Skip to main content

A toast to La Cité du Vin

“Every detail of the building, evokes wine’s soul and liquid nature: seamless roundness, intangible and sensual." Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières, architects of La Cité du Vin.

La Cité du Vin (The City of Wine) is a journey through the world of wine from its earliest beginnings some 8,000 years ago to the modern period in a contemporary 3,000 m² exhibition space above the Garonne River in Bordeaux.

There are 19 thematic interactive displays exploring the cultivation of wine starting with a film that takes you on a world wine tour. On the terroir table, winemakers from 10 wine regions in the world talk about the development of their vineyards.  The gallery of civilizations expounds on the topic of divine wine, medical wine, celebratory wine and sustaining wine and how these have accompanied us through the ages. These are just a few of the highlights of an afternoon full of discoveries at La Cité du Vin. My personal favorite was the buffet of the five senses where I could get a sniff of the various scents associated with wine which was a “nose” opener. Now I am more sensitive to the bouquet of wine.

The section on wine portraits is dedicated to the history, production and tasting of major wine categories: red, dry white, rosé, sweet, sparkling, fortified,  It is the most visually attractive area with floor-to-ceiling wooden wine bottle-shaped stations. The shiny green and silver pod interactive displays are a magnet for children.

The reading room has plenty of resources on the world of wine and access is free. 

  
Thousands of empty bottles form a massive chandelier above the bar at the Belvedere on the top floor of the museum. A glass of wine of your choice is included with the entrance fee of €20. 

There is a 360° view of Bordeaux and the surrounding countryside from the Belvedere. The Pont Jacques Chaban-Delmas is a vertical lift bridge connecting the left and right banks of the Garonne river. 

The easiest way to get to La Cité du Vin from Bordeaux city center is to take Tram B from Quinconces to the Cité du Vin tram stop (shown above). The museum is a short walk from the stop. Fare is €1.70 for a single ticket. You may buy ticket from the bus driver or at machines at tram stops and online at https://www.infotbm.com/fr/titres-et-tarifs/ticket-1-2-10-voyages

La Cité du Vin
Esplanade de Pontac, 134 Quai de Bacalan

Hungry after the absorbing tour of the museum? There are two dining options on the premises, Le 7 Panoramic Restaurant and Latitude 20. Or cross the street from the museum and savor the offerings of the food hall, Les Halles de Bacalan.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie 


Labels:
Location: Bordeaux, France

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was
1 comment
Read more

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the
2 comments
Read more