All that Bordeaux offers

WINE:lWONDERFUL RIVERSIDE vistas, beautiful wide shopping boulevards lined with trees, verdant parks, a large traffic-free pedestrian zone full of character. If our city fathers are looking for ways transform their city centres, they need look no further than Bordeaux.

In less than 10 years, the centre of Bordeaux, a city of some 800,000 citizens, has changed beyond all recognition. Working in the wine business, I made several visits to Bordeaux each year during the mid-1990s. Back then, it was a grey, grimy, traffic-locked city, with little for the visitor to enjoy.

Now, after a facelift, it must rank among one of the most pleasant cities to stroll around, with plenty to satisfy the foodies.

Although Bordeaux is big, the city centre is compact, and easy to walk around without using public transport. The Allés des Tourny and surrounding streets are full of gourmet shops and restaurants. A walk along the waterfront, taking in the magnificent Place de la Bourse and miroir d’eau, will lead you to the Quai des Chartrons, the original centre of the wine trade, now one of the most fashionable places to own an apartment.

The old warehouses are now retail outlets, with a bustling market on Thursday and Sundays. The old town, now a Unesco Heritage site is a pedestrian zone crammed with interesting shops, cafes and old buildings.

Wine classes and trips

The CIVB, the trade body representing the Bordeaux wine industry, has offices with a variety of wine options. The Bar à Vin is one of the few places in Bordeaux where you can drop in for a glass of wine on its own, although they do also serve cold plates of cheese and charcuterie.

Upstairs they run a wine school offering a range of courses in both English and French. You can get a two-hour introduction to Bordeaux before joining a tour bus to visit vineyards. If you have more time, the CIVB runs more serious courses, some lasting several days, covering all aspects of wine. There is also a very good wine and food matching class.

The Bordeaux tourist office, across the road from the CIVB, is an essential stop-off point for any tourist. Here you can sign up for trips to a different region each day, with visits to châteaux and tastings. If you prefer to travel by car, the wine desk at the office will ring ahead and make appointments, usually essential before a visit.

A number of properties, including Château Kirwan, also offer picnic baskets to enjoy in the château gardens. An enterprising group of four women Médoc Châteaux owners offer a range of options including tastings, workshops and lunches at their properties. www.lesmedocaines.com

Cookery courses

A number of châteaux run one-day and half-day cookery courses in both French and English. I spent a very enjoyable morning with chef Jérome Ollie at the Atelier des Chefs on the rue Judaïque, cooking Moroccan food. The course was easy, light-hearted and a good way to brush up on your French. Current courses here include a visit to the market, useful if you are staying in self-catering accommodation.

Restaurants

No visit to Bordeaux would be complete without a visit to La Tupina, rue Porte de la Monnaie. Tucked away on a side street off the quays, Jean-Pierre Xiradakis and his team prepare gutsy, hearty, traditional dishes using local produce, such as the massive entrecote de boeuf, foie gras, roast chicken with garlic, and black pork from the Pyrenees. The wine list is big, but has some real gems. 5 (cinq), rue des Tournays is a casual, chic all-day bistro/cafe with an outdoor terrace, looking out onto the street. Le Noailles, over the road, hasn’t changed in 20 years, and is very popular with locals. Close by on the same street is Le Villa Tourny, casual and cool. Restaurant Mably on rue Mably is the perfect bistro, and reasonably priced too, tucked away just off main drag. Le Bistro des Negociants, place des Quinconces, is another very traditional bistro overlooking the very ornate fountain in the park. Chez Greg opens out onto quai de la Monnaie, and serves more modern bistro food. At the weekend they have live music, and things get very lively in the indoor garden terrace upstairs.

Down by the river, La Robe is an all-day wine bar, with good inexpensive lunches, wines by the glass, featuring only wines made by women. Just along the quays, La Belle Epoque is more traditional, with amazing original painted tiles on the ceiling. Over the river, Restaurant Estacade, on stilts with an amazing view of the city. Le Bistro Bio on bustling rue des Trios Conils in the old town serves only organic food.

Chocolate

Chocolate is a big thing in Bordeaux, with plenty of very high-quality shops, selling macaroons and canéles, both Bordeaux specialities.

Cadiot-Badie, allés de Tourny, founded in 1826, may be the oldest chocolate shop in France. It has excellent chocolates, including two house specialities, the black diamond, a macerated grape rolled in dark chocolate, and guinettes, wild green cherries macerated in Armagnac, dipped in kirsch flavoured sugar, and then chocolate. M le Macaron, 38 rue des Ramparts, makes a speciality of macaroons, even creating salted savoury versions. Maison Larnicol, rue des L’Intendents, attracts the crowd and sells amazing creations. La Maison Darricau, Place Gambetta, is also worth a visit.

