(Sept. 2016) Probably
one of the most exciting afternoons I spent in Bordeaux was visiting the new
museum that just opened called Cite du Vin. Several years in the making, the
unique modern architecture was designed jointly by the male and female team of
Legendre and Desmazieres. The design is supposed to reflect the Garonne River
that flows outside, and mesmerizes with its swirling mass of silver and gold
metal with mirrors.
The Swirling Architecture of Cite du Vin - to emulate the Garonne River |
The price of admission is 20 euros, which includes all of
the exhibits plus a free taste of wine. The exhibits are on the second and third floor, and you are given a
headset and encouraged to walk around and learn everything you want about the
world of wine. There are serious
exhibits, and fun and interactive ones, such as guessing the scents of wine,
and feeling the textures with fabrics.
Every subject concerning wine is covered, ranging from business,
viticulture, winemaking, art, poetry, music, food pairing, innovation, and even
the dark side of wine in terms of drinking too much.
Interactive 3D Computer Exhibit for Food and Wine at Cite du Vin |
They recommend that you allow at least 2 hours to see the
exhibits, but this is not even enough. I
only made it through half of them, and you end up losing your companions
because everyone is listening on headsets.
There is no guided tour, so you wander around to exhibits that interest
you. It would be a good thing to do on a
rainy day by yourself.
Wine Shop at Cite du Vin |
In addition to the wine exhibits, there is a great
bookstore, and a huge circular wine shop with wines from all over the world,
including the most expensive wines from each country. There are also two restaurants
and a bar at the top that requires an elevator ride. Once there the price of
your ticket allows you to taste any wine of your choice, and then wander
outside on the narrow balcony for a view of the whole city.
Wine Bar in Top Floor of Cite du Vin with Great Views |
It is truly impressive, and I believe that is what the
designers and the City of Bordeaux wanted to create.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading this work. I'll come back for more
Keep up the good work :) from TheStillery,stuart bar in Florida
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