Wine Tourism Awards - Bordeaux...A magical experience

  Bordeaux Wine experience....

So last week, my husband and I had the opportunity to attend the 10th annual - BEST Of awards in wine tourism for the Bordeaux region.  This experience was very different for me - although we have always enjoyed good wine, being surrounded by all the marketing, and tourism of vineyards is all new to me.  Our experience of touring wine country is limited to New York State and just a handful in France.  It's always been something we have done once in a while for an afternoon or weekend.  When you have 3 smaller children, touring wineries is not always on top of the attractions list for them.    

Last week, I felt like Cinderella going to the ball.  We attended this award ceremony, not really knowing what to expect.  These awards were regional winners of various categories of wine tourism.  I do not want to  bore everyone with the details of the ceremony - I will just say it was wonderfully done complete with a slide presentation and music, I'll let Great Wine Capitals show the winners and explain the awards.

This is Chateau Agassac in the Medoc.  To me it looks like a fairy tale castle.  It's hard to tell in these photos but this place is gorgeous!  All of these photos were taken with my phone as I didn't bring a camera with me. The turrets, the stone and even a moat goes around this chateau. Will someone pinch me....it's just so beautiful and I still can't believe we had the opportunity to enjoy a lovely evening inside of this place.  

The awards ceremony was actually held in the conference building next door.  The chateau was just for the cocktail - and as true to this region, the food was delicious!  Below are pictures of the local Oysters (Les huitres) - fresh from the Arcachon bay.  This was just 2 of 8 bowls of them and as people were enjoying them, they were opening new ones and adding more.  I know not everyone loves oysters but I have to say fresh from the sea - they are so much better!

In another room there was a whole wall of various hams and sliced sausages.  The French definitely seem to love their "charcuterie" - pork products.  Different kinds of salted hams, some more dried, some spicy, all delicious in my book.  Moving into another room - cheeses from a local vendor - all sliced and cut to individualized portions.  Many different flavors to meet any one's taste.  I unfortunately couldn't get a photo of the cheeses, too many people around the tables.  

Then after we had munched on such delicious food - of course served with wines from the various wineries - I turned around to see the following being passed around the room.  Macaroons and Cannelles.  (Cannelles are a Bordeaux local speciality - a small cooked cake, soft in the middle and harder on the outside - plain or could be flavored with vanilla, almond or carmel.).  

I'm thinking that evening is pretty hard to top.  The atomosphere, the setting, the history and beauty around us,  I have never experienced anything like that before.  This evening truly summed up some of my favorite things about living in France - the beautiful architecture, the wine, the food and of course the desserts - so when you mix it into one special evening - it can't help feeling like a dream.    I write this post not only to document and share such a fun experience but to also share that anyone can visit these wineries and also enjoy the wonderful food and culture of this area. Many of the wineries offer guest house accommodations. I'm looking forward to coming back to this particular chateaux and visit it in the daylight - so picturesque and stunning.