Bordeaux wine festivals range from open-door weekends at the châteaux to the Jurade's processions in Saint-Émilion and the costumed Marathon du Médoc in Pauillac. Bordeaux Fête le Vin brings the appellations to the quays of the city itself.
This page covers the events month by month with their published dates, how to reach them from Paris and from Bordeaux, how estate visits work around them, and what passes, tastings and dinners cost. For the wider region, see Bordeaux.
Getting there
The quickest option from Paris is the direct TGV INOUI from Paris Montparnasse to Bordeaux Saint-Jean, in 2 hours 4 minutes, with 33 round trips a day. Direct OUIGO trains take from 2 hours 7 minutes, with adult fares from €19 ($21). Tram line C links Saint-Jean station with the city center.
From Bordeaux, regional TER trains reach Saint-Émilion from 29 minutes, with about 16 trains a day, and Barsac, for the Sauternes and Barsac open days, from 42 minutes. TER line 42 reaches Pauillac, the start of the Marathon du Médoc, in about 65 minutes.
| Option | From | To | Time | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGV INOUI | Paris Montparnasse | Bordeaux Saint-Jean | 2h04 | 0 |
| OUIGO | Paris Montparnasse | Bordeaux Saint-Jean | 2h07 | 0 |
| TER | Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | 29 min | — |
| TER | Bordeaux | Barsac | 42 min | — |
| TER line 42 | Bordeaux Saint-Jean | Pauillac | 65 min | — |
| Tram C | Central Bordeaux | Villenave-Pyrénées | 33 min | — |
| Car | Bordeaux | Saint-Émilion | 35 min | — |
| Car | Bordeaux | Pauillac | 50 min | — |
By car, allow around 35 minutes from Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion. Pauillac is 50 minutes from Bordeaux on the Route des Châteaux (D2) or the D1215.
For the Pessac-Léognan open weekend, tram C runs from central Bordeaux to Villenave-Pyrénées in about 33 minutes, and Château Baret is a walk of about 4 minutes from the stop.
For timetables and fares, see Paris to Bordeaux by train, Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux to the Médoc and Bordeaux vineyards without a car.
When to go
Many estates receive visitors all year with seasonal hours. In Saint-Émilion, the grape harvest generally takes place in September.
April
Les Vins km de Saint Emilion, a race organized by the Rotary with the Vins de Saint-Émilion, was held on April 12, 2026. The next edition, Fête les vins kms, starts at Soutard in Saint-Émilion on April 4, 2027, with a marathon, a 22 km race, a 12 km race, a team challenge, a marathon relay and a sporty walk through the vineyards.
May
Saint-Émilion Portes Ouvertes ran from May 1 to 3, 2026, three days instead of two, with 110 châteaux taking part. The program included meetings with winegrowers, tastings, guided visits, photo exhibitions, farmers' markets, children's areas, wine workshops and winegrowers' dinners.
The Biotope Festival (May 15 to 19, 2026) and Festival Philosophia (May 29 to 31, 2026) also took place in Saint-Émilion, with the Vins de Saint-Émilion as partner.
Les Estivales de Pessac-Léognan opened the châteaux on May 30 and 31, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The weekend brought château visits, tastings, École du Vin de Bordeaux workshops, food trucks, local producers and children's games.
June
The Jurade de Saint-Émilion holds its Fête de Printemps on the third Sunday of June, and in 2026 it fell on Sunday, June 21. At this Jugement du vin nouveau, the Jurats praise the previous vintage from the Tour du Roy, a 13th-century keep, and new members are inducted.
The Jurade traces its origin to the Charter of Falaise, signed by John Lackland in 1199. It oversaw wine production, branded barrels and set the date of the harvest. Dissolved during the French Revolution, it was reconstituted by winegrowers in 1948 and parades twice a year, with the Jurats in bright red robes at induction ceremonies.
Bordeaux Fête le Vin has existed for more than 20 years and was canceled in 2020. The 2025 edition ran from Thursday, June 19, to Sunday, June 22, on the Garonne quays, with workshops, exhibitions, regional food and a drone show over the river.
