Our blog about wine from Bordeaux and beyond, the Bordeaux region, its history, cuisine and culture.

An unforgettable birthday celebration with Olala Bordeaux!

Our private wine-blending experience with Olala was one of the absolute highlights of our time in Bordeaux.

From my first communication with Marie, everything was handled beautifully. She was responsive, accommodating and genuinely interested in helping us create something special for our friend Tom’s birthday. Our group of 12 was divided into six teams, each creating its own blend and taking home its own bottle. Olala even printed personalized “Cuvée Tom” labels for us in advance—such a thoughtful touch and the perfect souvenir from the celebration.

Antoine, the wine expert who led our class, was truly exceptional. He was knowledgeable and professional, but also incredibly fun, engaging and entertaining. He struck exactly the right balance between teaching us about Bordeaux wine and keeping the afternoon lively, relaxed and filled with laughter and friendly competition. Whether someone knew a lot about wine or very little, he made the experience enjoyable and approachable for everyone.

Most importantly, Antoine understood that this wasn’t just a wine class—it was Tom’s birthday celebration. He made Tom feel special throughout the afternoon and transformed the workshop into a genuine birthday party that none of us will soon forget. It never felt stiff, overly technical or “corporate.” It felt personal, spontaneous and full of joy.

If you are considering an experience with Olala, jump in with both feet. The wine blending was fascinating, the atmosphere was fantastic, and the entire experience exceeded our expectations. We would recommend Olala—and especially Antoine—without hesitation. Absolutely amazing! - 13 Sep 2026 

Fantastic Tour! If you are looking for an absolutely great understanding of Bordeaux wines look no further. If I could’ve given them six stars I would!!!
We did a deep dive 2.5 day experience with our first day MasterClass in the OLALA tasting room. Hugo explained in detail the region as Bordeaux is complicated yet he made it so easy. Then after a tasting of the entire area paired to our class understanding we went next day with Valentin our guide to The Saint Emilion Appalachian region- Right bank . We went to three different château’s and found the day to be wonderful with a great lunch on a terrace of one of the Châteaus.
The next day, we did the left bank and were able to see some of the most incredible most iconic châteaus of the entire region. With another great lunch and a day of tasting, this was a very memorable experience. If you are new to the Wine world or if you are an experienced wine snob this experience is for you. Valentin made this tour very Haut Couture De Excellence’. They helped to ship some wines back home thru the wineries. We even visited a local Chocolatier and were able to soak up some of the amazing château sites through the region. Thank you OLALA for a memorable week.
D & K. Phoenix Arizona. - 11 Sep 2026 

Great experience, tour guide was very knowledgeable - 06 Sep 2026 

What a fantastic experience and such a well informed course! I learned so much in just one hour. Hugo was excellent at explaining everything clearly and made the session both interesting and enjoyable. He shared lots of useful information about wine, different grape varieties, wine complexity, and many fascinating facts that really helped bring everything together. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn more about wine in a relaxed, engaging, and enjoyable way. Thank you, for such a great experience! - 24 Aug 2026 

Absolutely amazing wine tasting trip. We chose the full day 3 chateaus visit and picnic lunch. The driver Valentino was very friendly and knowledgeable. He couldn’t do enough for us. We visited St Emilion first so it wasn’t too busy. Then onto the Chateau’s. Each one different and quite small so we were the only group there which made it more personable. The owners of all the chateau’s we all keen to show around (they all spoke good English) and needless to say the wine tasting was excellent. We tasted 4 wines at each chateau. The day was perfect, highly recommend. - 24 Aug 2026 

We had a wonderful half day tour with Remi, super friendly and knowledgeable, small group tour was definitely the way to go. Highly recommended. - 23 Aug 2026 

A wonderful fun day out exploring vineyards on both sides of Bordeaux which is why we picked this tour. Our guide was knowledgeable, easy going and friendly. The vineyards we visited were very welcoming. - 12 Aug 2026 

We booked a half day winery tour to Saint Emilion. We did the morning slot because of the heat and it ended up being a perfect outing. Hugo was our tour guide and was so knowledgeable about everything. There were only four of us on the tour which made it even better. The chateau was stunning and the wine was perfect. We learned so much. Definitely recommend this tour and Hugo! - 08 Aug 2026 

