Original subtitles

♪♪

-Here in Bordeaux, so much has been inspired by one thing --

you guessed it -- wine.

It has shaped this region's history, food,

even its architecture.

This magnificent building is the city's wine museum,

and its curves are designed to evoke the swirl of wine

in a glass and the shape of the river

that has for centuries carried it from the city to the port,

bringing with it wealth and prosperity.

I mean, where else but Bordeaux would they build such a glorious

and extraordinary homage to wine?

I think I'm going to feel quite at home here.

I'm Eva Longoria, and I'm a serious Francophile. Santé.

Over the past 20 years, my career as an actor

has brought me to France time and again.

It's my home away from home.

But those trips were more about work than joie de vivre.

Now I want something deeper.

This is going to be an adventure!

So I'm setting out to really experience France...

-This is Cabernet Sauvignon. -[gasps] That's my favorite.

...To savor its world celebrated cuisine

and explore the country's rich history.

Vive la France! [laughs]

Bordeaux, a single word

that conjures up some of the finest wines in the world.

Around these parts,

Wine is more than a passion...

This is so nice.

...It's poetry for the soul.

-It's a piece of silk, you know.

It's just super delicate in your palate.

-The locals, known as the Bordelais,

have mastered the art of the good life.

-And while wine is the star of the show...

Ah! -Ah!

-...the food is catching up fast.

Traditional Bordelais cuisine is all about rich sauces.

Oh my gosh. That looks like chocolate.

But now adventurous chefs are rewriting the rules.

Wait, what are we making?

-The whitefish grilled. -With red wine?

-Yes, exactly. -You guys really do things backwards here.

...and too much of a good thing...

Et voilà. No, no way! More?!

...is an even better thing.

-This is probably the most expensive sandwich

I'm ever gonna eat in my life. -[ Chef laughs ]

♪♪

♪♪

Bordeaux's prestige wines are renowned

for their quality and their price.

A single bottle from an iconic vineyard can start at $3,000,

while a rare vintage can go for ten times that.

But that's only part of the story.

Today, I'm making a pilgrimage

to the most celebrated wine village in Bordeaux,

Saint-Émilion, where wine is more than a business.

It's a religion.

♪♪

On the western seaboard of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region

lies the Bordeaux wine country,

shaped by a gentle climate and fertile soils.

And one of the jewels in its crown is Saint-Émilion.

♪♪

I'm visiting one of the biggest dates in the calendar,

when the whole village gathers for a mysterious festival

straight out of the Middle Ages.

♪♪

Hi. -Hello, Eva.

-How are you?

-I'm very good, and yourself?

-My guide is Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal,

an eighth generation Saint-Émilion winemaker.

And so, what's happening today? There's a lot of people.

-So, the Jurade of Saint-Émilion

is the oldest wine brotherhood in the world.

And it celebrates its more than 800 years of history.

-Founded in 1199,

the Brotherhood's job was to oversee the wine making

and run the town.

♪♪

Oh my God! [laughing]

♪♪

Today, its role is largely ceremonial,

but members still gather for the annual church blessing

of the new wines.

Are you a member? -I am, indeed.

-You are! You should be in the parade.

-Well, you know I'm with you today.

That's wonderful. Um...

I'm the third generation in my family to be a Jurade member.

And now there are women in the Jurade,

which is fairly recent. -Oh, is it?

-Yeah. -Women weren't allowed before?

-No, so my father changed that.

-Your father? Good for your dad.

♪♪

-You know, it's a true honor to be a member of the Jurade.

Because, of course, I'm so much attached to our roots.

Roots in the vineyard. Roots of Saint-Émilion.

[ Bell tolls ]

-Saint-Émilion takes its name from a monk

who settled here in the eighth century.

[ Bell tolls ]

It was the monks of his monastery

who started the commercial wine production.

[ Bell tolls ]

At Stéphanie's family's vineyard,

echoes of that religious tradition live on.

Château Angelus is named after the bells

that summoned its Catholic workers to prayer.

This is beautiful.

This is your view every morning.

-Yes. An ocean of vines.

♪♪

-What variety is this that we're looking at?

-This is Merlot?

-Cabernet franc.

In Saint-Émilion, Merlot is the most common grape,

known for its rich plum and cherry notes,

while Cabernet Franc brings acidity and a hint of spice.

-Thibaut Gamba is the chateau's very own Michelin starred chef.

[gasps] What are you doing?

-Finishing some tiny appetizer.

-What is -- is this a grape leaf?