Wine shops

As befits a wine capital, Bordeaux has a number of excellent wine shops. Not surprisingly, they concentrate on the local wines, but some now offer a decent range from other areas of France. Here is a selection.

Badie:Two shops facing each other, one that stocks an amazing array of Champagnes, the other with a very good range of Bordeaux, and a selection other wines, too.

Bordeaux Magnum, rue Thibaut Joseph de Gobineau:A very good range of Champagne, a good Bordeaux selection, and covers the rest of France, too.

LIntendant, Allés des Tourny:Opposite the Grand Théatre, this is worth visiting for the wonderful winding staircase alone.

LOenothèque de Bordeaux, Place de Chapelet:A smaller shop but with a good slightly more limited range, concentrating on Bordeaux.

La Vinotheque:Just opposite the CIVB offices, two shops with a wonderful eclectic range of Bordeaux, some of it very competitively priced. You will find it hard to leave without buying something.

Nightlife

Those seeking a lively night out should consider visiting Chez Greg (see above), Bodega Bodega (rue de Piliers de Tutelle), a Spanish restaurant where everyone sings along, or further down the street, you can squeeze into Caille Ocho, where the most beautiful South American waiters and waitresses will pour mojitos deep into the night.

WINES OF THE WEEK

Domaine Yannick Pelletier Saint Chinian LOiselet 2006, 13.5%, €17.50.A very classy wine with tight, mineral-laden fruits, and excellent balance. It will improve further for a year or so, but I would be tempted to drink it now with a rosemary and garlic-scented, slow-roasted shoulder of lamb. Stockists: The Drinks Store, Manor Street, Dublin 7; McCabe's, Blackrock; Cases Beers, Wines Spirits, Galway; www.thestoreroom.ie, tel: 1890-252624.

Domaine Tripoz Pinot Noir, 12.5%, €16.45.Yummy! My style of Pinot, that worked really nicely with some coppa and other Italian charcuterie. Light and fresh, with redcurrants and cherries; light-bodied and free of any tannins, I would serve this cool with pâtés and other cold meats. Stockists: World Wide Wines, Waterford; Morton's of Galway, Salthill; Vanilla Grape, Kenmare; The Drinks Store, Manor Street, Dublin 7; The Bottle Shop, Dunmartin Road, Dublin 14; Beshoff's, Howth; Cases, Galway.

Bodegas Castaño Hecula 2005, 13.5%, €12.99.This is a lovely big, powerful, meaty wine, with ripe loganberry and dark cherry fruits, finishing with some well-integrated swarthy tannins. Try it with grilled beef or lamb. Stockists: Fallon Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2; wineonline.ie; The Wine Boutique, Ringsend, Dublin 4; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street, Dublin 2; Martin's Off-Licence, Fairview, Dublin 3; Cellarmaster, Stillorgan Industrial Estate, Co Dublin.

Mount Horrocks Semillon 2007, Clare Valley, Australia, 14.5%, €23.99.There are very few oaky wines I really like, but Aussie Semillon is one of them, and Mount Horrocks is one of the very best; tight mineral and lime flavours seem to work really well with the lanolin and grilled nuts from the oak. I would try this with lightly spicy chicken dishes, especially if they have a smoky barbecue flavour, too. Stockists: Cellarmaster, Stillorgan Industrial Estate, Co Dublin; Fallon Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2; The Corkscrew, Chatham Street, Dublin 2; The Wine Boutique, Ringsend, Dublin 4.

TWO UNDER TWELVE

Château Fontarèche Tradition, Corbières 2006, 13%, €10.95.A very pleasant easy quaffer, with soft dark fruits and a light tannic hit at the tail. Great everyday wine that offers real value. Crack it open when you are having lighter casseroles, or meaty pasta dishes. Stockist: Enowine, Monkstown and IFSC, Dublin or www.enowine.ie.

Marks  &Spencer Pinot Grigio Ászár Nesmély region 2008, Hungary, 12.5%, €7.29.This was a real surprise – a Pinot Grigio with flavour is not always easy to come across, and certainly not at this price. Plenty of rounded pears and pineapple chunks, backed up with a bit of zing, and a pretty good finish, too. Stockist: Marks Spencer.