Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France (2015)

Picture: Bordeaux City Getting Ready "pour un pot" - View from Hotel La Tour Intendance

This is an update of Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City (2014), which I prepared following the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2013).

See here:
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France, 2014
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Over the course of the past 2 years, there were a number of changes. Overall, more wine bars appear to have closed down than new wine bars opened. The list below is in no particular order.

See here:
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux City

The city of Bordeaux is a jewel, with vestiges from the Roman era and medieval town gates. However, the 18th century was its golden age. Victor Hugo once said: “Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux.”

Bordeaux is often referred to as "Little Paris". Baron Haussmann, a long-time prefect of Bordeaux, used Bordeaux’s 18th century, big-scale rebuilding as a model when he was asked by Emperor Napoleon III to transform a then still quasimedieval Paris into a “modern” capital that would make France proud.

The city was ruled by the English for a long time, which is why Bordeaux seems to have an "English flair". After the marriage of Henry II to Eleanor of Aquitaine, Bordeaux came under English rule between 1152 and 1453. It was then that the British first developed their taste for Claret, as the red Bordeaux wine is called in the UK.

The city has recently been classified by UNESCO as an “outstanding urban and architectural ensemble”.Bordeaux has a million inhabitants, including a lively university community of over 60,000.

Pictures: Visiting Bordeaux City

Bordeaux is a flat city, built on the left banks of the Garonne. The Garonne merges a dozen kilometers below the city with the Dordogne to form the Gironde, which is biggest estuary in France. The two main entertainment spots are: (1) Formerly inhabited by wine merchant warehouses, the docks (les quais) are now home to gardens, bike and skate paths, boutiques, museums, cafés, bars and restaurants. (2) La Victoire is the other area for entertainment: Historical monuments meet student life and bars. Most of the pubs and bars of the town are here. Virtually, all the shops in the surroundings of this area are bars.

See:
In the Wine Capital of the World: the City of Bordeaux, France
Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy
Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars

Le Wine Bar

19 Rue des Bahutiers, in the historic St. Pierre district

Annette's and my favorite wine bar in Bordeaux.

Run and owned by two charming Italians, Giancarlo Savini, Emmanuel Cadei, and their French wives, the wine list also includes many wines from Italy and other countries. A cosy, small place. The food is charcuterie and cheese. Le Wine Bar is an excellent location to enjoy a glass on an outdoor terrace.

Pictures: At Le Wine Bar with Owner Emmanuel Cadei

Le Bar a Vin

3 Cours du 30 Juillet

Le Bar a Vin is located on the ground floor of the Maison du Vin de Bordeaux, diagonally opposite the Grand Théatre. Le Bar a Vin is one of the few wine bars open all day. However, if you are interested in premium Bordeaux wines, this is not the place to go. Le Bar a Vin does not showcase the wines of the perhaps 400 producers people talk about in the world, but the wines of the 15.000 or so other producers that also make excellent wines. Most wines are around Euro 3 per glass including tax and service.
The menu - updated every several weeks - includes about 20 Bordeaux wines, all served by the glass only. But Le Bar a Vin also serves one or two premium wines; we had the 4. Cru Classé en 1855 Château Lafon Rochet 2007 at €8. The food menu is plates of charcuterie, and cheeses for Euro 6.

Pictures: At Le Bar a Vin

Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery

14 Cours de l'Intendance

Not too far away from Le Bar a Vin is Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery, just the opposite of Le Bar a Vin. The enomatic system contains wines of the 400 producers or so that are known all over the world. For higher-end wines, Max Bordeaux is the place to go. If you have questions, a wall-mounted iPad offers fact sheets and wine critics’ tasting notes about every single wine, in English. However, no casual seating or food is available. Also, Max Bordeaux closes early in the evening (8 pm).

Pictures: At Max Bordeaux

Aux Quatres Coins Du Vin

8 Rue de la Devise

Like Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery, wines are also dispensed with the enomatic system and, more like Le Bar a Vin, this cute wine bar offers more affordable wines. Unlike both Le Bar a Vin and Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery, its selection includes also non-Bordeaux wines - 32 different wines: 8 whites, 8 red from Bordeaux, 8 red from other parts of France and 8 red from abroad. In addition, you can always order a bottle from the 130 references wine list. Aux Quatres Coins Du Vin also serves cheese and charcuterie platters, but not a full meal. A hipp, young crowd.

Pictures: At Aux Quatres Coins Du Vin

Vin Urban (formerly Vinset)

27 Rue des Bahutiers

Formerly Vinset, a new wine bar just around the corner of Le Wine Bar.

