A wine tourism season starting off with a bang

I am always delighted to experience autumn at the château. The days are very sunny and the evenings are still long, with the soft sound of birds whistling in the background. Every day of this delicious Indian summer, I watch over the berries with a mother’s eye, contemplating them gradually adorning themselves with their divine plum robe. Like me, the teams are on the alert, on the lookout, waiting for the harvest to start. As impatient as I am (you now know my legendary enthusiasm!), I had to find a job while waiting for the first pruning shears. So I had the opportunity to test (and approve) the wine tourism activities offered by the property. In several languages, for all ages and all tastes… believe me, there is one for you!

To discover the estate: the wine-tasting visits

To learn the secrets of creating a great wine, there is nothing like the “discovery of the estate” tasting visit, an hour to learn all the aspects of the vine by the glass, ending with a commented tasting of the two wines of Château Marquis de Terme (15€/adult).

As an informed gourmet, I am still licking my lips when I think back to the “aperitif at the château” visit and tasting, highly recommended for lovers of food and wine pairings. During 1h30, enjoy a visit of the property, with a tasting to discover the basics of food and wine pairings around a plate of local products (cheeses and charcuteries) and two different vintages (25€/adult).

And don’t worry, you can even come with your friends, as these visits are available for up to 20 adults!

For history lovers

I have to admit that I was sometimes a bit dissipated in history classes when I was still a young school marquis, but since then I have (somewhat) mellowed. With the « Atelier Grands Crus Classés 1855 » visit and tasting, not a chat, I was a student model for 3 hours (yes, yes!) I told you about this visit in my December 2018 column, promising you the enchanting discovery of the magical world of the Grands Crus Classés 1855. Happy you will be (I assure you!), when you enjoy a complete tasting of the Left Bank Grands Crus Classés, from each of the Medoc appellations concerned by the classification (Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Margaux, Haut-Médoc), as well as the Barsac and Sauternes appellations. This discovery will be punctuated with information on the origins of the classification, its history and its functions (up to 10 adults, 100€/adult).

For ecology enthusiasts

Get on your trusty steed (a VTC in this case), and go for a “Bike trip on Margaux”. Accompanied by a guide from the château, set off on a two-and-a-half hour ride through the heart of the estate’s parcels of land in the commune of Margaux (don’t worry, there are no excessively steep hills in the Médoc!). ) During this original tour, you will discover the specificities of the different terroirs, the planting choices, the grape varieties… Then, after these 10 km through the vines, you will go back to the château to discover the history of the property and the secrets of the making of its wines during a visit of the vat room, the equipment and the barrel cellar. As we can’t let you go back home severely hypoglycemic, to regenerate yourself, this crazy flight will obviously be crowned with a gourmet break with two vintages of Château Marquis de Terme and local sweet or savoury products according to your desires (up to 9 adults, 50€/adult).

For the “bikers” thirsty for novelty, a little more thrills and speed (even if, like me, you don’t have a driving licence!) with a 2-hour “Escapade en trottinette électrique”. Climb bravely on this 21st century machine and let yourself be guided on a personalised tour of exceptional properties in the Margaux appellation, before tasting the wines of Château Marquis de Terme in harmony with chocolate. (Up to 3 adults, 55€/adult. Not suitable for children).

To experience the harvest from the inside

What better time, at the beginning of the nascent vintage, to come and meet us in Margaux? Two ephemeral visits, specially proposed during the harvest, will share this key moment of the year with you.

During the “picker’s visit”, you will follow the whole cycle of the freshly harvested grapes in 1h30. De-stemming, sorting, crushing, punching of the cap, delestage and pumping over will no longer hold any secrets for you. And to confirm this newly acquired theory, a little bit of immediate practice with the tasting at the end of the vat, in order to fully integrate the wine transformation process. The visit will continue with the discovery of our vineyard and wine storehouses, and will end with a wine tasting (up to 15 adults, 25€/adult).

And if you’ve always dreamed of living the life of a grape-picker, the ” Harvest Lunch at the Château” formula is for you! Immerse yourself in a tour of the estate at this crucial moment, taste the wines as they come out of the vats and take a seat at the pickers’ table for a convivial meal (about 2h30, up to 6 adults, 60€/adult).

To discover all these formats and book your visit online, go to www.chateau-marquis-de-terme.com.