July
Bordeaux Fête le Vin returns from Wednesday, July 7, to Sunday, July 11, 2027, under the name Voiles et Vignobles. The dates shift because the Tall Ships Races - Bordeaux 2027 start from the city that week, and the race last called at Bordeaux in 1990, with the Cutty Sark.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on the quays between the Maison Écocitoyenne and Hangar 14. Visitors taste, talk with winegrowers and follow introductory workshops, and food includes oysters, cannelés and duck. Tram B stops at Chartrons, CAPC and Quinconces.
The sailing ships moor along the quays and open their decks to the public, and on July 11 they leave for A Coruña in Spain and then Sines in Portugal.
September
The 41st Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc takes place on Saturday, September 4, 2027, on the theme "Expédition Médoc : à la conquête du monde !" It starts at 9:30 a.m. on the quays of Pauillac and finishes in the same place, and the course must be completed within 6 hours 30 minutes.
The 42.195 km course runs in a single loop past more than 50 châteaux, with 22 refreshment points and about twenty tasting points. Special refreshments include oysters, ham, entrecôte, cheese and ice cream, and more than 90% of runners wear costumes.
The 2027 weekend starts on Friday, September 3, with bib collection and the Marathon Village at the COSEC in Pauillac from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the Mille-Pâtes evening at Château Fourcas Dupré in Listrac-Médoc for 1,450 guests. On Saturday, the costume parade runs from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., prizes are given on the Pauillac quays at 4 p.m., and fireworks start at 10:30 p.m. A recovery walk leaves at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 5, in Listrac-Médoc, limited to 3,000 people.
In Saint-Émilion, Festival Vino Voce ran from September 11 to 13, 2026. The Jurade's Ban des Vendanges is usually held on the third Sunday of September to launch the harvest, and in 2026 it fell on Sunday, September 20, after a torchlight parade by the Jurade on September 19 for the Nuit du Patrimoine.
From the Tour du Roy, the Jurats proclaim the start of the harvest. Historically, experts were sent into the vineyards at the Ban des Vendanges to make sure the grapes had reached optimal ripeness, and today the ceremony celebrates the vintage.
October
La nuit des Châteaux, with the Vins de Saint-Émilion as partner, took place in Saint-Émilion from October 16 to 18, 2026.
November
The Sauternes and Barsac open days take place on Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with free admission. Nearly 50 châteaux in five villages open their doors, and tastings are free and need no reservation throughout the weekend.
The program includes guided visits, workshops, restaurants at some châteaux, family activities, producers' markets and exhibitions. The Maison du Sauternes pours a free tasting from the youngest to the oldest vintages, and Château Simon in Barsac offers free visits and tastings. For the village, see Sauternes.
On November 16, 2026, at 5:30 p.m., the Grandes Heures de Saint-Emilion series brings the Girard String Quartet to the Monolith Church on Place du Marché, booked online.
December
The Pessac-Léognan Week-end Portes Ouvertes takes place on December 5 and 6, 2026, with about forty châteaux offering visits, tastings and workshops. Many also host food trucks, Christmas markets and exhibitions.
The Saint-Émilion Christmas market takes place on December 19 and 20, 2026.
Visiting the estates
Around Saint-Émilion, reservations are mandatory with the estates on the tourist office's château-of-the-day list, which shows 2 to 4 estates open each day.
Château Guiraud, in Sauternes, is open 7 days a week, including public holidays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with or without a booking.
Château Climens, in Barsac, books visits on its website, by email or by phone. During the November 2026 open days, it opens on Saturday only, with visits from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every 30 minutes on registration.
Château Pape Clément, in Pessac, is open to the public all year, with all visits booked online. Château Haut-Bailly, in Léognan, also books its tastings and visits online.
Château Lynch-Bages, in Pauillac, runs its cellar visit Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.. Château Kirwan, in Cantenac, opens Monday to Saturday from May to October and Monday to Friday from November to April.
For lead times and booking terms, see Booking Bordeaux Château Visits.