Pictures: Vin Urban

Le Boutique Hotel Wine Bar

3 Rue Lafaurie Monbadon

Winerist: A small and cozy bar in the lobby of a Boutique Hotel in the city center, this wine bar is a great experience for the adventurous wine lover. Here also the waiters don’t offer you a menu, rather they ask what type of wine you prefer and bring you a bottle with a hidden label. You then can taste and attempt to discover the varietal, vintage and production area, which isn’t always even in France. In addition, the bar offers tapas and deli plates as well as a garden seating area for the warm summer months.

Picture: Le Boutique Hotel Winebar

Le Millésime Wine bar and Tapas Restaurant

4 rue du Puits Descujols

Le Millésime Bar à vins: Situé dans le cœur historique de Bordeaux, à 20 mètres de la Place de la Bourse, le Millésime est un nouveau concept de bar à vins et restaurant à Bordeaux qui propose la dégustation de grands crus classés au verre, accompagnés d’une grande variété de tapas élaborés à partir de produits frais des marchés du sud ouest et d’Espagne. Notre chef Martial décline également à travers une carte de plats typiques les saveurs de la cuisine du sud ouest de la France. L’ambiance du Millésime est à la fois chic et décontractée, appuyée par la présence récurrente d’un DJ pour les soirées week-end. Le Millésime vous propose un grand choix de vins au verre avec plus d’une trentaine de références principalement de vins de Bordeaux, Bourgogne, vallées du Rhone et de la Loire, sans oublier les vins Espagnols et d’Amérique du sud. Parmi ces choix, Le Millésime a également la particularité de proposer des premiers grands crus classés au verre : ce mois-ci Château d’Yquem 1995, Château Cheval-Blanc 2004, et Château Haut-Brion 2002.

Verre o Vin

43 Rue Borie, (Chartrons)

Winerist: Located just down the street from the Wine Museum in Chartrons, Verre o Vin is a small local bar with an amazing offering. Carved into the historic limestone buildings of the city’s ancient wine district, Verre o Vin offers both bottle service and wines by the glass served from Enomatic machines. There is also a small but high quality menu of farm-to-table deli plates and regional items, like foie gras, to accompany your tasting.

Pictures: Verre O Vin

Login Bar (formerly Wine and Soul)

23 Rue du Couvent (Chartrons)

A new opening.

Picture: Login Bar ( Photo: Per Karlson)

Wine More Time

8 Rue St. James

Wine Shop and Wine Bar

Winerist: With a wine list that changes frequently, Wine More Time is a wine store, a wine bar and a temple to all things wine. Offering a wide range of French wines at reasonable prices, the bar also offers a unique selection of beers and spirits as well as deli plates. With its dedicated tasting space, they offer specialised wine courses and planned tastings and can organize private events.

L’Univerre

40-42 Rue Lecocq

Bar – Restaurant – Wine Shop

Bordeaux expert and Bordeaux City resident Jane Awson recommendation on twitter.

Decanter: L’Univerre Wine Shop opened in April 2014 by Olivier Beyre. The restaurant was already well known for its extensive wine list, but now the bottles are available to buy and take off-premises, with an excellent range from Bordeaux, the Rhône, Burgundy, Germany, Austria… you name it.

The Wine Cellar Insider: L’Univerre known for its extensive wine list of Grand Crus Class wines as well as traditional wines from smaller producers. A more recent arrival to the wine bar scene in Bordeaux, L’Univerre is the brainchild of Fabrice Moisan. His curated menu is short, with well-executed dishes of classic French comfort food paired with an extensive wine list (which is 62 pages long!). While most Bordeaux wine bars stick to Bordeaux, that is not the case here as you can also find wines from the Rhone valley, Burgundy, the Loire as well. In the cellar are older vintage Bordeaux that are priced to sell and Fabrice is open to queries about his other rare bottles.

L'Intendant

2 Allées deTourney

Wine Store

Not a wine bar., but an amazing wine store of 4 levels connected by a single spiral staircase, just next to the Grand Hotel. The collection includes over 15,000 bottles.

Pictures: At L'Intendant

Racines

59 Rue Georges Bonnac

Restaurant

Not a wine bar; not a wine centered restaurant.

Un nouveau restaurant vient d’ouvrir à Bordeaux ce mois ci : le restaurant Racines. A l’initiative de ce restaurant on retrouve Daniel Gallacher ; ce jeune Chef d’origine écossaise a un joli parcours à son actif, avec notamment un passage au Plaza Athénée chez Alain Ducasse. Il n’est pas inconnu des bordelais non plus, puisqu’il était auparavant le Chef du restaurant Dubern. Daniel Gallacher a souhaité s’installer à son propre compte, et c’est en plein centre de Bordeaux, rue Georges Bonnac qu’il a trouvé et aménagé son local.

Daniel propose des formules simples pour manger à son restaurant : Menus uniques à 17 euros pour le déjeuner, et 25 euros le soir avec le choix entre 2 entrées, 2 plats et 2 desserts. Le Menu est le même midi et soir (seuls les amuses bouches et pré dessert sont rajoutés pour le dîner). Il existe aussi un Menu Dégustation à 40 euros avec l’ensemble des plats. Ces Menus changent tous les jours et sont affichés en sale.

