(Sept. 2016) Probably one of the most exciting afternoons I spent in Bordeaux was visiting the new museum that just opened called Cite du Vin. Several years in the making, the unique modern architecture was designed jointly by the male and female team of Legendre and Desmazieres. The design is supposed to reflect the Garonne River that flows outside, and mesmerizes with its swirling mass of silver and gold metal with mirrors.
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| The Swirling Architecture of Cite du Vin – to emulate the Garonne River |
The price of admission is 20 euros, which includes all of the exhibits plus a free taste of wine. The exhibits are on the second and third floor, and you are given a headset and encouraged to walk around and learn everything you want about the world of wine. There are serious exhibits, and fun and interactive ones, such as guessing the scents of wine, and feeling the textures with fabrics. Every subject concerning wine is covered, ranging from business, viticulture, winemaking, art, poetry, music, food pairing, innovation, and even the dark side of wine in terms of drinking too much.
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| Interactive 3D Computer Exhibit for Food and Wine at Cite du Vin |
They recommend that you allow at least 2 hours to see the exhibits, but this is not even enough. I only made it through half of them, and you end up losing your companions because everyone is listening on headsets. There is no guided tour, so you wander around to exhibits that interest you. It would be a good thing to do on a rainy day by yourself.
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| Wine Shop at Cite du Vin |
In addition to the wine exhibits, there is a great bookstore, and a huge circular wine shop with wines from all over the world, including the most expensive wines from each country. There are also two restaurants and a bar at the top that requires an elevator ride. Once there the price of your ticket allows you to taste any wine of your choice, and then wander outside on the narrow balcony for a view of the whole city.
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| Wine Bar in Top Floor of Cite du Vin with Great Views |
It is truly impressive, and I believe that is what the designers and the City of Bordeaux wanted to create.