What it costs
Standard estate visits with a tasting cost €7–80 ($8–86). Château Cadet Pontet in Saint-Émilion starts from €7 ($8), Clos Systey charges €15 ($16), and Château Haut-Bailly's 30-minute tasting of two wines costs €20 ($22).
Château Pape Clément's 1 hour 30 minutes Visite et Dégustation and Château Lynch-Bages's 1 hour 30 minutes cellar visit each cost €25 ($27). Château Kirwan's 1-hour Prestige tour is €30 ($32), Château Climens's Discovery of Climens is €45 ($49), and a visit at Château Figeac costs €80 ($86).
Entry to Bordeaux Fête le Vin is free, and tasting needs a Pass Dégustation, valid for the four days. The Pass 10+ includes a tasting glass and holder, 10 tastings at the appellation pavilions and a 30-minute workshop at the École du Vin de Bordeaux pavilion. The Pass 4 includes a glass and holder and 4 tastings at four different pavilions. The online ticket office for 2027 has not opened yet.
At the 2026 Saint-Émilion Portes Ouvertes, the Maison du Vin's introduction to tasting at 11 a.m. and its commented tasting of three Grands Crus Classés at 4 p.m. each cost €25 ($27). The winegrowers' dinners at the Salle des Dominicains, from 8 p.m. on May 1 and 2, sold out.
At Les Estivales de Pessac-Léognan 2026, the déjeuner champêtre cost €46 ($50) and the Saturday dinner €90 ($97). The December 2026 dinner-tastings on Friday, December 4, and Saturday, December 5, cost €90 ($97) per person.
At the Sauternes and Barsac open days, Château La Tour Blanche in Bommes runs a €30 ($32) masterclass alongside food-and-wine pairing workshops.
The 2027 Marathon du Médoc Pack Dossard costs €110 ($119), and the Pack Prestige, at €230 ($248), adds the Mille-Pâtes evening, the Sunday walk and lunch. The Sunday recovery walk alone costs €8 ($9) with registration.
Before you go
- Only people aged 18 and over can buy and use a Bordeaux Fête le Vin Pass Dégustation, and unused passes are neither exchangeable nor refundable. Glass containers and outside alcoholic drinks are not allowed.
- The Marathon du Médoc is capped at 8,500 participants. Registration opens in early March on a first come, first served basis, runners must be born before September 4, 2007, and each needs a Pass Prévention Santé (PPS) from the FFA.
- Château Margaux and Château Mouton Rothschild take visits Monday to Friday only, and both stop visits during the harvest.
- Pessac-Léognan dinner-tastings are booked only by phone, at 05 56 00 21 90, from September 1, and La Mission Haut-Brion visits during the open weekend need registration by email.
- In Saint-Émilion, book restaurants in advance, especially on weekends and in peak season.
- Spit as you taste, and choose a designated driver if you are driving between châteaux.
Frequently asked questions
When is Bordeaux Fête le Vin in 2027?
Bordeaux Fête le Vin runs from Wednesday, July 7, to Sunday, July 11, 2027, on the quays, from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., alongside the start of the Tall Ships Races. Entry is free, and tasting needs a Pass Dégustation, sold only to people aged 18 and over.
When is the Ban des Vendanges in Saint-Émilion?
The Jurade de Saint-Émilion usually holds the Ban des Vendanges on the third Sunday of September, and in 2026 it fell on September 20. The Jurats proclaim the start of the harvest from the Tour du Roy, and the Fête de Printemps follows the same pattern in June.
Are the Sauternes and Barsac open days free?
Yes. On November 14 and 15, 2026, nearly 50 châteaux open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with free admission, and tastings need no reservation. A few activities cost extra, such as the €30 ($32) masterclass at Château La Tour Blanche in Bommes.
Can I watch the Marathon du Médoc without running?
The 2027 race starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 4, on the Pauillac quays, after a costume parade from 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. The Sunday recovery walk in Listrac-Médoc is open to runners, companions, volunteers and partners, at €8 ($9) with registration.