Schiller’ Favorites

Here is a complete list of Schiller's Favorites:

Europe

Germany

Schiller's Favorite Winemakers in Sachsen (Saxony), Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Winemakers in the Saale-Unstrut Region, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Trier, Germany
Schiller's Favorite (Wine-) Restaurants in Deidesheim in the Pfalz, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Berlin, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Frankfurt am Main, 2013, Germany
Schiller's Favorite Apple Wine Taverns in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Mainz, Germany

France

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, France
Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France, 2014
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France
Schiller’s Favorite Restaurants, Brasseries, Bistros, Cafes and Wine Bars in Paris, 2012 France
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux (City) (2012), France

UK, Spain, Austria, Hungary

Schiller's Favorite Winebars in London, UK
Schiller’s Favorite Tapas Bars in Logroño in La Rioja, Spain
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in London, 2012, UK
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Wine Spots in Vienna, Austria
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Budapest, Hungary
Schiller’s Favorite Spots to Drink Wine in Vienna, Austria (2011)

USA

Riesling Crawl in New York City – Or, Where to Buy German Wine in Manhattan: Schiller's Favorite Wine Stores, USA
Schiller's Favorite Oyster Bars and Seafood Places in Seattle, USA  
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Seattle, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Washington DC, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Crab Houses in the Washington DC Region, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in New York City, 2012, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in San Francisco, USA
Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars and Other Places Where You Can Have a Glass of Wine in Healdsburg, California

Asia

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in Singapore
Schiller s Favorite Winebars in Beijing, 2014, China

Africa

Schiller's Favorite Wines of Madagascar
Schiller’s 12 Favorite Restaurants of Antananarivo, the Capital of Madagascar  

Postings on the Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France (Posted and Forthcoming)

4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux

Germany-East Wine and Art Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)

Bourgogne Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wine Tour 2013 by ombiasy

Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Bordeaux Wines and their Classifications: The Basics

Bordeaux - En Primeur, Negociants, Courtiers, the Quai de Chartons and the Place de Bordeaux – A Short Introduction

How Does the Negociant System in Bordeaux Work? Tour and Tasting at Millésima - Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Domaine de Chevalier with Director Adjoint Rémi Edange and Owner/Director Olivier Bernard – Bordeaux Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), France

Schiller's Favorite Wine Bars in Bordeaux City, France

Schiller's Favorite Seafood Places in Bordeaux City, France

Saint Emilion Wines and their Classification, Bordeaux, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Angélus, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé A.

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Beauséjour, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, with Owner and Winemaker Gérard Dupuy

Tour and Tasting at Château Tertre-Rôteboeuf, Saint-Emilion, with Owner and Winemaker François Mitjavile

Tour and tasting at Château de Figeac, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé.

Schiller’s Favorite Wine Bars in St. Emilion, France

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Le Bon Pasteur, Pomerol, with Dany Rolland

The Wine Empire of the von Neipperg Family in France, Bulgaria and Germany 

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Canon La Gaffelière, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Tasting at Château de Fargues, Sauternes, with Prince Eudes d’Orléans

Wine Lunch at Restaurant Château de la Tour in Cadillac and Tour at Château Du Cros, Loupiac, with Catherine Boyer, Proprietor of Château Du Cros

Tour and Tasting at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé.

Lunch at the 2 Michelin Starred Restaurant La Grande Vigne

Tour of the Earl Ostrea Chanca Oyster Farm and Oyster Tasting in Grand-Piquey, with Oyster Farmer Ralph Doerfler

What is a Bordeaux Cru Bourgeois? France

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Le Reysse, Vignobles Paeffgen, Médoc, in Bégadan, with Stefan Paeffgen

Château Léoville-Poyferré, Chateau Le Crock, Didier Cuvelier in Bordeaux and the Cuvelier Los Andes Wines in Argentina

Tour and Tasting at Château Léoville Poyferré, Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, with Didier Cuvelier

Tour and Wine Lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

The 5 Premiers Grands Crus Chateaux en 1855 of Bordeaux, France

Tour and Tasting at Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac, 1ière Grand Cru Classé.

How a Barrel is Made: Visit of the Cooperage Berger & Fils in Vertheuil

Lunch at Restaurant Le Peyrat in Saint-Estèphe with the Grape Pickers of Château Sociando Mallet

Tour and Tasting at Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, with Owner Basile Tesseron

Tour and Tasting at Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux, 2ième Grand Cru Classé

Tourt and tasting at Château Palmer, Margaux, 3ième Grand Cru Classé

Tour and Wine Dinner at Château Haut-Bailly, Graves, Appellation Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, with Diana Paulin