-Exactly. We've filled it with some fresh goat cheese.

-So we're doing, like, a wine pairing.

[gasps] Is this white? -This is white.

-Wait, I've never had a white wine from this region.

-Well, this is very unique. It's not commercialized.

You cannot get it. You can have it only here.

-Oh, I can't buy it! [gasps] I can smell it already.

-Yeah. -It's like...

It's like a fruit and grapefruit.

-Grapefruit, citrus. -Citrus for sure.

-And the grapes are Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, Chenin, and Chardonnay.

So it's a unique blend for Bordeaux white.

-Santé. -Santé.

[ Glasses clink ] -Santé.

-I'm so excited.

♪♪

-Oh, wow. For being citrus and grapefruit.

It still has a buttery finish. -Absolutely.

The Chardonnay brings this buttery finish, yes.

-Oh, this is wonderful.

-Thibaut, is this -- you would recommend this wine with this appetizer?

-Yeah.

The white wine gonna match perfectly

with the fattiness of the cheese.

-So wait, wait -- So we're gonna have white wine with cheese,

not red. Is that breaking some of the rules?

-No, it's not about rules. It's not about color.

It's about the perfect match.

-Okay, I just grab it with -- -Sure.

They say that cheese helps soften

the sharp tannins in red wine.

So white wine with cheese is a bit of a curve ball.

Mmm. Oh, yeah.

This -- actually white wine brings out the flavor of the cheese.

-Mm. -It like magnifies the creaminess with the freshness.

-Mm-hm. -It's a perfect combination.

Now, this is what I recognize as a wine from the Bordeaux region.

Look at how dark that is.

This is a 2011 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

Oh, wow. That is wonderful. Full bodied big.

-Yeah, but at the same time, very refined tannins.

Very -- -Yeah. It's not.

-Very soft. -Velvety tannins.

-And I'm pretty sure it's going to match perfectly

with the whitefish we're going to cook now.

-Wait, what are we making?

-Whitefish -- grilled -- -With red wine?!

-Yes, exactly. -You guys really do things backwards here.

You have white wine with cheese and you have red wine with fish.

In Bordeaux, the maritime climate isn't just perfect for grapes.

The nearby Atlantic means there's also an abundance

of seafood, including prized turbot.

♪♪

-So we have now some beautiful filet

we can start to plate if you want to. -Okay.

-Everything is to bring texture to the dish.

-It's like a little garden on top of my fish.

♪♪

Oh, that's...

...so beautiful.

-Yeah. -Bon appétit.

-Merci, Thibaut.

I always thought it was sacrilege to pair red wine with fish.

So this is a first for me.

Mmm!

This dark red duck broth

against this delicate fish, it's just perfect.

And then the wine just kind of marries the two. -Mm-hm.

-You have created such a legacy.

Do you feel pressure to continue this tradition and culture?

-You know, I consider myself as a link of a chain

with a duty of transmission to the next generation.

-You want to carry the torch. -Yes, absolutely.

-I was a bit skeptical about these unconventional pairings,

but these dazzling wines matched with these extraordinary dishes

have opened my mind and my taste buds.

After a day in Saint-Émilion, I'm a believer.

p

♪♪

Wow, this is beautiful.

-I know. [laughs] -You know what?

I've never been in the city of Bordeaux.

Every time I come to Bordeaux,

I go to vineyards and then I leave.

And so I've never really experienced the city.

Food writer Camille Dufour has promised to show me

how wine helped build the Bordeaux we see today.

This looks like the Seine to Paris.

What's the name of this river?

-And what role did this river have?

-From all over the world? -From all over the world.

♪♪

-Situated where the Garonne and Dordogne rivers meet the Atlantic Ocean,

Bordeaux's location made it a hub for the wine trade...

♪♪

...while shaping it into one of France's most beautiful cities.

Wow! What is this?

-When was this built?

-Was it always this beautiful?

-Oh?

-Oh! -In anywhere else in France.

-So there's so many restaurants here. -Yeah.

-Which means there are so many chefs. -Yes.

-Well, now I want to check out all these restaurants.

-Okay. Let's go.

This is so mellow. It's so beautiful.

-Yeah, I know.

-Yeah.

-Bonjour. -Bonjour.

-[gasps] What is this?

[ Speaking French ]

-Canelé. -Canelé.

-This caramelized egg pastry is a Bordeaux icon,

but I've never tasted one.

Oh! It's crispy on the outside,

really soft on the inside. -Yeah, I know.

-Is that alcohol? Is that rum?

