Aperitifs in the vineyards - the best terraces and guinguettes

Newly opened in May 2023, in the heart of this 17th-century estate, Château Bel Air now invites you to enjoy its new panoramic terrace, with its breathtaking views over the surrounding vineyards of Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. Come and enjoy a delicious lunch concocted by chef Lucas Cramaix on Fridays and Sunday lunchtimes, or simply make the most of the Bel Air Terrace Bar. Open Thursday to Saturday from 6pm to 10:30pm, you'll be welcomed in a relaxed atmosphere, with a selection of snacks and platters to share, as well as a wine list of renowned and local Châteaux, cocktails, champagne and non-alcoholic drinks.

• Chateau Bel Air
• 4 Vilate N, 33410 Sainte-Croix-du-Mont 
• +33 (0) 6 64 65 99 47
  
   

© Château Bel Air

The 360° terrace of Château Balestard la Tonnelle 

Owned by the Capdemourlin family since 1647, this Saint-Emilion grand cru classé welcomes you to its 360° panoramic terrace perched 80 meters above the medieval village. Spend a pleasant moment enjoying the splendid view during a guided tasting of their wines.

• Château Balestard La Tonnelle
• Balestard, 33330 Saint-Émilion
• +33 (0)5 57 74 62 06

© Château Balestard La Tonnelle

Summer barbecues at Château Ambe Tour Pourret

For five Sundays in the summer, the courtyard of Château Ambe Tour Pourret is transformed into a garden party, with a convivial barbecue combining food and wine.The menu includes chef Quentin Novelle's delicious grilled meats, accompanied by a glass of wine or crémant from Maison Célène's family estates. After your meal, you're free to indulge in a siesta on the deckchairs or a game of Molkky in the garden!

• Château Ambe Tour Pourret
• D243, Secteur Pourret, 33330 Saint-Émilion
• +33 (0) 6 84 71 02 13
  
   

© Château Ambe Tour Pourret

La guinguette des vignerons in Bourg

With its plunging view over the Garonne, this guinguette is a real treat for the eyes and the taste buds. Below the Maison des Vins de Bourg and its restaurant Le Bouchon, locals and visitors alike can enjoy a game of pétanque, swap deckchairs or take in a concert. To toast, you'll be able to choose from a fine range of local wines and beers, as well as surprising cocktails, most of which combine wine, crémant and the tangy flavours of summer. As soon as stomachs start to growl, we move on to Spanish-speaking territory with sunny tapas platters featuring mixed tome, quesadillas, croquettas, nachos and even a few local shellfish. A must-stop on your wine route.

• La guinguette des vignerons, vignoble Côte de Bourg
• 1, place de l'Éperon, Bourg-sur-Gironde
• Téléphone : 06 08 10 90 42

© Guinguette des vignerons à Bourg

Winegrowers' aperitifs at the Maison des vins de Cadillac

06/07, 20/07, 03/08 and 17/08. Don't forget these dates. They're the ones that will get the Maison des Vins de Cadillac garden dancing for a summer aperitif. Each date will see two châteaux from the appellation take over the bar. It's an opportunity to chat openly with the winemakers about their work, their way of life, and above all, the fruits of their labor. They'll be offering their wines for €2 by the glass or bottle. To accompany them, the house will be offering aperitif boards for 4 people at 19€. Streetfood fans won't be able to resist the house hot dogs at 2€ each. Cheers!

• La maison des vins de Cadillac
• D10 Route de Langon, 33410 Cadillac-sur-Garonne
• +33 (0) 5 57 98 19 20

The guinguette at Château Marquis de Terme in the Médoc

From May onwards, this chateau-like setting switches to summer time. Nestling in the center of the estate's buildings, the garden is transformed into a guinguette. Wooden furniture and deckchairs line the lawn. The Comptoir de Marquis de Terme, the center of the festivities, lies halfway between the dining cellar and the wine bar. It's where you'll find food and drink. Families, couples and friends can enjoy the house wines with their feet up in the grass, in a summertime atmosphere punctuated by events. Just 30 minutes from Bordeaux, the estate offers activities, tastings, brunches, zero-carbon walks, not forgetting the restaurant run by chef Grégory Coutanceau.

• Au Marquis de Terme, guinguette au vignoble
• 3 route de Rauzan, Margaux-Cantenac 33460
• +33 (0) 5 57 08 25 33
  
   

La Méric guinguette in La Brède

Here's a château that lives up to its name. And with good reason: not content with being a pioneer in organic farming, the Barron family installs a giant guinguette every summer on their property, La Méric Chante L'Oiseau... Visitors can enjoy the flavours of Graves wines and other cool beverages during a concert or a game of molky, under the coloured bulbs of string lights. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in the summer, it's an invitation to clear your head and your mind.

• Guinguette La Méric, guinguette au vignoble
• 20 av Georges Hebert 33650 La Brède
• +33 (0) 5 57 75 01 55

La terrasse du Manège in Léognan

A confidential address nestled in the idyllic grounds of Château Léognan. While it offers unsuspected cocooned rooms, a large bar-snacking area opening onto a large terrace facing the pines, and work spaces, it's the Manège, the restaurant serving local bistronomic cuisine, that attracts most visitors. And with good reason! Surrounded by forest, its terrace occupies the original riding arena of the stables. Ideal for a natural interlude, the kitchen showcases the culinary creations of Executive Chef Flora Mikula, accompanied by the finest Bordeaux wines. A feast for the eyes and the palate.

