Bordeaux Wine Festival - June 24-27

The Bordeaux Wine Festival: Increasingly popular
This event, initiated by Alain Juppé, Mayor of Bordeaux, dates from 1998 and will take place for the 7th time in 2010. Organised by Bordeaux Grands Evénements, with the active support of the Bordeaux Wine Council (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux), the biennial Festival has become a major event in Bordeaux in the month of June. This festival has proved extremely popular with French and foreign visitors. In 2008, some 450,000 people representing 24 different nationalities came to taste the many different appellations from Bordeaux and Aquitaine on a "wine road" over 2 km long.

The keys to success
A Tasting Pass and a "wine road" in the heart of Bordeaux: Pavilions featuring 80 appellations from Bordeaux and the Aquitaine region, as well as the great brands of Bordeaux wine, will form a "wine road" stretching over 2 km along the banks of the Garonne, opposite beautiful 18th century buildings justifying Bordeaux's listing as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Sold for 15€ at the Bordeaux Tourist Office, a Tasting Pass is the key to enjoying the celebration. This consists of a glass and glass holder, 12 tasting coupons, a Tasting Plus coupon, and numerous other coupons offering reduced prices and gifts. Wine lovers can taste at their own rhythm at the various pavilions.

The Pass Duo, costing 20€, gives two holders the right to the same advantages and services, but with two glasses and glass holders instead of one.

The Vineyard Pass: a fine example of wine tourism - an increasingly popular pastime. Themed excursions such as "Saint Emilion: wine and architectural heritage", "Art and wine in the Médoc", "The great growths of Sauternes", etc., will leave from the Festival every day. These include coach transport, a bilingual guide and 3 visits to wine estates or major historic sites, with tasting and lunch. Duration: 9 am to about 6 pm. Cost: 55-90€, depending on the destination and programme. It is possible to book your Vineyard Pass as of now at www.bordeauxfêtelevin.com.

The 2010 Wine Festival: Better than Ever!
The major innovation in 2010 is the emphasis on cuisine and local gastronomy. For the first time, alongside introductory wine tasting classes organised by the Bordeaux Wine Council's Wine School, there will be food workshops with cooking lessons and classes on how to match wine and food. These will be taught by chefs invited by the Association for the Promotion of Aquitaine Foodstuffs. The presence of three food pavilions is also new this year. These will highlight famous delicacies from Southwest France such as foie gras from the Landes, Basque ham, oysters from Arcachon Bay, etc. When visitors start to feel hungry, it's easy to find a bite to eat along the river. There are several restaurants in BORDO MUNDO, a " wine and food village".

Guest of Honor: Quebec City
After Porto, Munich, Fukuoka and Saint Petersburg, the guest of honour in 2010 is Quebec City. A large pavilion will be devoted to this town twinned with Bordeaux. Thanks to original exhibitions and special events, visitors will be able to discover the charms of this unique fortified citadel in North America where Bordeaux wine is very popular. In 2009, the Canada imported some 9.2 million bottles of Bordeaux, and the province of Quebec alone accounted for 70% of this.

Four Evenings of Celebration
The Bordeaux Wine Festival also provides an opportunity to appreciate special events on the quays every evening. There will be series of major artistic and musical performances on the Place des Quinconces and Place de la Bourse including firework displays, son et lumière shows and concerts. On the 24th of June, the Mayor of Quebec City will invite all Quebeckers in France to come to the Bordeaux Wine Festival to celebrate Saint John the Baptist Day, the province's own special holiday. Quebec City has been given carte blanche to make the largest square in Europe come alive during 3 hours of concerts. On the 25th of June, the 75 musicians of the Bordeaux Aquitaine National Orchestra, conducted by Kwamé Ryan (accompanied by the Chorus of the Bordeaux Opera, as well as solist Béatrice Uria-Monzon and tenor Michael Fabiano) will perform at an outstanding charity concert (25€ per person).

They Have Decided to Come to the Bordeaux Wine Festival in 2010
Every year, in the month of June, Bordeaux celebrates the flowering of the vine at a sumptuous dinner. This year, the Fête de la Fleur will take place on the Place des Quinconces, in the heart of the city and the Bordeaux Wine Festival. A congress of oenologists, a symposium of the prestigious Masters of Wine, and another meeting involving local innovation will also take place within the framework of this event. Many tour operators have also included this event on their summer programme and Air Transat has planned direct flights from Quebec City and Montreal starting in May. In just a few years, the Bordeaux Wine Festival has become a major event, with a sizeable regional economic impact (approximately 20 million euros).

For more information, consult http://www.bordeauxfêtelevin.com/.