-Oh, yeah. I taste the vanilla. -Yeah, yeah.

-So who invented this?

-Yeah, it's very eggy. -Yeah.

-In a good way. -Yeah. [ Both laugh ]

-Rum, the Caribbean. Vanilla, Mexico. -Yeah.

-So even this little pastry owes its existence

to wine production. -Yeah.

-So we should say santé when we eat this.

-Santé. Yeah. [ Laughter ]

♪♪

-Camille's hot tip for lunch is a restaurant

that's leading Bordeaux's culinary revival,

with a mission to create distinctively local dishes

that match the legendary wines.

[ Doorbell chimes ]

I've never rung a bell to get into a restaurant.

Maison Nouvelle has two Michelin stars

and is the brainchild of Chef Philippe Etchebest.

-Bonjour. -Bonjour.

-Merci.

Philippe is one of France's most famous TV chefs.

Bonjour. -Bonjour.

-But he grew up over his dad's restaurant

right here in Bordeaux.

It feels like a home.

[Speaking French]

-So you think that the gastronomy had to catch up? It had to level up.

[ Speaking French ]

-Traditionally, duck was a humble peasant fare,

slow cooked and preserved in its own fat.

But Philippe has a technique to refine it

and enhance its flavors.

[ Speaking French ]

-It's always about the sauce. [laughs]

Wine based sauces are one of the cornerstones of Bordeaux's cuisine.

This one starts with sauteed duck bones, then a local brandy.

[ Speaking French ]

-He's lit the dish on fire. Literally.

[ Speaking French ]

-Of course, red wine.

Then the seared duck breast is topped with

a rich mushroom stuffing wrapped in a cabbage leaf

and encased in buttery pastry.

[ Speaking French ]

-Okay.

For every dazzling dish on the menu,

there's an equally fabulous wine.

And Philippe has promised me something uniquely Bordeaux.

[gasps] Bonjour. -Bonjour.

I would say the master of making a great mellow

with long aging. -Okay.

This is a 2020 vintage aged in old barrels.

-So you can smell a lot of, uh -- -Wood.

-The aging is very soft.

-It smells spicy, but it isn't spicy.

-No. Exactly. -Tchin! -Santé!

Tchin-tchin! [laughs]

-Mmm. -That is lovely.

-Ah!

[ Speaking French ]

-Oh, my gosh, that looks like chocolate.

So beautiful.

-So you take a few sauce.

-Oh, wow. The sauce and the wine.

So good.

And just when you think you've tasted it all,

Philippe's grand finale is a playful homage

to Bordeaux's wine legacy.

Oh, my goodness! That is so cute.

Delicate pears, gently poached in wine

and shaped like grapes on a vine made of luscious vanilla cream.

That's the most creative dessert I have ever seen.

Even the chocolate sauce is served in a wine bottle.

Oh my God.

This is why you're the chef that you are.

[ Indistinct ]

♪♪

-Mmm.

[ Speaking French ]

-This is so great. I feel like your restaurant

and your cuisine

celebrates both equally and beautifully.

[ Speaks French ]

-I try. -Santé.

-I try to do my best.

♪♪

-Now, if you've watched the show,

you know this Texican loves a good steak.

So when I found out that the best beef in France

comes from an area called Bazas,

it's just a short drive from Bordeaux,

I was like, say no more and I put the pedal to the metal.

♪♪

The source of this great reputation

is an ancient breed of free range cattle

that takes its name from the town of Bazas.

♪♪

Bonjour. -Bonjour. Bienvenue.

[ Speaking French ]

♪♪

[ Cattle lowing ]

-Élian's family are among the leading breeders

of Bazadaise cattle, with a herd that's over 40 strong.

Bonjour. -Bonjour.

-Oh, wait. Oh, wait.

You're more important. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

You are way more important.

Élian's dad, Gérard, and brother Olivier

have a unique approach to cattle rearing.

[ Speaking French ]

-I see you. I know.

[ Speaking French ]

-This is why -- this is why she's coming to me.

'cause she wants a massage right now.

She's used to massaging. Okay, okay.

We'll give you a massage.

So you want them nice and calm and no stress.

I know, no stress. Oh my gosh, you're so strong.

All this tender loving care produces meat that's rich,

succulent, and flavorful.

For the Carraz family, farm to table aren't just buzzwords.

They cook for their guests right here on their land.

Oh, wow!

[ Speaking French ]

-Élian's mom, Myriam, runs the restaurant,

helped by his brother Julien.

But it's Élian who's doing the cooking today.

