When visiting Bordeaux you need to spend some time learning about their world-famous wine and there is no better place to learn about it than at La Cite du Vin. La Cite du Vin opened in 2016 and is an interactive museum where you can learn about wine from around the world, including from Bordeaux.
The museum is huge, with over 3000 m² and twenty different themed areas for you to explore, plus other temporary exhibits, a library about wine, and several additional classrooms where you sign up for wine courses such as wine tasting.
When you arrive you will pick up your headset which you can use to scan QR codes around the museum to learn more about an exhibit in your choice of language.
The use of technology in La Cite du Vin is outstanding, for example, in one area of the museum you can scan a location and watch a video about the winemaker in a region, and on the screen nearby additional maps, diagrams and useful illustrations will play to enhance and explain the story.
Throughout your visit, you will learn about the world’s history of wine, where you can watch playful videos or see artifacts making the learning experience to be fun.
The museum also does a great job of explaining the modernization of wine, and in one area there is a series of wine bottles each with a different thing inside. Each of the bottles has a QR code to scan so you can learn more about what is in inside, for example, why there is the change to plastic corks or screw-top bottles.
The immersive museum not only has interactive videos but in parts of the video, there are areas where you can press a button to smell different scents related to wine or the winemaking process.
On the 8th floor, you will find The Belvedere, where you can sample wines from all around the world and enjoy the 360 degree view of Bordeau. This beautiful space is perfect to put to use all your new wine knowledge and savor a glass of wine.
Before you leave, make sure to allow check out the restaurant, and the outstanding boutique on the main floor where you can wine from 80 countries for sale.