• La terrasse du Manège à Léognan
• 88, chemin du Barp, 33850 Léognan

The garden of the Couvent des Jacobins in Saint-Emilion

Discreet yet essential. This jewel of Saint-Emilion comes alive in summer. Not content with 120 years of preserving the singularity and heritage of this estate, a Grand Cru Classé since 1969, and accommodating visitors in unique Gironde houses, Saint-Emilion's emblematic convent organizes open-air cinema, wine-tasting evenings, concerts, brunches and giant cluedos all summer long. All in the suspended, timeless setting of this convent built on impressive quarries. We'll be glad to get you there.

• Le Couvent Jacobins à Saint-Emilion, terrasse au jardin
• 10 Rue Guadet, Saint-Emilion
• +33 (0) 5 57 24 70 66

The perched terrace of Châteaux la Croizille & Tour Baladoz in Saint Emilion

Just a few pedal strokes from the village center (on Rustic Vines bikes, for example), there's a charming perched terrace offering a breathtaking view of the Combe de Saint-Laurent and the prestigious Saint-Emilion vineyards in general. Here, modern cellars, heritage buildings and great terroirs come together to create an exceptional wine.

Between Château La Tour Baladoz and Château La Croizille, 14 hectares of vines are worked to give life to a Saint-Emilion grand cru. Tapas platters, cheese and charcuterie, people come to mix their wines with pretty planks, all in an extraordinary panorama. And every month, a Wine Club workshop introduces visitors to other fine appellations. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, until 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.

• Terrasse perchée les Châteaux la Croizille et La Tour Baladoz 
• Lieu-dit Baladoz, 33330 Saint-Laurent-des-Combes
  
   

The Cordeliers Cloister in Saint-Emilion

It's hard to miss this iconic cloister when visiting the village of Saint-Emilion. With its beautiful 14th-century blond stone architecture, galleries, 20-metre-deep underground cellars and 2,000m² of outdoor space, it's a delight to stroll through... And to stop! As soon as summer arrives, this former convent comes to life, decked out in lights. Its walls resound with the music of convivial concert evenings and relaxed DJ sets on Fridays. The place is transformed into a giant dance floor. On tables or on the lawn, you can picnic on meat, fish or vegetable spreads, cheeses and desserts. All accompanied by their excellent sparkling wines, made using the traditional method of Crémant de Bordeaux des Cordeliers. Cheers!

• Le Cloître des Cordeliers, au jardin
• 2 bis Rue de la Porte-Brunet, 33330 Saint-Emilion
• +33 (0) 5 57 24 42 13
  
   

Star-studded grilling on Lalique's terrace at Château Lafaurie Peyraguey in Sauternes 

An exceptional site, nestled in the heart of the Sauternes appellation vineyards, high above the village of Bommes. Just as the LALIQUE restaurant has been awarded a second star in the MICHELIN Guide, the terrace has been reopened for a new summer edition. Set in the château's pretty square courtyard, you can savour the creations of Chef Jérôme Shilling and his team, cooking under the open sky and before our very eyes, on a vine shoot grill. A cuisine full of travels in a marvellous setting. All accompanied, of course, by divine nectars. Open for lunch and dinner.

• Terrasse de Lalique, Château Lafaurie Peyraguey
• Lieu-Dit Peyraguey, 33210 Bommes

La terrasse belvédère Tour Blanche en Sauternes 

La Tour Blanche is a grand cru classé. It's a place for sunset carriage rides and picnic lunches, but it's also an ephemeral bar in the vineyards where you can enjoy delicious glasses of Sauternes. Here, you can watch the sunset from the belvedere, while enjoying sweet and savoury treats. Their golden aperitifs are back again this year on July 7, 28 and August 25. Amber-colored evenings!

• La Tour Blanche en Sauternes, terrasse guinguette
• 33210 Bommes - France
• +33 (0) 5 57 98 02 73
  
   

The Amuse gueules guinguette at Château La Vieille Chapelle

This verdant guinguette follows the sun like its shadow. And with good reason: it only opens on sunny days. Ideally nestled on the banks of the Dordogne, it's the place to be at Château de La Vieille Chapelle. Today, the 11th-century Romanesque chapel is surrounded by 22 hectares of vines on the banks of the Dordogne. Family-run, the estate produces wines with an ethical and gourmet approach to nature. When the sun goes down after the hot days, the château lights up its "guinguette" and the party begins! A haven of peace in the midst of nature, it's the perfect place to gather for large tables, where glasses of biodynamic wine dance, savour tapas, good food and fresh local produce. And all to the sound of live music. Bucolic!

• La guinguette des Amuse Gueules au Château La Vieille Chapelle 
• 2 rue Florence Arthaud, ld La Chapelle 33240 Lugon-et-l'Île-du-Carnay

Terrace at Château Réaut in Entre-deux-mers 

Tasting with a view from the heights of Tabanac. Set in an estate with a distinctive topography, Château Réaut is a veritable belvedere overlooking the riches of the region. An ideal place to escape the city. With its magnificent 250 m² terrace overlooking the valley and its restaurant offering breathtaking views of the vineyards and the Garonne River, it's a popular Entre-deux-mers HQ.
 

• Château Réaut dans l'entre-deux-mers, terrasse belvédère au vignoble
• 14 Thibeau Ouest, 33410 Rions
• +33 (0) 5.56.62.66.54

The guinguette at Le Grand Verdus, in the Entre-deux-mers region

A family property since 1810, occupying a Renaissance château, Le Grand Verdus sits atop a hill overlooking 80 meters of vertical drop. As soon as summer arrives, its lawn fills with laughter and clinking glasses thanks to a pretty country-style guinguette.Come and sample the flavours of the Entre-deux-mers region, chat with the owners and locals and sometimes even sway to the music. Summertime!

• Château Le Grand Verdus, guinguette
• Grand Verdus, 33670 Sadirac
• +33 (0) 5 56 30 50 90