Saint-Émilion: Oh… I Know That Château

Our very fun—and very patient with all my wine questions—tour guide brought us to Saint-Émilion on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, where Merlot takes center stage, often alongside Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. These are wines I already tend to love: elegant, smooth, sometimes with that beautiful velvety texture. I always feel like opening one is a little like opening a potion; give it some time and suddenly those aromas are filling the room. So, as you can probably imagine, I was very excited when we arrived.

Before I was let loose among the wine shops, though, our guide took us through some of Saint-Émilion’s history, including its chapels, steep little streets and some seriously beautiful views. And here’s something that puts just how wine-centered this area is into perspective: the broader Saint-Émilion Wine Council represents around 970 winegrowers across its four appellations. So yes… there was going to be plenty of wine around.

Wine Shop. Another Wine Shop. Another One.

Saint-Émilion became dangerous for me almost immediately. Wine shop.. another wine shop.. aand another one… And suddenly I’m looking at château names I’ve seen on bottles, read about or already knew—and they’re just… everywhere.

There were definitely plenty of tourists around, but honestly, I didn’t care. I was having way too much fun. I was actually pretty proud of how many wines and château names I recognized; apparently all those hours learning about classified growths and Bordeaux had paid off. Château Valandraud was one of the familiar names I came across (left with one of their wines), and being able to wander through different shops and actually take my time looking at everything was half the experience for me.

Wine Shopping Is Apparently an Activity

And yes #ofcourse, eventually one bottle won and came home with me, with the idea of saving it for an anniversary to remember this trip—but honestly, half the fun was just looking. There were bottles I knew, bottles I didn’t, bottles well outside what I planned on spending that day—and plenty that made me stop for a closer look anyway.

This was also the first place I remember seeing Coravin being used seemingly everywhere. Shop after shop either had one or something similar, and apparently I was paying attention because getting one became one of the first things I remember wanting for us once we got back to the States. Funny how something you keep seeing while traveling suddenly ends up sitting in your own kitchen later—not an impulsive purchase at all, right?

Yeah… I’d Go Back

Apparently I wasn’t the only one having fun—our guide eventually had to find us and gather everyone back together like we were a bunch of loose baby chicks. #haha. We closed the visit in a very nice way too: macarons! #yay! And these weren’t just random macarons. Saint-Émilion’s macaron tradition dates back to 1620, when the Ursuline sisters established their convent in the medieval town; unlike the colorful Parisian versions, the traditional Saint-Émilion macarons are made with almonds, egg whites and sugar. Oh yes, and apparently I wasn’t exaggerating about the wine either—they let us know the official Maison du Vin alone offers around 400–450 Saint-Émilion wines.

I had enough time to wander, shop and really enjoy Saint-Émilion, but definitely not enough time to see all the wine shops, so yes, I’m coming back! Some places I appreciate more after I’ve had time to think about them. Saint-Émilion wasn’t one of those—I loved it while I was there. The wine shops certainly helped— let’s not pretend otherwise —but between the town itself, the history, the macarons and getting to spend an afternoon surrounded by wines I actually recognized, this was easily one of my favorite parts of Bordeaux.