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“Grand Oenotheque Tour” the new wine tourism attraction at Château Lanessan (Bordeaux).

Cussac-Fort-Médoc, 16 May 2008 – Today, Château Lanessan announces the launch of its new wine tourism attraction, the “Grand Oenotheque Tour”. After the tremendous success of “Winemaker for a Day”, which was created in April 2007,

this new attraction is presented at the dawn of Lanessan’s 700^th anniversary.

Château Lanessan remains one of the world’s most widely recognised wine tourism attractions.

The 2008 theme  (30€ per person) is open to a broad public and gives everyone a chance to enter the world of old vintages in a prestigious Bordeaux château.

The tasting is run by a professional and covers five wines from different years, all from the château cellars.

Glass in hand, tasters start off immediately with an old vintage to encourage their palates to “observe and search”. This first phase will be essential for appreciating the quality of the wines to come, the expression of the four characteristic Médoc grape varieties (Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot) and the very nature of each vintage.

The “Grand Oenotheque Tour” then continues with an analysis of the stages in the evolution of each wine and a study of their aromatic potential and structure.

All of these explanations help everyone to add to their experience by gaining a better understanding of the role of blending, the impact of the vintage and the weather conditions during the harvest.

Whether a beginner or an enlightened wine-lover, the taster will thus gain entry into the world of great wines via an enjoyable, rewarding approach. During a tasting lasting approximately an hour (in French or English), the group is offered high-level training with an experienced specialist.

To find out more about the “Grand Oenotheque Tour”, log on to www.lanessan.com. You can then select the 5 vintages (2003-2001-1999-1997-1996) currently on the programme for this new wine tourism activity and prepare your next trip to the Bordeaux vineyards.

About Château Lanessan:

Château Lanessan has a wonderful story to tell, with its vineyards dating back to 1310 and its outstanding architecture. Built in 1878 by André Delbos, in a neo-Tudor style typical of the period, the château houses cellars built in the traditional Médoc style. For many years, the Bouteiller family has opened the doors of its estates to visitors, amateurs, professionals, children, adults and/or the disabled. Nominated for the “Best of Wine Tourism 2006” award for “Art et Culture”, Château Lanessan promotes the world of wine by offering the world’s best-known wine tourism attractions.

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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

09:48

Be a winemaker for a day: Visit the new themed attraction for wine tourists at Château Lanessan (Bordeaux)

(Drinks Media Wire). Today, Château Lanessan is proud to announce the launch of their new attraction for wine tourists “Winemaker for a day”. As their 700th anniversary approaches, the Château is continuing to introduce innovations in wine tourism, with a series of successful themed attractions which have made Château Lanessan one of the best-known wine tourism centres in the world.

We are visited by a wide cross-section of the public, and our theme in 2007 (€30 per adult) allows everyone to enter into the world of winemakers. The “winemakers for a day” will have samples of the 4 characteristic varieties of the Médoc – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot – and, with appropriate tools, will use their skills to analyse them and produce the best blend. Tasting each variety will permit them to define the characteristics of each, and see what they bring to the final blend. They will be supervised by a professional throughout the process, and will have the opportunity to compare their own samples with the blend produced by Château Lanessan. Whether as novices or experienced amateurs, the “winemakers for a day” can enter the world of great wines through this rewarding and fun approach.

Thanks to their success, the previous themes – which won numerous prizes, were approved during the “Semaine du Goût” (Tasting Week) in 2005 & 2006, and enjoy the support of the “Inspection de l’Education Nationale” (National School Inspectorate) – are also available to the general public.
Theme 1 - “Discovery” Visits. These have been available for several years and have built their reputation upon the famous “Gourmet escapade” (€68 per person, for groups of around 40 persons), including a visit to the cellars, tasting, lunch in the magnificent Château Lachesnaye, then a visit to the “Musée du Cheval” (Horse Museum), and a walk in the Château Lanessan park. This attraction won the “Best of Tourisme Viti-vinicole” (Best of Wine Tourism) prize in 2005.
Theme 2 - “About Wine” Visits. These have a great reputation thanks to their theme: “Architecture & Wine” (€6.00 per adult). They offer the opportunity to explore the surprising Anglo-Saxon-inspired architecture of Château Lanessan, and to compare it with other traditional Médoc-style buildings on the estate in order to understand better how the buildings are organised, finishing with a tasting of the wines of the Château. This attraction was nominated for the “Best of Wine Tourism” prize in 2004.
Theme 3 - “About Horses” Visits. The “Vineyards in Harness” theme (€85 for 5 persons), in collaboration with the “Ecole Internationale d’Attelage de Bordeaux” (Bordeaux International School of Horse Driving), offers the opportunity to explore the vineyards and find out how the estate is organised, enjoying the forest with all its varied species of trees, as well as the numerous tracks which pass through it. This visit, in the presence of a top athlete, Patrick Rébulard – Four-in-Hand Champion of France several times – is concluded by a tasting session.
Theme 4 - “About Education” Visits. The “Tastes & Colours” theme, approved during the “Semaine du Goût” in 2005 & 2006, is a voyage through the senses (€60 for a group of 15 persons, children or adult). It offers the opportunity to discover aromatic plants, using sight and smell, in the gardens of Domaines Bouteiller – a real marvel, with Dutch greenhouses–, and reveals all the secrets of the glass – experience the odours and discover the flavours and tastes of different fruit juices. Tasting a blend is a game which arouses children’s curiosity.