Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, France

The grapes’ first stop: large vats

Since Pauillac is famous for its dense concentration of outstanding châteaux, we visited a second area winery, Château Lynch-Bages.

Antique bottles

Here, we toured the facilities, learned about the process and toured the cellars. A unique part, however, was the second-floor museum, situated over the steel vats, where old equipment including transport rails, presses and sorting table was on display.

Antique press

Heavy loads of grapes moved along these rails

Another unique feature was the traditional French village that the estate’s owners built, Le Village de Bages. It was pretty surprising to see a modest cluster of buildings which included a bistro, bakery, general store selling wine and home furnishings, meat shop and a cooking and wine school amidst acres of vines! I guess I was too intent on buying wine, since I didn’t take any photos of the village.

Angelo can’t wait to make his own wine!

The school offers an opportunity to make your own wine – everything from the harvest through the bottling. It’s a huge time commitment and, of course, a significant financial one, but my husband and I loved it so much that we put it at the top of our wish list of things to do when – if – we ever have months of free time. It’s much cheaper than buying an entire winery, which Angelo sometimes fantasizes about.

Tasting

We attended the “Parcours de Lynch-Bages” tour, which included two tastings for €9/person.