Oh!

[ Speaking French ]

-Oh, wow, you put on the beret. That's so cute.

We're cooking Entrecôte steak.

But first, the traditional bordelaise sauce.

[ Speaking French ]

Okay. Bordelaise sauce has been enjoyed for over a century,

and it stars one of my favorite local ingredients.

It has to be a Bordeaux wine for the Bordelaise sauce. -Yes.

-Next, a key element to thicken the sauce.

[ Speaking French ]

-Okay, this may not look very pretty...

Oh my God.

...but it's gonna add a rich umami flavor. Oh, wow.

That is so much bone marrow.

This is what makes it the bordelaise sauce.

If it doesn't have this, it's just a normal sauce.

-Yes. -Okay.

My family loves barbecue,

so I like to think I know my way around a grill.

Oh. You're gonna -- Oh, my God, did you see this?

But this is a whole other way of smoking meat.

[ Speaking French ]

-Okay. Oh, okay, maybe not.

[ Speaking French ]

Oh, look at me, I'm smoking the meat, guys. -[ Élian laughs ]

♪♪

Oh, my God.

[Speaks French]

-Okay, good. That was a workout.

♪♪

[ Speaking French ]

-Mother is here!

[ Speaking French ]

♪♪

-Ah! Mmm!

Wow! Oh my God!

[ Speaking French ]

-It looks amazing.

[ Speaking French ]

-The star of the show.

We need the bordelaise sauce.

Oh, wow.

[ Speaking French ]

-Oh my God, this is so tender it cuts like butter.

Mmm. I love the sauce with this meat.

The sauce is silky and these shallots make it sweet.

It's like the perfect combination.

And the bone marrow!

[ Speaking French ]

-For me, this is the first time in Bordeaux

that I've actually tasted the land in the food.

And the fact that this is centuries years old,

you know, raising beef.

This is really a beautiful plate

that tells the story of Bordeaux.

Bravo! -Merci.

-Santé.

-I'm on my way to meet one of Bordeaux's most exciting chefs.

And he's promised to introduce me to

a surprising local delicacy that's over 200 million years old.

♪♪

Hello! -Hello.

-Nice to meet you. Enchanté. -Nice to meet you.

-Vivien Durand delights in breaking the rules.

A culinary iconoclast

who's won a Michelin star for his unconventional take

on Bordeaux's cuisine.

So where are we?

-Sturgeon. Sturgeon. So we're having caviar?

-Yes, exactly.

-It's one of my favorite things to eat. [ Both laugh ]

When you think of Bordeaux,

you might think red meat, rich sauces,

but caviar has been a local specialty for over a century.

The Gironde estuary north of Bordeaux

is the last remaining breeding ground of the European sturgeon,

and its fish farms are the heart of France's caviar industry.

-They're the dinosaurs of fish.

♪♪

Aah! [gasps] There it is!

Oh my God, it looked like a shark.

-[ Julien laughs] -It looked like a shark.

It was like... [ Hums Jaws theme ]

Oh... Wow, they're big.

Wait, so how did sturgeon end up here in the Aquitaine?

-So were they fished for caviar?

-Just for the meat? -Yeah.

-Wow. -[ Julien laughs ]

-They're throwing away the best part.

-[ Julien laughs ] -Oh my gosh.

But that all changed in the early 20th century

when the First World War halted the export of Russian caviar.

The fishermen of the Gironde estuary

spotted a gap in the market.

And soon Aquitaine's black gold became a sensation

in the restaurants of Paris.

So you think this is the best caviar in the world?

-Oh, we get to taste it? -Yeah.

-Laurent Dulau is the CEO of the Sturia caviar company.

-Bonjour. -Eva, Laurent.

-Laurent.

I see a lot of activity. What are they doing?

[ Speaking French ]

-This is a 200 million year old fish.

-Oui, madame. Respect.

[ Speaking French ]

-Oh, my gosh.

[ Speaking French ]

-It's okay. -It's good. Oh.

Oh my gosh.

[ Speaking French ]

-I know, I know. -You have not?!

[ Speaking French ]

-Oh. They're firm. -Yeah.

-So this is caviar?

-Really? -Yeah, yeah.

So it has to go through a process.

-You don't like the taste? That was lovely.

-Mm, uh, it's... [ Laughter ]

-To make caviar, raw sturgeon eggs are salted and aged

for at least three months to allow their flavors to deepen.

This is beautiful. -Yeah. It's nice.

-Vivien's restaurant, Le Prince Noir,

is housed in a 14th century castle outside Bordeaux.

