Book
wIth CAA
See Bordeaux
and beyond aboard
a picturesque French
river cruise
TasTe of Bordeaux
AMAwAterwAys
MArch–NoveMber depArtures
Château Siaurac’s pastoral setting
we join a morning
excursion to the town of Cognac.
While Bordeaux (and France in
general) is rightly known for its
wines, cognac production is also
quintessentially French. And like the
country’s renowned champagnes, only
distilleries in the area around Cognac
can legally call their twice-distilled
brandy “cognac.”
At circa-1863 Camus Distillery,
fifth-generation owner Cyril Camus
(a dead ringer for George Clooney),
shows us how to blend our own
cognac using wine from four of the
region’s six appellations or growing
areas: Grande Champagne, Petite
Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois.
At the end of the session, blend ratios
are recorded so we can reorder our
custom cognac in the future. I leave
with my bottle packaged and a new
appreciation for the spirit.
In Libourne, we take an excursion to
the medieval town of Saint-Émilion,
DockeD in Blaye ,
A smooth pour in Saint-Émilion
designated a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. Its location on the pilgrimage
route to Santiago de Compostela,
Spain, contributed to its many
churches and monasteries, some
dating from the 11th century. With
narrow cobblestone streets, original
limestone buildings and subterranean
caves, it’s one of the most photogenic
towns on our itinerary.
After, we head to Château Siaurac in
Médoc for another glimpse of French
life. Landowners Paul and Veronique
Goldschmidt give us a tour of their
home and significant art collection.
One living room, with its gold-framed
portraits, bright red walls and crystal
chandeliers, looks like a page torn
out of Architectural Digest. Touring
the house, we’re glad we attended the
onboard art history talk given by our
ship’s resident historian. For lunch,
we dig into an extravagant meal that
perfectly showcases the local bounty in
rich, gourmet dishes. »
7-day cruise with port
visits to Bordeaux,
Cadillac, pauillac, Blaye,
Bourg and libourne;
CAA members save
up to $600 CAd per
stateroom plus receive a
welcome amenity*
Burgundy & Provence
uNiworld boutique
river cruise
MArch–NoveMber depArtures
8-day cruise from
Avignon to lyon (or
reverse) with port visits
to Tarascon, Avignon,
viviers, Tournon, lyon
and Macon; CAA
members save up to
$250 CAd per person*
grand france
(norThBound)
AvAloN wAterwAys
April–october depArtures
visit quaint regions,
incuding the Côte
d’Azur, Arles, Avignon,
viviers, lyon, St. jean
de losne, dijon, paris,
vernon-les Andelys,
rouen, Conflans, paris;
CAA members save
$50 per person*
conTacT a caa Travel
consulTanT for deTails
wiNNipeg: 204-262-6000
brANdoN: 204-571-4100
toll-free: 1-800-222-4357
caamaniToBa.com/Bordeaux
*Terms and conditions apply.
CAA MAniTOBA
Spring 2018
45