The Bordeaux vineyards are France's leading wine tourism destination, with almost 2 million of the 10 million visitors every year. There's a lot to do in the hundreds of estates: visit, taste the house wines, learn about wine, play some sports, go for a walk, borrow a bike, discover works of art... But if you're looking for lunch or dinner, that's a different story. There are still very few proper restaurants, those open most of the year by châteaux on their own estates, offering locals and tourists alike a full menu, with an in-house chef.

According to Sophie Gaillard, who for the past 20 years has headed up the wine tourism division of the Bordeaux tourist office, the region's estates have developed three types of catering. The vast majority of châteaux have set up cheese boards, charcuterie boards or picnic baskets to accompany wine tastings, for a few euros. At the other end of the scale, a handful of prestigious venues offer top-of-the-range dining led by an in-house chef for a handful of guests – provided they have booked well in advance.

The Château Haut-Bailly in Léognan is just such a place. There is no restaurant, but a dining experience can be ordered. The same is true of the Château Phélan Ségur in Saint-Estèphe, the Médoc appellation furthest from Bordeaux. For the past 10 years, it has offered a range of lunch options. This year, Véronique Dausse, director of "Phélan," launched La Table du Chef, which allows guests to enjoy lunch in the château's kitchen, overlooking the Gironde, while chatting with Jean-Luc Beaufils, who is in charge of the kitchen. The goal is "to win the loyalty of our wine buyers through a taste experience at the château."

Between the charcuterie board and the dining-to-order offer, there are restaurants open within châteaux and close to the vineyards. "There are around 20 of these throughout the Bordeaux vineyards, and the number has been growing over the last 10 years or so," said Gaillard. "Last year, for example, the Château Fage, in the Libournais region near Saint-Emilion, opened La Maison des Vignes restaurant, which has just won a Best of Wine Tourism award."

Then, from one vineyard to the next, the scenery changes. Pessac-Léognan has the advantage of being very close to the city of Bordeaux and its bay of 300,000 residents. It was there, in 1999, that the pioneering restaurant La Grand'Vigne opened within the Château Smith Haut Lafitte. Its success is undeniable, in terms of both the number of diners and awards – two Michelin stars. The restaurant also benefits from being part of the luxury hotel Les Sources de Caudalie. It has been so successful that Les Sources has opened two other restaurants: La Table du Lavoir in a more "auberge" style, and Rouge, with a more bistronomic orientation.

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