Cité du Vin

About the museum

The Cité du Vin is a cultural venue devoted to wine, located on the Quai de Bacalan in Bordeaux. It is run by the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin, created on December 11, 2014 by ministerial decree and recognised as being in the public interest. The City of Bordeaux, the contracting authority and owner of the building, has made it available to the Foundation for twelve years, until 2028. The venue celebrated its tenth anniversary on June 1, 2026.

The Foundation emerged from a partnership between the City of Bordeaux, the Conseil interprofessionnel du vin de Bordeaux and the Crédit Agricole d’Aquitaine. It relies mainly on the Cité du Vin’s own revenue, notably ticket sales, and on sponsorship and patronage.

The permanent exhibition covers 3,000 m² and presents, across six themed worlds and 18 modules, the vine and wine from antiquity to the present on all five continents. Visitors move freely through the galleries with a multimedia visit companion, a guide that triggers the animations. The visit ends on the eighth-floor terrace, where you can taste a glass of wine with a panoramic view over Bordeaux.

The Cité du Vin also offers tasting workshops, the Via Sensoria sensory trail, photo exhibitions, a reading room, gardens open free of charge and a cultural programme of talks and events.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition of 3,000 m² across 18 modules on the cultures of wine
• Multimedia visit companion available in nine languages
• Eighth-floor terrace with wine tasting and a view over Bordeaux
• Via Sensoria sensory tasting trail
• Gardens and photo exhibitions open free of charge

Permanent exhibitions

• Exposition permanente – Six themed worlds and 18 interactive modules trace the history of wine from antiquity on all five continents, with a multimedia visit companion.
• Belvédère – On the eighth floor, a panoramic terrace offers a view over Bordeaux and a wine tasting included in the ticket.

Founded

2016

Operated by

Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin

Admission & discounts

The permanent exhibition ticket includes the visit companion and a tasting on the terrace (with a non-alcoholic option). Free admission for holders of the ICOM card, journalists, tour guides, RSA recipients and children under 6. Residents of Bordeaux holding certain local cards receive a 20% discount.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

The building and cultural offer are accessible to all four categories of disability, and the site carries the Tourisme & Handicap label. Wheelchairs are lent at reception, and cane-seats are available at the entrance to the permanent exhibition and Via Sensoria. There is a free “Confort” route, adapted toilets on every floor, a priority ticket desk and accessible seating in all areas. For blind and visually impaired visitors there are guide strips, lifts with braille and voice announcements, and a tactile station with audio description in French, English and Spanish. For deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors there are induction loops at reception, the shop, the terrace, the workshops and the auditorium, and content subtitled in French and English. Easy-read booklets in French and sensory bags are available. Disabled parking spaces are at the entrance (car park open from 9:30 to 20:00).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

A “Juniors” route for ages 7 to 12 is available on the visit companion, with a children’s version of the audio guide. The exhibition engages all five senses; before age 7, children can mainly smell and look. The family pack offers a reduced-rate visit. Via Sensoria is suitable for families from age 6, with non-alcoholic drinks. Simple strollers are welcome (there is no stroller storage); a baby-changing and nursing area is on the ground floor. Plan for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours or more with children.

Getting there & parking

The building sits at the foot of the Pont Chaban-Delmas, a 10-minute drive from central Bordeaux and 20 minutes from Saint-Jean station.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Snack café and wine bar-brasserie Latitude20 on the ground floor, with a terrace overlooking the gardens; Le 7 panoramic restaurant on the seventh floor; Latitude20 wine cellar. The shop is open to all without a ticket. Left-luggage service for small bags (up to 90 x 40 x 52 cm) is available; suitcases, scooters and skateboards are not accepted. Drinking fountain on the ground floor. Picnics are allowed in the gardens. Animals are not permitted, except guide dogs and assistance dogs.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Lounges, reception spaces, meeting rooms, the auditorium and the terrace can be hired for corporate events (meetings, conferences, gala evenings, receptions, team building).

Plan your visit