de Chevalier. I typically stay in Bordeaux for 14-17 days: two weeks plus a short holiday in San Sebastian.

Of course, it's always a question of how much you expect from your trip to Bordeaux. I recommend visiting Fronsac and Castillon.

[Michael-P]

Alex:

With May 1, 8, 14 and 25 all holidays, does that mean May is no good for any M-F week?

Michael-P

[Claudius2]

Guys
I am going to have to travel to Shanghai in the first week of May for a wedding. However it would work okay it we flew from Shanghai to France straight after.

It would be great if we can organize the event after the cancellation in 2020. We were packed and ready to fly out and everything fell apart so fast.

Cheers
Mark

[Michael-P]

Alex: Any good weeks in Mar-Apr-May 2026? Michael-P

[JimHow]

I’ve never found French holidays to be a big impediment when I’ve travelled to France. In fact I’m pretty sure we were there on a holiday in the 2015 trip. March/April might be a bit tricky for me.

[AlexR]

Hi,

The Union des Grands Crus barrel tastings of the 2025 vintage will take place from the 20th to the 23rd of April, and that would not be a good week to plan a visit, but the week before would be fine.

Seen from here, early June looks like a good window.

Best regards,
Alex

[Michael-P]

How about the week of 11 May?
Michael-P

[JimHow]

Sounds good to me. Mother’s Day is on May 10th.

[Michael-P]

Opps, that week of 11 May is no good for us. How about any of these:

Mar 2-6
Apr 13-17
Apr 20-24
Apr 27 - 1 May
Jun 15-19

Michael-P

[JimHow]

March is definitely out for me. Last week of April would be my first choice in that list.

[Michael-P]

Shall we go with Apr 27 - 1 May?
Hopefully this works for a good chunk of folks that were scheduled for the 2020 trip.....
Michael-P

[JimHow]

I'm in for the April 27 week.
I could probably make the other weeks in April work but June might be tricky.

[Michael-P]

I'll start reaching out to some chateaux and see what they can do for us 15-20 (?) for that Apr 27 week.

[JimHow]

Maybe we should just send a mass email to all of the would-have-been 2020 properties and see how much they can replicate the Monday through Friday schedule. That might be a good starting point.

[AlexR]

Jim,
I know you think that public holidays are not a big stumbling block and with enough prreparation that may indeed be true. There are a couple of exceptions though and May 1st, French Labor Day (a holiday that, interestingly, has American roots), is one of them. So honestly I wouldn't count on much of anything being open that day.

Alex

[dstgolf]

What happened to May 16-23 that was talked about earlier? We're in Spain Feb 1-April 20 so anything before May tough unless we could do something like April 22 or 23. Not sure if we'd be around treading water til the 27th but let's see. I won't say no at this time.