June 01--The city of Bordeaux, long associated with the world's finest wines, has further cemented its stature in the wine world by opening the doors Wednesday to its long-awaited La Cite du Vin, or City of Wine.
The 10-story building -- with its stunning Champagne gold facade and liquid-like glass structures -- is meant to evoke the swirling of wine in a glass as well as the growth of gnarled vines in a vineyard. It's located on the Garonne River, a historically important waterway for the region's winemakers.
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A short, one-hour flight from Paris, the museum and exhibition site cost $91 million and took about seven years to build. It's being touted by some as a theme park to wine, and in many ways it is. Featuring 20 different interactive exhibits, La Cite du Vin invites guests to explore the culture and history of the world's wine, not just the surrounding region. Events and classes will be held in the 250-seat auditorium, while wine experts can conduct tastings throughout the space.
For now, there is one simulator -- the closest thing to a ride -- that lets you explore the wine world through the eyes of a merchant. The Belvedere wine saloon takes up the structure's top two floors, serving wine from 80 countries while overlooking the famed wine region just beyond the city limits.
General admission to La Cite du Vin is 20 euro (about $22), which includes access to all of the permanent exhibitions and a glass of wine; workshops and classes are priced individually.
One of the main exhibitions, the Tasting Experience, walks visitors through their five senses, using multimedia, images, and olfactory stations to educate and immerse them in their surroundings. Upon entry, guests can download the digital companion, available in eight languages, to help navigate the space.
One of the property's eateries, Le 7 Restaurant, serves up views of this city in southwest France along with regional food and a wine list stocked with 500-plus selections from around the world. At wine bar Latitude20, 50 different wines by the glass are paired with more global tapas-style bites, while the wine cellar boasts upward of 14,000 bottles.
We'll raise a toast to that.
jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com
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