Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais ® and Bacchus accommodation

CDT 33 - Phovoir

In 1995, the Gironde County Tourist Board set about including wine tourism in an overall tourist welcome policy by creating two specific certifications to Gironde wine tourism: the “Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais ®” charter and “Bacchus” accommodation.

A lifestyle worth sharing 

In the Gironde, you can come and find out more about the world of vines and wines, try a Bordeaux wine in the intimacy of the storehouse in which it was made and share the know-how of devoted vinegrowers.
Wine professionals adhering to the Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais ®  charter are committed to guaranteeing you a warm welcome, visit and wine-tasting session in some 500 wine estates, cellars and wine centres.
They are ambassadors to an exceptional wine region and will also be happy to make suggestions for visits and delving deeper into the Gironde or exploring it behind the scenes.
The wine-tasting visit may be free or charge a fee. In the latter case, the content and price must be clearly displayed at the venue. A sign at the entrance will tell you that you are on the premises of a “Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais” member.

To find out more and prepare for your visits, the list of Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais® members can be found on the charter’s website.

Members of the “Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais” charter particularly undertake to:

- give individuals visiting them a warm and personalised welcome
- clearly indicate and keep to the opening days and times and visit arrangements of their venue
- provide a suitable parking area and special area for welcoming  visitors and holding wine-tasting sessions (in the wine storehouse, the vathouse or preferably in a specific room) that conforms to the regulations in terms of health & safety and accessibility for people with reduced mobility
- give a free or paying visit including, at least, a tour of the wine-making site and a commentated tasting session of at least one finished wine, served at the right temperature in a Bordeaux glass
- clearly display the conditions for the wine-tasting visit (content, whether a fee will be charged) and the prices of products on sale
- not subject visitors to any obligation to buy wine
- display their membership of the charter and their undertakings
- promote the region’s tourist facilities and provide visitors with documentation on wine and tourism in the Gironde.

BACCHUS, places to stay right in the vineyard!

With a view to giving guests personalised stays in the different wine regions in the Gironde, the Gironde County Tourist Board and its partners are developing and promoting a specific type of tourist accommodation: “Bacchus” gîtes and guest rooms, or, to date, 36 accredited sites – all located at the heart of a wine estate in the Gironde.

In order to meet the certification’s requirements, vinegrowers/accommodation owners must fulfil several obligations as regards their guests

- give them a free bottle or glass of wine on arrival;
- provide them with exhaustive documentation on the whole Gironde wine region as well as wine tasting facilities in their lodgings;
- guide them in finding out about the wine and vine professions with a tour of the estate, tasting session, etc 
- give them a list of contacts and addresses of other vinegrowers located in another area of the Gironde.
Only members of the “Vignobles et Chais en Bordelais” charter can apply for Bacchus certification.