Is there a a wine festival in 2007? I would appreciate details of date and location if there is to be one as well as other travellers experiences. A search for the festival in the forum suprisingly drew a blank.
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Hi Chris,
you mean Vinexpo 2007 which is on from Sunday 17th for 4 or 5 days. I only know because we are going to Bordeaux for a long weekend on the Friday before and I cannot get accommodation anywhere!
Anneen
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sorry - forgot to mention it is in June!
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Vinexpo is indeed the wine event that is being referred to here, taking place from June 17 to 21. It is a biennial trade show, and for a week the entire wine world tilts on its axis and everybody comes sliding into Bordeaux.
It may seem like an ideal opportunity for someone interested in wine to come to Bordeaux and be able to taste wines from Australia, Argentina, Bulgaria, Italy, California, and every other wine-producing country on earth, all under one huge roof. And in the evenings, there are parties and dinners at the châteaux throughout the Bordeaux region.
However, the reality is a little different. Vinexpo is a trade-only show, and although it is really not that difficult to obtain a pass to get in, the name badge that you have to wear is color-coded, and if you are not a certified professional (importer, distributer, journalist) then most exhibitors do not want to spend the time pouring wine for your tasting pleasure.
The dinners in the evening are by invitation only, which rules out the idea of grabbing a list of parties and just dropping in at a couple of events each evening.
Perhaps the most difficult aspect of Vinexpo for visitors to Bordeaux who are not even interested in going to the trade show is that it becomes practically impossible to get a hotel room within a reasonable distance around the city. Attendees while checking out of their hotels will make reservations for the following show two years in the future. It is not unheard of for those unlucky exhibitors or attendees who have not taken such precautions to make the trip in every day from as far away as hotels in Cognac.
In short, as I always tell my clients, if at all possible, try to avoid planning on coming to Bordeaux during Vinexpo week—it%26#39;s the very definition of an excercise in frustration.
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Thanks to both for the replies - June is out for me as we are elsewhere in the world during that Month.
With that in mind are there any public events in the Bordeaux region during september that would be good for someone as myself who is just discovering the world of the best red wine region?
I was looking to do a driving holiday for 10 days and hoped to take in an event or events where producers came together in one place as well as of course buy some wine. I feel that a tour of individual Chateau%26#39;s will come later as my taste developes.
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September is the harvest season, and most winemakers are busy either getting ready to bring in the grapes or else deep into turning them into wine. Hence, there is not a lot of other activity that they have time to engage in.
However, there is one event at the beginning of the month that is very much worth seeing: the Médoc Marathon. This is a regulation-distance marathon that attracts thousands of runners from around the world, a number of them world-class recordholders.
The event bills itself as %26quot;the world%26#39;s longest marathon%26quot;, which is something of a joke that takes a moment to understand: as with all marathons, there are stands along the course where runners may get water bottles and refresh themselves. What sets this marathon apart is the fact that it winds among the vineyards, passing through some famous classed-growth châteaux. The properties set up stands with water, but they also offer runners glasses of their wines as well. If a runner were so inclined and partook of all the wine on offer, by the end of the race they may well begin running in zigzags instead of a straight line, thus covering more than the regulation 26.21875 miles--hence, %26quot;the longest marathon in the world%26quot;.
In addition to this particularity, many of the runners dress in costumes, everything from clowns and cartoon characters, to groups of two or three runners inside a papier mache replica of a venetian gondola. It%26#39;s amazing that the runners finish under such conditions, but most of them do. Between the wine on offer and the festive costumes (not to mention the wonderful countryside), this is one of the highlights of the marathon season, and for social life in the Médoc as well.
Châteaux will field teams of runners drawn from their workers, and it is a point of pride for a property to have their people finish high in the results. The night before the race, there is a big pasta dinner held at a château for the runners so they can stock up on the needed carbohydrates. This is called the %26quot;Diner de Mille Pâtes%26quot; (a play on words since %26quot;mille pâtes%26quot; means %26quot;a thousand pastas%26quot; and %26quot;a thousand feet%26quot;.
All in all, it is well worth the visit, and although you might feel like you are just beginning to get serious with wine, you can still visit some châteaux during your stay and get a great deal from the experience of seeing how and where the wine is actually made.
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Thanks djm
I have run a few half marathons in recent years but never done a whole one. Perhaps this should be incentive for me to go that extra distance.
Alas though tasting wine and running was a battle won by the wine a couple of years ago in our household.
I will seriously consider you comments about a vist to Chateaus though and plan our journey accordingly . Thank you once again.
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There is a Wine Festival as well in Bordeaux aimed at the general public,,, it is not a trade show.
It is on just after the Vinexpo for 4 days 29 June to 2 July. Unlike the Vinexpo, this is heald predominantly in the centre of town in the big quare, quinconces... much easier access than the Vinexpo.
Here is the link
http://bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com/
Cheers
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ISnt this only held every second year?
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