Announcer: Welcome to "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope," where you join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit.

Sante!

Sante!

[Cheering] Joseph: Today on "Travelscope," I celebrate the city, the villages, the rivers, and the wines of Bordeaux, France-- the pearl of the Acquitaine.

Sante!

Sante!

Announcer: "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope" is made possible by Emerald Waterways.

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Joseph: A region, a city.

a wine country, a wine.

Bordeaux is all these things and more.

Its name conjures up a royal history.

Majestic architecture, quaint villages, and millions of bottles of wine, from vin ordinaire to Grand Cru Classe.

Created by more than 8,000 producers in more than 50 appellations.

And not one but many rivers run through it.

And at the heart of it all is its namesake city Bordeaux.

[Speaking French] Oh, au revoir!

Bon voyage!

Allez.

Joseph, voice-over: It's easy to get around Bordeaux by bike.

and leisurely take in what UNESCO described as "the city's outstanding urban and architectural ensemble."

Second only to Paris for preserved historical buildings, Bordeaux was the model for the capital's 18th-century transformation from a medieval backwater.

"Take Versailles... add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux," said Victor Hugo.

It's easy to see why Bordeaux's 14th-century Old Town has become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In fact, there are 474 listed structures, including Saint-Seurin and Saint Michel Basilicas.

Once called Sleeping Beauty, Bordeaux has reawoken and in recent years has become one of France's up-and-coming dynamic tourist centers.

Much has been done along its Garonne Riverfront to establish its standing.

I'm in La Cite du Vin, which is obviously the City of Wine.

How do you celebrate it here?

We are trying to explain what is one heritage, not only Bordeaux wines but all the wines in the world.

On the second floor, there's 20 modules-- each of them featuring terroir and landscapes and flavors of that wine, the way that they used to be made, commercialized, what kind of wine they used to consume.

You know, we have different wines here.

Actually, I've already learned something.

English people mostly call all Bordeaux reds claret, but this is like the historic claret-- Yes.

from 12th century when Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II got married and Bordeaux was able to be the first exporter of wine internationally.

This was the claret they made then, a-- That was the wines they drank.

clear red wine.

Now, what do you have?

I have a much modern wine which comes from Lebanon-- Very dark, very deep.

So that emphasizes the international scope.

Yes.

There's 90 countries producing wine in the world.

We are featuring every one of these 90 countries.

What about the shape of the building?

If you look at the wine and you swirl your glass, it's a moving liquid shape.

And in French, we have a word which is [Speaking French], which means that it flows so well in your mouth.

Ha ha ha!

My feeling is that this facility seems to epitomize how important wine is to the French culture.

It's in our blood.

It's in our DNA, if I can say.

We have so many cultures in the world related to wine that we wanted to bring up here in Bordeaux as part of the future vision of wine.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Sante!

Sante!

Joseph, voice-over: Outside the Bordeaux city limits, there is much to capture the traveler's attention in the small wine-making and exporting communities on or near the rivers.

The waters of the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers as well as Gironde Estuary define the wine country.

And historic and scenic villages such as Cadillac, Bourg, Blaye, Libourne, Sauterne, Saint Emilion, and Pauillac are islands in a sea of vineyards.

Medoc region of Bordeaux has 8 appellations, some of the most famous in Bordeaux, such as Margaux and Saint-Estephe and Pauillac.

The Pauillac appellation has more than 300 wineries.

And of those, in 1855, 16 were classified as Grand Cru.

Pontet-Canet is one of those.

And I'm being introduced to the chateau, and I'm starting at the bottom in their 200-year-old cave.

Woman: So this is our barrels room where we age our new vintage, um, into 50% new oak and 15% into last-year barrels.

And we have here Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

So here we are in our oak vat room.

This is beautiful.

We have 16 oak vats for the fermentation.

This building was made in 1895 by the family Cruse from Denmark, the first wine merchants of Bordeaux.

It's very innovative.

The grapes arrive upstairs, and everything is falling by gravity.

So we are very delicate on the fruit.

What are these?

