Despite its status as one of the world’s great wine capitals — the Bordelais would say their city is the great wine capital — wine bars have only recently become popular in Bordeaux. Happily, now it’s possible to sample some really excellent wines by the glass at a number of stylish and hospitable places. Perhaps the most eagerly awaited debut of the year will be at the dramatically designed La Cité du Vin, a multimedia exposition center devoted to the history, geography, geology and art of wine that is scheduled to open in June.

Bar à Vin

Run by the Bordeaux Wine Council, this stylish wine bar in the heart of the city pours an encyclopedic range of Bordeaux wines and is ideal for either an aperitif or a nightcap.

Bar à Vin
3 Cours du XXX Juillet. Tel. (33) 5-56-00-43-47.

Aux Quatre Coins du Vin

Popular with a younger crowd, this fashionable stand-up wine bar offers a great selection of French and foreign wines, along with open sandwiches and foie gras. Thirty-two wines are offered, and you serve yourself in three different-sized glasses using a magnetic card purchased on arrival.

Aux Quatre Coins du Vin
8 Rue de la Devise. Tel. (33) 5-57-34-37-29.