So what are we making?

-I wish I had a caviar sandwich when I was young.

And it's heavy on the butter.

This is France, after all.

All right. Like this?

Okay, but how much --

[ Laughing ]

[ Speaking French ]

-Oh my God.

-No way! More?!

Oh my God.

[ Speaking French ]

-Yeah. Okay. This is probably the most expensive sandwich

I'm ever gonna eat in my life.

We're talking a hundred dollars worth of caviar here.

[ Speaks French ]

Mmm. It's not a crazy, buttery taste.

Together, they really complement each other.

-Yes, I would love to. What are we making?

-Okay. Why don't you get started on that

while I finish my caviar sandwich? [laughs]

♪♪

Vivien is making beef paleron,

otherwise known as flat iron steak,

served with his own personal twist on bordelaise sauce.

-From sturgeon? -Yeah.

-So are we gonna eat the sturgeon or...

-No.

-Oh.

So you've taken a bordelaise sauce,

which normally uses beef marrow to thicken it, but you use the --

-Of the fish instead. Right. That's not common.

-That's not common. -Yeah.

-It's two different worlds. -Yeah.

♪♪

-Look at the color!

Oh, gosh. Here goes the caviar.

-Oh, look at that.

-Et voilà? -Et voilà.

-Le Prince Noir has a Michelin star,

but forget about tradition and formality.

The crowd here is young and curious.

And every dish is a new discovery.

Et voilà! There's our plate.

I'm so excited to taste this beef.

Mmm. The sturgeon is not overpowering at all.

-Mmm. And of course the caviar is adding that saltiness.

Never had a bordelaise sauce like this. -[ Vivien laughs ]

-Bravo.

But we're not done yet.

Vivien has a final surprise,

an indulgent dessert that takes his obsession to another level.

[gasps] Caviar in our dessert?

-Yeah. -Wow.

-Yeah. So this is your salt. -[ Vivien laughs ]

-Your salt on a chocolate chip cookie is caviar

on chocolate sorbet? Okay.

[ Laughing ]

This isn't decadent at all. -[ Viven laughing ]

♪♪

Oh my God. That works.

It's not to show off, it's to add a depth of flavor.

-Exactly. -Oh my God. This is...

This is the best dessert I've ever had!

It's certainly audacious to combine flavors like this,

but Vivien pulls it off beautifully,

and you can taste his wild imagination in every bite.

♪♪

-I couldn't leave Bordeaux without visiting

one more château and tasting another one of its amazing reds.

The Margaux wine region, north of Bordeaux

is home to some of France's most prestigious vineyards,

including the visionary Château Palmer.

♪♪

[gasps] This is beautiful. When was this built?

-This was built in 1854.

-So what makes Château Palmer so special?

-Actually, when we describe Château Palmer,

we prefer to use the idea of a farm... -Yeah?

-...where great wines are produced, of course, than just a vineyard.

-Thomas Duroux is the director of the Palmer Estate.

-Basically, we are back to the way it was in the past,

before the Second World War.

So we grow vegetables.

We have animals to do our own compost.

We try to rebuild real ecosystem.

-At Château Palmer, the farming is slow and sustainable

and the wines are fully organic.

-The idea is to make from this place,

from this terroir, a wine that is very unique,

that has its own personality.

♪♪

-Bordeaux's vineyards were booming in the 1980s.

The American market exploded and exports soared,

but some of the subtlety of the wines was lost.

Château Palmer is rewriting that history,

using organic methods to restore the soil

and the natural complexity of the wine.

Is this Cabernet Sauvignon? -This is Cabernet Sauvignon.

And so the main grape variety... -My favorite. -...are super good, super good.

-In contrast to the clay and limestone of Saint-Émilion,

here, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are grown in gravelly soil,

producing delicate aromatic wines.

-Hey, Arnaud. Hi, everyone.

-Hello, Eva. -Hello.

-Welcome to the vineyard. -Hey, Eva, so this is Arnaud,

our vineyard manager. -Enchanté.

-He's in charge of, of -- -The grapes.

-You know. The grapes. -He does all the work.

-That's his responsibility to make good grapes,

to be able to produce good wines.

-Exactly. -All right. See you later.

-See you later.

So, what is everybody doing?

-So just, uh, managing the canopy length.

-What does canopy length mean? -So, you want to make sure

the sunlight reaches the whole vine.

And you have two ways of doing that. -Uh-huh.

-You can either trim the top of it -Mm-hm.