You saw that we ferment into wooden vats, but as well into 32 concrete vats in 2005.

We age 35% of our production since 2012 into 100 concrete urns-- the only Grand Cru Classe 100% certified organic and biodynamic.

Biodynamic.

What does that mean?

Biodynamic--we're looking for the real expression of the terroir in the wine.

We don't use chemicals at all.

The vines are building their own immunity system.

We use our own animals' manure, and we follow the lunar calendar for all the work.

And you can taste the difference in the wine?

Yes.

So this wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% of Petit Verdot.

Well, I'm excited.

Sante!

Sante!

[Swirling] You have the real expression of the fruits.

The tannins are very soft and very delicate, and we have the real depth of our terroir.

And what is the terroir?

Here, is when the sand and gravels where we are planting the Cabernet Sauvignon little bit as well here of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

Mm-hmm.

And closer to the river, we find clay and limestone for the Merlot.

For us, it's very important to have a traditional work as used to be in the past.

So you're kind of going back into your future.

Exactly, yes.

Ha ha ha!

Well, you know, I think, a true expression of the vineyard and the chateau is what a real wine-lover is looking for.

So, merci and sante!

Merci.

Sante!

Joseph, voice-over: Not all Bordeaux wines are high-end Grand Crus.

In fact, of the 75 million cases of wine sold each year, 26% of them sold for less than 4 bucks a bottle.

Pauillac has more Grand Cru wineries than any other appellation in Medoc, But it also has the first wine cooperative in France.

Started in 1933, La Rose Pauillac is a model for the hundreds of wine cooperatives that are now throughout France.

Today, 25 small vineyards, averaging less than 4 acres each, bring their harvest to the cooperative every fall.

What this offers the visitor is the opportunity here in Pauillac to taste Grand Cru and also to taste wine that is good, inexpensive, and continue the wine-making tradition to all who are passionate about wine, like me.

Sante!

Joseph, voice-over: The river towns of the Bordeaux region have more to offer than wine.

In the 13th-century town of Cadillac, I encounter the Huntsmen of Epernon, who, since 1927, have elevated the hunting horn to a performance instrument.

[Playing upbeat tune] After the show, I join them for an encore at their country training and rehearsal lodge.

[Humming and singing] [Blowing horns] [Men singing in French] Sante!

Cheers!

Joseph, voice-over: Just across the Garonne River from Cadillac is Sauterne, famous for its highly prized sweet wines.

The Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes of Sauterne are some of the most highly prized in the world because of the wines that they create.

Now, they get a little help.

The cooler Ciron River meets with the Garonne River and creates a morning mist that lays on the grapes.

Put that in combination with the wind and the heat in the afternoon, and Botrytis forms on the grapes and the process of creating the "noble rot" begins.

What that does is ultimately remove the water from the grape and concentrate that nectar that creates the golden-rich wines of Sauterne.

Joseph: There are more than 60 appellations here in Bordeaux.

Yeah.

That seems like a lot.

But what makes Sauterne different from all the rest?

The big difference for Sauterne is humidity.

So you're actually getting the humidity coming out of the soil that adds to create that mist that helps the Botrytis form.

That's what that is.

Yeah.

Now, there's 150 different wineries here in Sauterne.

Now, what separates these villas from each other?

The first thing is vicinity of each chateau manager, and the other difference is terroir.

If you go in this way, you have more sand.

If you go this way, it is more like clay.

Here, it's more like only very fresh.

And if you go in Barsac, is more mineral.

Well, the proof of the terroir and the winemaker is in the tasting room.

Yeah.

This is 65% of Semillon and 35% of Sauvignon Blanc.

So this is your second-quality wine.

Yes, it's 'cause when we picking those grapes, the--the condition was not good.

So we decide to put it in the second-- You just didn't like it.

Yeah.

Ha ha ha!

I love that.

Well, I like it.

And this is the Grand Cru 2011.

Since when has this been labeled Grand Cru?

Since 1855.

Over 150 years.

Yeah.

OK, well, I see right away the color.

Now, does it get that color from the oak or just-- No, it's because of age.

