River cruises are a wonderful way to explore the world, but have you ever considered a wine river cruise? On this episode of Travel Talk, we’re sharing our experience aboard AmaWaterways’ Taste of Bordeaux cruise. From picturesque Bordeaux, where history meets charm, to intimate chateau visits and unique wine tastings, this journey offered a blend of luxury and authenticity. Whether you’re a seasoned wine connoisseur or just curious about discovering something new, join us as we highlight what makes a wine river cruise an unforgettable travel experience.
Location
Most river cruises go from a point A to a point B, but in a regional river cruise like the Taste of Bordeaux cruise with AmaWaterways, we stayed in the same area. That means you can do a round trip flight and get to know the cities a little better.
This is also a great opportunity to arrive early or stay later to enjoy the area. Bordeaux is a beautiful town. It is very walkable and easy to get around if you stay in the old town area around the river.
There are lots of outdoor cafes for meals and shopping. Along the river is a walking/jogging path and there is even a park in town. We loved our time in Bordeaux before the cruise.
Tours
The tours mostly focus on visiting wineries and chateaus. We learned that a chateau doesn’t mean it is a historic castle or even an elaborate house. A chateau is the home of a winery. It can be luxurious or very humble.
Not only did we visit wineries, but we learned a lot and did many tastings. We visited a variety of types of wineries too. Some were larger operations where we met with a manager of the winery and in other cases, we met with a small local place that was run by a husband and wife. The winery owner himself shared with us all about his wines and passion. It really made it special and personal.
We also learned that not all wine tours are the same. It is up to the cruise line/tour operator how many wines, what types of foods, and how much you see. We found with AmaWaterways that we had very nice tastings with two to four wines and everything from cheese and meats to tapas to taste with the wine.
We even had a private wine event in Bourge with two different wineries in attendance along with musicians/singers performing French music and dancing. It wast a fun and unique event.
There are still a few historical tours along the way including some UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This tour is a great combination of traditional river cruises with a special twist.
Guests
People have asked me if you have to be a wine expert to enjoy this trip. First, I would not recommend these types of itineraries for anyone who cannot drink alcohol (under 18/21, pregnant, recovering alcoholic, etc.). There is a lot of exposure and it may be hard to participate in the activities.
Aside from that, no, you don’t have to be a wine expert or even a wine lover. There were people on the ship that were very knowledgeable and they asked great questions. It was interesting to hear what others asked and taste all different things. If you don’t really drink wine or do not like it, it may be interesting to taste a bunch of things and learn something new. They always have a place to pour out your extra wine, so if you take a taste and you don’t want to finish it, you can pour it out. Traditionally, when they taste wine, they swish it around and spit it out. We found everyone on the tours we went on drank the wine after tasting, but you don’t have to if you don’t like it.
If you are looking for a river cruise or something different, I can’t recommend the Taste of Bordeaux itinerary from AmaWaterways enough. We went with a group of seven and six of the guests had never river cruised before. They all had great things to say about the small ship size and number of guests, service onboard, quality of the tours, and how much fun it was. River cruises are such a great option and have a variety of locations and experiences. Let us help you find the right cruise for you.
