Early morning in Chateau Fombrauge. The silence that reigns the corridors of the castle gets  interrupted solely by chirping birds outside in the yard. A look through the window reveals vineyards that still sleep wrapped in silky mist. The mist that shapes the identity of Bordeaux as we know it nowadays. This morning mist followed by warm sunny afternoons in the autumn is responsible for the appearance of botrytis in the vineyard. Over time, Bordeaux winemakers have learnt how to turn a drawback to their favour and spread the glory of sweet white wines from Bordeaux across the globe.

A croissant and a morning cup of coffee were a perfect companion while going through plans and program of today's city tour. Our driver, Mr James Bond, was ready to show us the sights of Bordeaux. While our black Mercedes van was driving through endless vineyards on the way to Bordeaux,  I kept thinking how much the internet has become an indispensable part of our lives. Hm, Vinopedia.rs arrived in Bordeaux thanks to internet, afterall... The Millesima Blog Award organizers have thought of everything - even in the car, we had wifi, which helped us stay "always online, always connected".

Our guide through Bordeaux was Beurrier Bruno (http://www.bcommebordeaux.com/608-2/ ). During the tour, I often wondered whether a character from books written by Alexander Dumas has sprung to life and joined us to show Bordeaux attractions. Bruno gave a touch of drama, melodrama, comedy and vaudeville, all at the same time,  to stories about the past and present of Bordeaux.

Walking along Bordeaux streets and a bunch of historical facts turned into a dynamic discourse between an unconventional tour guide and a group of unconventional wineloving tourists in a spontaneous and entertaining way. - "You see these facades? 15 years ago it was all black ... B-l-a-c-к !!! "No wonder that my first association to Bordeaux is the image of black façade that has suddenly turned clean and white again thanks to mayor Alain Marie Juppé. Anyhow, I see Bordeaux as an example of how the city has undergone a transformation within just 15 years. Exactly the same process which is now happening in Belgrade. And just for comparison, Bordeaux version of Savamala district is called the Darwin project. Port warehouses, military barracks and factory halls along the banks of the Garonne River have been transformed over the last decade into a center of cultural and entertainment life of Bordeaux and also a center for the development of sustainable business, innovative technology, environmental protection, business incubator for young start-ups. An epicenter from everything trendy, fancy, modern, avant-garde, urban ... The tour of Darwin started with an exhibition of vintage cars surrounded by graffiti art.

In Bordeaux, we also had an opportunity to visit the museum dedicated to wine sales, the activity that shaped the past, the present and the future of this city. The museum was opened in 2009 in the district of Chartrons in the 18th century house with a wine cellar, which used to be a warehouse for Bordeaux wines and storage facility before the ships transport wine to consumers across the globe.

 

As we explored the hidden squares and small lanes in the city center, I gazed into the faces of passers-by, each time expecting to see the lady from Bordeaux (chanson "La Dame De Bordeaux"), the mistress of nostalgic neighborhoods ... But Bruno's voice is smashing all the romance of the moment: " Come on, come on ... hurry ... just a few more kilometers and you will see something you've never seen before !!!"  

Bruno, "the flying Gascon" even took us for a moment on the rooftop of the hotel Intercontinental in order to see the panoramic view of the main square which hosts the Opera House (Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux). Bordeaux Opera House was constructed in 1780 and it remains one of the few opera buildings in Europe with wooden boxes that had never suffered a fire or destruction. Even in the short period during 1871, this building was used as the building of the National Assembly of France.

Suddenly, the Atlantic climate shows its capricious face. Within a few minutes, the weather changes. Lead clouds create a curtain, it begins to drizzle ... And after 15 minutes, the sun comes back ... It seems to me that the inhabitants of Bordeaux have mastered to perfection the street sport called "dressing in accordance with the weather." The point is to be dressed in layers: on the same day, there will probably be the sun and rain and wind and fog ... One should be ready for frequent weather changes ... When a person experiences such a climate, then he shows even more respect for the knowledge and experience of local vine-growers who achieve top results in wine production despite adverse climatic challenges.

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What is Millesima? – Millesima has been one of Europe’s leaders in en primeur and fine wine retail since 1983. Their Bordeaux cellar houses more than 2,500,000 bottles from the best vintages and producers from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhone Valley, Alsace, Champagne … Over the last 20 years, Millesima has delivered wine to more than 70,000 customers worldwide. http://www.millesima-usa.com/?cm_mmc=blogger-_-branded-_-banner-_-blog+awards

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