So-- If the conditions were better when you picked this-- Yeah.

What should I be eating when I'm drinking this wine?

Some seafood, like oyster.

And fois gras.

Fois gras, yeah.

And a petit peu de fromage.

Yes.

Sante!

Cheers.

Joseph, voice-over: While Bordeaux is definitely 21st century, more and more vintners are turning to their past for organic and biodynamic vinicultural practices.

Ah, Taroba, what a good horse.

Woman: Ho!

I don't think many people do this.

They don't plow their fields with a horse.

Yeah, with machine, it's a-- So, why did you decide you wanted to do that in your fields?

Um, first, I love horses.

Ha ha ha!

And with a horse, you don't compact as much as machines.

What do you think being organic gives to the wine?

Especially in Sauterne, because we need the Botrytis so we have to be very careful of what we put in nature and being organic respect all of life.

Well, thank you for giving me an opportunity to fulfill my lifelong dream of plowing a row in Bordeaux.

Well, my pleasure.

Merci beaucoup.

Merci.

Taroba, marchez!

Marchez!

[Taroba nickers] Uhh!

Well, I've gone tree trekking in the treetops, and I've gone wine tasting, but I had to come to Bordeaux, France, to go wine tasting in the treetops.

[Humming "La Marseillaise"] Vincent, this better be some good wine.

I hope so.

Whoa!

I'm up in the middle of this pine tree overlooking Sauterne, with the squirrels, the pine cones, and two crazy guys.

[Laughter] Voila!

All right.

Send up the wine, please!

What do we have here?

A dry white and a sweet wine, Premier Grand Cru Classe Chateau Rayne Vigneau.

Even if this wasn't the greatest wine in the world, it is now.

Yeah, really.

Because it's the only wine that's up in a tree.

We should taste this dry white.

Man: Well, 100% of Sauvignon.

Well, let me take the honors of pouring you.

Thank you.

And me.

You notice I hang onto the bottle.

Yeah.

And one for you, Vincent-- Thank you.

who got us up in this tree.

Ah!

A lot of fruit.

Yes.

This is very refreshing.

Yes.

Wait for the sweet wine.

Fresh apricot.

Yes!

It's very clean on your palate.

Yeah.

It's not cloying.

It's not like syrup.

Wow!

What can I say?

All: Sante!

Joseph, voice-over: The 46-mile long and up to 7 miles wide Gironde Estuary is formed when the Dordogne River empties into the Garonne River near the town of Bourg and then widens at a point when the fresh river water and the salty tidal waters coming from the Atlantic Ocean mix.

The Bordeaux region boasts an embarrassment of UNESCO World Heritage Site riches.

Many of the sites are within the city of Bordeaux itself, and yet, there are others outside of its confines to discover.

And in the case of Saint Emilion, the entire village was so honored in 1999.

Joseph, voice-over: It has been said, "What is life but God's daring invitation to a remarkable journey."

Before it was famous for wine, Saint Emilion was a sacred stop for pilgrims on the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostella in Spain.

The still come to see the 8th-century cave hermitage of the miracle-performing monk Emilion, where, legend holds, women who sit on his stone chair are made fertile.

And then, continue underground to visit the 12th-century monolithic church and catacombs.

[Door closes heavily] Man: This is the largest underground church in Europe, and it was ordered by Pierre de Castillon.

He went to Jerusalem during the Crusade, and he went to Cappadocia in Turkey.

And he was inspired by the many underground church in Turkey.

You have to imagine that the church was very decorated with paintings, laurel leaves, statues, and tapestries.

Unfortunately, it was destroyed during the French Revolution.

Let's continue the way of the pilgrims in the catacombs.

And this is the catacombs, the place where many people were buried.

You see the tomb of the monks, the nobility, and the small niches for the babies.

The most important thing in the catacombs is this cupola.

It's a replica of the Church of Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

Where the tomb of Jesus is.

Yes.

And the last path of the pilgrims in Saint Emilion, they are to climb the staircase and go to heaven.

And which leads to the vineyards of Saint Emilion, which some people think is heaven.

