A Bordeaux wine day is half indoors and half in the vines. The cellars do not care about the forecast, but the walk through Saint-Émilion, the e-bike and the vineyard rows do. Match your Bordeaux France tour to the month.
Every wine day mixes the car, the cellar and the open air. Rain costs you little in the van, and nothing in a barrel cellar. It does cost you the walk through the rows, and it makes Saint-Émilion's steep stone lanes slippery under your feet, so wear shoes with grip.
Heat matters more than rain here. In July and August, guides have moved the village walk into the shade and cut the vine walk short. So in summer, choose a morning start and carry water. The e-bike days spend seven to eight and a half hours out, and they need the weather more than any other format.
The figures below are Météo-France's 1991-2020 normals for Bordeaux-Mérignac, the airport station west of the city. They are averages, not a forecast, so check yours the week before you go.
Highs average 10.5 °C and lows 3.7 °C. About 87 mm of rain falls, on 12 days, with 90 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 7 nights. The vines are bare and the pruners are out. Some private half days skip 1 January. Pack a coat for the vineyard walk.
Highs average 12.0 °C and lows 3.6 °C. About 67 mm of rain falls, on 10 days, with 117 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 6 nights. Still pruning season. The cellars feel the same as in summer, so the cold is only between them.
Highs average 15.5 °C and lows 5.8 °C. About 63 mm of rain falls, on 11 days, with 170 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 2 nights. Buds swell on the vines. Bring gloves for an e-bike day, and a layer for the cellars.
Highs average 18.0 °C and lows 8.0 °C. About 76 mm of rain falls, on 11 days, with 186 hours of sun. Budburst in the vines. The Saint-Michel spire opens for the season, and the evenings lengthen.
Highs average 21.7 °C and lows 11.4 °C. About 71 mm of rain falls, on 10 days, with 221 hours of sun. About 1 day passes 30 °C. The vines leaf out and flowering begins. Some private half days skip 1 May, so check your date.
Highs average 25.0 °C and lows 14.6 °C. About 70 mm of rain falls, on 8 days, with 238 hours of sun. About 5 days pass 30 °C. The vines flower. Long light evenings leave time for a city walk after a wine day.
Highs average 27.1 °C and lows 16.2 °C. About 49 mm of rain falls, on 7 days, with 256 hours of sun. About 8 days pass 30 °C. The warmest stretch begins. Take the morning half day, and carry water in Saint-Émilion's lanes.
Highs average 27.6 °C and lows 16.3 °C. About 57 mm of rain falls, on 7 days, with 249 hours of sun. About 9 days pass 30 °C. The hottest month on average. Guides may shorten the vine walk in the afternoon heat.
Highs average 24.2 °C and lows 13.3 °C. About 81 mm of rain falls, on 9 days, with 209 hours of sun. About 3 days pass 30 °C. Harvest month. You may see pickers in the rows, and the châteaux are at their busiest.
Highs average 19.6 °C and lows 10.7 °C. About 83 mm of rain falls, on 11 days, with 150 hours of sun. The vines turn colour. Saint-Émilion's Fête des Vendanges falls on 10-11 October 2026.
Highs average 14.1 °C and lows 6.7 °C. About 114 mm of rain falls, on 13 days, with 100 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 2 nights. The wettest month. The spire has closed for the season, but the cellars are unchanged.
Highs average 11.0 °C and lows 4.4 °C. About 106 mm of rain falls, on 13 days, with 84 hours of sun. Frost comes on about 6 nights. The dullest month. Some private half days skip 25 December, and the Cité du Vin closes that day.
| Season | Average high | Rain | Sunshine | In the vines |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring: March–May | 18.4 °C | 210 mm | 577 h | Budburst, leaves, flowers |
| Summer: June–August | 26.6 °C | 176 mm | 742 h | Flowering, then the grapes ripen |
| Autumn: September–November | 19.3 °C | 279 mm | 459 h | The harvest, then gold leaves |
| Winter: December–February | 11.2 °C | 260 mm | 291 h | Bare vines and pruning |
If you can choose, late spring and early autumn are the easy choice. In May, June and September, highs run from 22 °C to 25 °C, the rain is moderate, and your days are long. September adds the harvest, and October the change of colour.
Summer is the sunniest and the hottest. July has 256 hours of sun and only 49 mm of rain, but about eight days reach 30 °C. The record is 41.2 °C, on 23 July 2019. If you come then, plan the vines for the morning and the city for the evening.
Winter is mild but wet. November and December bring more than 100 mm each, and frost comes on six or seven nights a month from December to February. Your tour still runs, and a cellar is a cellar in any month, so you lose less than you might think. See when to visit Bordeaux for the dates that matter more than the forecast.
In summer, go to the vines in the morning. The shared half days to Saint-Émilion leave in the morning and in the afternoon, so take the morning one and spend the hot hours indoors. Save the water mirror and the quays for the evening, when the stone cools.
In winter, reverse it. The short days favour a full day that starts after breakfast, with the vineyard stop around noon, when it is warmest. For photographs of the rows, the late afternoon light is the one you want in any season.
Temperatures, rain, sunshine, hot days and frost come from Météo-France's climate sheet for Bordeaux-Mérignac, 1991-2020. The heat notes come from travellers' own reports, and the dates from each sight and the wine council.
A private four-hour Médoc half day from your hotel, with two wineries chosen ahead and their tasting fees in the fare. Two people minimum; it does not run on 25 December, 1 January or 1 May.
From $480 per person
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Four private hours in Saint-Émilion from your hotel, with one winery's tasting in the fare and a guided walk in the village. The underground monuments are an upgrade; two people minimum.
From $398 per person
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A private day among Saint-Émilion's Grands Crus Classés with a WSET-certified guide, hotel pickup, and the visits and tastings in the fare. Children can come on a child ticket; lunch is extra.
From $573 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see what is on each month on when to visit, compare the rides on Bordeaux bike tours, or compare every tour on Bordeaux France Tours.