Contratamos o tour Saint-Emilion e Margaux, isto é, o mais completo. Incluía visita ao vilarejo de Saint-Emilion, a três Chateaux, com almoço incluído.
A visita ao vilarejo é imperdível para quem está em Bordeaux.
As vinícolas escolhidas (Chateaux) agradaram pela recepção dos anfitriões e pela quantidade dos vinhos servidos, especialmente os Grand Crus.
O almoço é bem simples, não espere muito da comida.
Por fim, destacamos o profissionalismo e a simpatia da Mia, a motorista e guia do nosso grupo. Ela deu uma aula de enologia da região com leveza e muita atenção.
Passamos um dia muito agradável. Recomendo sem hesitar. - 07 Aug 2026 

Great tour guide with Valentin to St-Emilion half day!!! Very professional guy and friendly!! Don t hesitate it wortn it!! :) - 05 Aug 2026 

This full day wine tour was well worth the money. Our guide shared his knowledge about the region’s history, winemaking techniques and answered all of our silly questions. The Olala guides choose which wineries to visit, giving you a true insider’s view of Bordeaux. The best surprise was right at the start of the day with our stop in the charming village of St. Emilion, which had postcard-perfect views around every corner. Met some lovely people, ate a delicious lunch, and tasted some special wines. - 02 Aug 2026 

As a group of 6 visiting Bordeaux and Saint Emilion for the first time, Olala was tres magnificent! Valentin was our guide for 3 of the 4 days. He was fantastic! Valentin was professional, prompt, knowledgeable, funny, and extremely helpful. We were very sad to leave at the end of the week. Margot was our guide for our first day in Saint Emilion. Her knowledge of the underground church is amazing. We learned so much. Thank you to Olala for helping us create fantastic memories! - 13 Jul 2026 

We went on a half day tour of the Medoc region, visiting two chateaux for tours and wine tastings. Renee was our driver and guide for the afternoon and he was very friendly, knowledgable and a perfect guide. Thank you for a great afternoon in the 39 degree heat of Bordeaux! - 12 Jul 2026 

We had an exceptional tour with Xavier to St Emilion. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about the wine in this area, he has wonderful relationships with small chateaus (vineyards) that are not open to the public. Each visit was very intimate. They keep the number participants small. The date we went was exceptionally hot and he made sure we got back to our ship without having to stand in the heat waiting for a taxi, really above and beyond. And St Emillion is a charming and beautiful place to visit. Highly recommend this company. - 12 Jul 2026 

This was our third tour with Olala. We absolutely love it. Xavier has been our guide, the last two at our request, for all three. He is very knowledgeable and fun. I highly recommend these tours! The wineries were great.i am not sure why this didn't post last year. I went to do a review for this year. July 2026. We did the full day both banks, again with Xavier, he did not disappoint. We had a great group and a perfect day. Thank you for another great trip. We will see you in the fall if we can, otherwise, we will see you next year. - 12 Jul 2026 

We had a fantastic day trip to Saint Emilion and tastings at two chateaus, and also had the chance to visit the monolitic church. Our guide Gaspard knew a lot about winemaking, about the history of the region and was always friendly! We are very grateful for this great guidance! - 08 Jul 2026 

I generally avoid wine tastings because I know nothing about wine and find them boring, but this experience changed that. Hugo was an amazing sommelier and guide, teaching us so much about the Bordeaux regions and what to look out for, then guiding us to our own opinions (instead of just telling us what we should be smelling & tasting). A highlight of our time in Bordeaux. Merci Hugo! - 08 Jul 2026 

i had antoine and he was absolutely amazing. honestly made the whole experience so much better, he was so funny and nice and definitely loves what he does! if i’m ever in Bordeaux again i will 100% come again!! - 05 Jul 2026 

Les locaux sont agréables et hyper central, la masterclass est super intéressante et ludique, bref on en redemande!!! - 03 Jul 2026 

The Saint-Émilion full day tour was fantastic! Our guide, Margot, was very knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. The van was clean and air conditioned. The stops were well-timed and the three chateaux chosen complemented each other. We had lunch in a beautiful shady spot in the vineyard, catered by a local chef. All in all, it was a wonderful experience and we would happily book another tour with them! - 01 Jul 2026