Joseph, voice-over: Saint-Emilion is the oldest active appellation in Bordeaux.

The Romans planted vines in the 1st century.

And it's Bordeaux's largest, with close to 14,000 acres planted and more than 800 growers and producers.

This bottle is probably the oldest bottle of Saint Emilion wine.

It's probably from 1750.

We find it in the dirt.

Maybe my ancestors lose this bottle.

What does that mean to you that you found a bottle like that?

It is part of our history.

We are the same family, more than 4 centuries.

This bottle has been built just before the French Revolution.

Glass cork!

That's why this bottle is full because it's a glass cork.

This is wonderful that you're keeping the tradition, the culture, and the practices alive.

Let's go out into the fields, And you can tell me about the terroir here.

I understand that grape growing for wine, in this area, goes back to the 1st century and the Romans.

Yeah, but this is a Roman road.

This is the chariot traces.

These are the traces of the chariots coming down the road?

Yes.

So this is more than a vineyard.

It's an archaeological site.

Archaeologique.

Oh ho!

You have a big hole in the middle of your vineyard.

Did you know that?

The family cave, where I've been discovering this cave last year in March, 400 meters square.

And those bricks came out of this cave.

Yes, and with the stones, my ancestors built our family chapel.

This is the famous limestone of Saint Emilion.

They built the town and Bordeaux.

Yes.

I should take one home as a souvenir.

Of course.

50 kilograms.

Ha ha!

That would raise my allowance on the plane.

Yeah.

What field is this, Adrien?

These fields--it's a Merlot from Middle Age.

We use 4 grapes and precise.

60% of Merlot, 5% of Malbec, 5% of Cabernet Sauvignon, and 30% of Cabernet Franc.

In what soils?

Clay, limestone, and sand.

What's this?

This one is limestone.

Now, what kind of terroir do they have here in Saint Emilion?

85% of sand, 5% of clay, 10% of limestone, and there is a little, little part of gravel where is the very famous Chateau Figeac.

When people talk about terroir, what does it mean to you?

The really good soils and the works of humans on these soils.

How do you work your soil?

We use horses on the top, on the limestone part, solar robots with the clay, and tractor on the sandy part.

We have our own yeast.

We don't have chemicals.

We have not a big quantity, but the quality is absolutely perfect.

This is a special wine we do for doing the same way our ancestor used 2 1/2 centuries ago.

We cork it with a glass cork and we blow the bottle in a mold of wood.

Why would you put so much effort into creating that?

Our wine is organic as... our ancestor did a long time ago.

So this keeps your tradition going?

It's a fantastic opportunity to have the possibility to do it.

Merci.

Sante!

Sante!

Joseph, voice-over: Rather than eating and drinking to live, In Bordeaux, people live to eat and drink.

UNESCO has named the French gastronomic meal and intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

It is a festive experience that can be enjoyed throughout the Bordeaux region-- in modest restaurants, as a backdrop for elegant cultural evenings, held in one of Bordeaux's more than 7,000 chateaus.

or in one of its many renowned Michelin-starred dining establishments.

The heart and soul of every great feast can be found in the markets of Bordeaux.

Man: We are in Marche des Capucins.

This market is here from 1744.

Vegetables, oysters, bakery, meat, fish.

I love this place.

Well, I love markets because that's where all the people are.

Did you say oysters?

Yes, oysters.

[Speaking French] Wow!

OK, let's go, Bonjour.

Bonjour, Philippe.

This is a dozen oysters for 5 Euros?

It's not expensive in France.

No.

Can I try one of these?

Yes.

Yes, I got...

He happens to have his knife there.

It might be a little early for oysters for some people, but not for me.

Mmm!

C'est bon, eh?

Merci, Philippe.

They're wonderful.

Merci beaucoup.

A bientot.

A bientot.

I'll be back.

Ah, this is what I love--the produce.

This is my better place for buying vegetables.

Now you have a big, big, artichoke.

There is only one producers of artichauts de Macau.

So this is not only big but rare.

And very great.

And we have a lot of Spring vegetables.

Oh, we're in Spring?

