New chefs, new wines… 2025
Meet Julien for an original take on classic French cuisine. He’ll take you through all the steps with a hands-on class for a seasonal 3-course dinner with wine that you’ll then sit down and enjoy with him and your host. After his professional studies and cooking in some of the area’s top restaurants, he has become a professional private chef. He’s from a family of épicuriens, a grandmother who had her own restaurant, parents who are wine négociants, a sister in wine & spirits — and seven generations of butchers! His creativity and talent alone are impressive but his generosity in sharing this with our guests is what perhaps has impressed us the most.
Céline introduces you to creative vegetarian and/or vegan cuisine à la Française. The 3-hour class culminates in lunch or dinner with Céline and your hosts, inspiring a conversation about other choices in our eating habits… and the fun of cooking together!
ALL OUR CHEFS ARE VERY MUCH IN DEMANDE LONG IN ADVANCE, SO IF YOU HAVE A PREFFERENCE CHECK WITH US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PERHAPS EVEN BEFORE BOOKING.
FRENCH BAKING
My own home kitchen is the place to be with Roxane, an experienced and inventive pastry chef, who also works in one of Bordeaux’s star restaurants. She is just as much at ease teaching family groups, which will allow your teens to surprise their friends back home with their delicious French pastries. #delicea.patisserie
WINES
During my years living and hosting in the Bordeaux countryside, I drove guests to my favorite chateaux where they met the winemakers, listening to their stories and tasting their wines in their “chais.” Now, however, I’m concentrating on introducing my city visitors to the tradition of “la caves à vin,” or city wine cellars. The “cave” owners select their wines with experience and passion. Aymeric (who, with his brother, is also a wine maker) are good examples of the new brand of “cavistes” who will help us find the special wines to go with your cooking classes… even with the pastries. He has chosen to work with small local and regional winemakers whose practice of taking care of their soil is a priority for an excellent and eco-responsible wine.
Erica an American oenologue who came with her partner, chef Daniel, to Bordeaux to start a cooking and wine school, The Gastronome, that opened in 2024. It’s not a “cave à vin” in the traditional sense but has many of the same qualities adapted to a cooking school. The classes and tastings are in English but her expertise is very French ! https://www.thegastronome.fr
Of course, I’ll be happy to help you to go out to the vineyards and wine chateaux themselves if they are of special interest. But my idea of living and hosting in the city is to help you get around by taking take advantage of Bordeaux’s wonderful public transit and easy walking. By doing so, I can introduce you to the beauty and wonderful people-watching opportunities of this World Heritage site even as you’re introduced to its new generation of passionate wine experts.
82 rue du tondu, Bordeaux. instagram @lacavevigneronsenherbe
To participate in original and convivial wine tastings around France check out ladegust.fr !! The photo is theirs… merci
FINALLY, JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM US… A “LA GRANDE BOUCHE”
In the professional kitchen of La Grande Bouche, Loïc and his chefs will engage you in a modern twist on the age-old art of pressure canning and preserving. You’ll learn to make jars of tapenades and pestos that you can tuck into your suitcase for an apéro with friends back at home or make regional recipes of preserved duck and pork (terrines, confits, sausages), along with seasonal vegetables and fruits. Loïc has perfected teaching techniques and located the freshest produce to make you want to make your own foie gras or rillettes of fresh tunafish! Because everything is professionally sterilized and sealed, you can take it home with you… or enjoy it while you’re in France. Though Loïc speaks English very well, this is not a private class and is usually of offered for a small group of French amateurs; however, from time to time, the class provided in English. You can check on his webpage calendar to see the details of what is available and when. https://atelierlagrandebouche.com/
What's Cooking In Bordeaux... 