The multimedial heart of Bordeaux

Cité du Vin in Bordeaux is definitely NOT what you would expect.

It is not a city-museum, as many have defined it, but a place to experience, discover, play and interact using digital technology. The result is extremely poetical and moving while at the same time educational for both amateurs and professionals.

The experience begins at the entrance where there is a Cave hosting over 800 wines from 80 countries that were selected by a tasting committee headed by world-champion sommelier Andreas Larson and Michel Rolland. Inside this decanter-shaped building, on the second floor, are over 20 multimedial installations that are even more impressive that the building’s architecture. 

Equipped with an audio-guide similar to an iPhone we went to an amphitheater where breathtaking images of various winegrowing regions around the world are projected on three maxi-screens. This visual tour took us from Champagne to the Douro Valley, from Santorini to Mendoza and Conegliano Valdobbiadene.

How long has wine been made? A digital world map traces its evolution from 9,000 years ago to today. At the Terroir Table you can point the iPhone-guide on the topographic map and explore of one of ten winemaking regions on display, which are rotated every six months. Touchscreen technology informs you about the region’s great vignerons while maps and images make the region come alive.

After just over an hour we arrived at the Buffet of Five Senses where you can hear the sounds of fermentation, test your ability distinguish aromas and even take part in a virtual dinner with experts.

We then relaxed at the Banquet of Illustrious Men to participate in a surreal tasting in the company of Winston Churchill, Alfred Hitchcock, Louis XIV and Mozart.

The experience continued with another 19 installation, each with an element of wine culture that for the occasion transforms into a multimedial puzzle.

So, how about a visit to Bordeaux?