Sure.

Now we are in Spring.

Seasonal.

So, peas, new onions.

Something I like very, very much is real garlic.

You cut and you put on the plancha, and after, you can eat with a little spoon... Ha ha ha!

just like this.

Now, you tell people in your cooking classes to always buy seasonal?

Yes.

OK.

So local and seasonal.

Local and seasonal, for me, it's the right way.

OK, next stop.

Come on.

Allez.

Let's go.

Ah, bonjour!

Bonjour!

Bonjour!

I present you Christina, Joseph.

Joseph, Christina.

Bonjour.

Now, this is France, really--bread.

France, and particularly organic bread.

Well, you know, we were traveling through the wine country, and more and more people were doing organic farming.

Exactly.

Is that becoming a big positive thing in France?

Exactly.

I'm telling you, a lot of people don't want to use pesticides and do organic vine, organic bread, organic vegetables.

Look at all the different kinds of bread.

Here in France, you can smell the bread, and it's wonderful.

Merci, merci, merci.

Merci.

What's that?

Let's go get some cheese to put on the bread.

Fromage.

The great place.

Oliver, Joseph.

Joseph, Oliver.

Ah, bonjour.

Bonjour, Joseph.

[Oliver and Jesus speaking French] Oliver, we were talking with the chef about regional, local.

Do you have any cheeses that are Bordeaux or close?

Actually, close, you'd have to go to the Pyrenees.

Pyrenees!

That's the mountain close.

What would you drink with that?

Wine.

Drink?

Why, a glass of white wine.

White wine-- goat cheese from the Pyrenees.

OK. Would you like to taste?

Yeah, absolutely.

Now, is the cheese here raw milk cheese?

Absolutely.

We don't do anything else but raw milk.

Ha ha ha!

I love coming to France because here cheese really tastes like cheese.

Jesus: We have cheese, bread, and white wine.

That's France.

Ha ha!

Vive la France!

Joseph: C'est la vie.

That's life.

is a French expression which connotes a Gallic shrug of the shoulders and a resignation with one's faith.

Yet, it also implies a willingness to go with the flow and to celebrate the gift we've all been given, which is life.

And oh, la vache!

Do the French know how to live.

And nowhere is that more evident than in the Bordeaux region, which personifies the celebration of wine, food, and good times.

Yes, it's true.

Everything tastes better in France because their daily bread not only sustains them but nourishes their cultural soul.

So, here's to France.

Here's to the French.

Here's to life.

C'est la vie.

Until next time, this is Joseph Rosendo reminding you of the words of Mark Twain: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

Happy traveling.

Sante!

Announcer: "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope" is made possible by... Emerald Waterways.

It's been said that if experience is the best teacher, then travel is the best experience.

River cruising seeks to immerse travelers deep within a culture while moving gently through it.

With Emerald Plus, in-depth cultural experiences are included on every European cruise.

Emerald Waterways.

And No-Jet-Lag, jet lag prevention.

For a DVD of today's show or any of Joseph's "Travelscope" adventures, call 888-876-3399 or order online at Travelscope.net.

You can also email us at TV@Travelscope.net or write us at the address on your screen.

Joseph: Now that we've sampled Bordeaux together, learn more at Travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my eMagazine, blog, podcast, and on Facebook.

Stay in touch.

888-876-3399 or TV@Travelscope.net.

Man: Roquetaillade is one of the last English castles built in France, and it's been in my family for the last 700 years.

It was opened up at the Renaissance.

In 19th century, they continued this process of transforming a miniature building into a house.

You have examples here of the decorations we want to put in, all based on Viollet-le-Duc's work.

Joseph: Are there rooms where you see Le-Duc's work in completion?

Think from his most humorous rooms that Viollet-le-Duc creates.

A little rat, which tells us the origins of the room in the Middle Ages--a story.

Also, 2 heads on a chimney, and that's a bit cheeky.

You have a man looking at the bed, and the lady closing her eyes and blushing.

Yeah, pull that down.

Thank you.

Geez.

I'm not gonna have any more children after this.

[Laughter]