European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Michael Dresser Baltimore Sun Paris has better night life. Strasbourg is More Beautiful. Lyon has better food. And Nice a Well it s just nicer. So if you re going to France Why choose Bordeaux As your destination the reason in a word is wine. Bordeaux is the City wine built the Center of the most renowned wine District in the world. In no other major City on Earth has wine played such a Central role in history. Bordeaux is a major port standing at the head of a vast Estuary teeming with seafood. North of the City on the Gravelly Banks leading Down to this Estuary the Gironde lie some of the world s most famous vineyards Lafite Mouton Margaux. Inland along the Rivers that feed the Gironde lie More famous vineyards the Steep slopes of a Sone tumbling into the Lap of the medieval town of St. Emilion the rolling Hills of quem where the delicate interplay of Sun and fog turn grapes and Mold into Golden nectar and the Fertile Plains of Pomeroy. As movie buffs Are drawn to Hollywood and religious pilgrims to the holy land wine lovers Are drawn to these places to feel closer to the source of the beverages they drink. If you Are a wine Lover there is a Good Chance that you will someday find yourself in the Bordeaux Region As i did. And though my week in and around Bordeaux hardly makes me a qualified guide there Are a few leads i can pass along to the visiting wine enthusiast a some warnings of mistakes made some survival strategies and some special places to visit eat and stay. First if visiting the Chateaux is what interests you get out of Bordeaux itself. You la be far happier getting lost amid the area s vineyards than in the baffling traffic patterns of the City where the virtually invisible Street names change every three blocks without apparent reason. The Rural roads Are quite Good and directional signs Are easy to follow a though it s a Good idea to take along a Good detailed map. Accommodations Are not abundant in the medic the principal win growing Region Northwest of the City. There is no Margaux Marriott or Stouffer s Hilton. But there Are possibilities for travellers who Are willing to rough it a and for those who can pay top franc. At the top of the Heap is chateau Corde illan Bages in Paui Lac. The 18-room luxury inn beautifully restored with modern conveniences opened last year. Because it is a pet project of Jean Michel Cazes the owner of the renowned chateau Lynch Bages next door the wine list is formidable. The food is excellent. Prices while not cheap Are not extravagant either two people should be Able to spend the night and enjoy breakfast and dinner with a Good wine there for $200. A amps file 2 if wines your thing a a a a Bordeaux i amp your City if you Are travelling on a tighter budget and have a tolerance for rather rustic facilities you might want to try the five bedroom pension known As chateau Biston next to the 11th-Century Church in the Inland wine Village of Moulis. When you think of the great regional cuisines of France Bordeaux does not leap to mind. It is not a Region blessed with a great gastronomic tradition and a Bevy of three Star restaurants. There Are however some very Good local dishes especially roast Paui Lac Lamb known for its Pale color and delicate taste and the famous Lamprose a la bordelaise. The latter the native lampreys of the Gironde served in a red wine sauce requires an adventurous palate but it is a very tasty dish that goes Well with the less delicate of the local red wines. For authentic regional cooking in the City of Bordeaux i recommend la Tupi a at 6 Rue de port de la Minnaie a charming informal restaurant located just Steps away from a rather seedy stretch of the Bordeaux waterfront. It is a place with a lot of provincial atmosphere a most impressive selection of wine and armagnac and very Good Hearty fare. For wine lovers who Are seeking a simple inexpensive meal in an informal place with a Good wine selection there is an excellent Choice at be de Gustor 8 Rue a. Domercq. The cooking is Plain and simple country French and there is an excellent Eclectic wine list. Visiting Bordeaux is not quite the same As visiting California s Napa Valley. The people at the Chateaux at left the vineyards and old estate of quem one of France s Best known Chateaux. Generally Are quite hospitable but Only within certain limitations. Outside those limitations you re out of Luck. First Don t go to Bordeaux expecting to drop in at the great Chateaux to taste samples. While Many smaller Chateaux offer tastings Tours and sales without notice most of the Large ones do not. If you can be satisfied with Tours of the Chateaux a some of which Are Well Worth a visit a write to the individual properties. If you Only have time to tour one estate it should be chateau Mouton Rothschild whose palatial grounds include a fascinating museum of wine related Art a As Well As some of the most impressive wine making facilities in the world. A reservation is necessary. Another thing to realize before visiting Bordeaux is that the French Are very serious about their non working weekends. You cannot expect to get appointments at major Chateaux on saturday or sunday and even Many of the tiny Chateaux close. There Are a few notable exceptions a Chateaux that make a special Point of welcoming tourists. They include the Margaux grand Cru chateau Prieur Lichine open 365 Days a year As Well As two top flight estates a chateau Mau caillou in Moulis which operates an interesting museum on the history of Vineyard technology and chateau siran a monumental chateau in Labarde South of Margaux. There is More to the Gironde area besides wine a a Good thing because you la have All those weekends to fill. Some of the Best ways to pass time near Bordeaux Are to a visit the historic City of St. Emilion including the monolithic Church hollowed out of the Rock and the catacombs beneath it just wandering around this incredibly Beautiful town can fascinate you for an entire Day and there Are plenty of places to taste and shop for wines and various regional specialities. A take a Day trip into prehistory by visiting the Inland town of Les a Zies de Tayrac site of Many habitations of Cro Magnon Man. The Cave paintings and the museum of prehistory Are Well Worth seeing. While in this area be sure to pick up some of the Perigord Region s specially truffles the fungus not the chocolate kind. Prices Are Good. A visit some excellent Ocean beaches within about a half hour s drive of the medic vineyards near the towns of hour tin and Lacanal. They Are virtually undiscovered by americans and not even crowded with French visitors except in August when everybody goes on vacation it s a Good time not to visit. To the South lies the resort town of Arcachon with some of the world s highest dunes. At left a View of the famous French wine City of Bordeaux. 10 stripes Magazine april 26, 1990