-Or you can braid the vines into arches.

You just have to take two shoots --

-I'm really good at braiding hair,

so I should be good at this. -You take that one.

-Oh, this one. -No, you take that one.

-Oh, the big one. Okay. -Yeah, the big one.

And then you braid them.

-Oh, God. I'm not gonna -- I'm not gonna break it?

-No, no, no. No worries. -Oh, my lord.

This is -- -[ Arnaud laughs ]

-This is harder than braiding hair.

Wait. I think that's too many, Arnaud.

-I'm just going to show you.

-No, Arnaud, I'm gonna do it. -Alright, alright.

I'll leave you to it. -Can I do these?

-Yeah, yeah. -Like this? Comme ça?

-Yeah, exactly. You know, you can just put this one behind and that's it.

-Oh, my God, I made the perfect arch!

-Yeah, that's perfect. Well done.

-So why do you do this?

-So we like to think the vines talk to each other.

You know? -They talk to each other?

-No, that's what we'd like to say.

But they help each other stay strong like a community.

-Mm-hm. -I'm serious.

-I'm very serious. -No, I, I --

Look, I talk to my plants and they grow.

And they're happy.

And I'm like, "You're so beautiful.

You're so beautiful." -That's great.

-And I think that helps.

I'm gonna leave you to your work.

I think I've done my part. Merci, Arnaud!

♪♪

I'm curious to see if I can taste

that hands-on care in the grapes.

Back at the château,

Thomas has invited me for a very personal wine tasting.

-I think, you know, the weather is nice.

It's a proper time to taste something special, right? -Yes.

-So we decided to just prepare a 1975 Château Palmer.

I don't know why. Is it a special vintage?

-It's a 50 year old bottle. -It is a 50 year old bottle, yeah.

-I will tell you that. -Yeah, yeah.

And it's a wonderful bottle in very good shape. -That's my --

-My birth year. Is it a good year?

-It's a fantastic year. -Oh, my gosh.

-Look at the color, you know. -Look at the color.

-It's almost like your dress.

-Oh, okay. -So...

-Santé. -Santé. [ Eva laughs ]

♪♪

-Oh, yeah. This is so nice. -Yeah.

It's like -- -It's elegant.

-It's a piece of silk, you know?

-Yeah. -It's super delicate in your palate.

-Yes. Oh, I'm so glad this was a good year.

-Yeah, well... [ Both laugh ]

-Can you imagine if we opened it and we were like...

"Nah..." -"Well, okay,

let's find another one." -[ Eva laughing ]

-But there's so much history in a glass.

There's so much history in a bottle.

-I think in the end, the most beautiful part of it,

it's really our passion, our goal in life,

to be able to share what we do with people like you.

-And what an honor to taste such a personal vintage.

But the wines at Château Palmer are only half the story.

I hear the food is also pretty special.

So maybe I'll stick around for lunch.

♪♪

Here at château Palmer, they're creating a new type of vineyard

where deep respect for the land produces subtle,

expressive wines,

and where I'm hoping the food is as captivating as the drink.

Bonjour, Chef. -Ah, bonjour, Eva.

[ Speaking French ]

-Jean-Denis Le Bras is the estate's Michelin starred chef,

preparing haute cuisine for the château's paying guests,

who get to dine in aristocratic style.

[ Speaking French ]

-But today we're not cooking for the guests.

We're feeding the people who keep the place running -- the workers.

♪♪

[ Speaking French ]

-We're starting with a velouté,

a soup made with peas fresh from the château's garden.

[ Speaking French ]

-The workers' meals at Château Palmer

are inspired by an old French tradition --

the harvest feast.

In the fall, when the grape harvest was finished,

the vineyard owners would treat their workers

to a celebratory meal to thank them for their efforts.

[ Speaking French ]

-It's like a camaraderie. -Yeah.

-This is the ultimate in farm to fork dining.

Every ingredient comes from the estate,

including creamy goat's cheese and crunchy pistachios.

And to follow the soup, an entrée that's been cooking all night.

[ Eva gasps ]

-Wow, the jus!

Oh, my God, it's just falling off the bone!

♪♪

After a morning's work in the fields and in the château,

staff from all over the estate have earned their lunch.

Everyone is assigned their own napkin, including me.

They just told me there's a difference.

This means you work here, and this means you're a guest.

-Yeah. -But I did work, you guys.

I did work. I feel like I should get a red napkin.

Ah! First course on the menu --

the pea soup with goat's cheese.

-Check the color of it. -Oh, my God.

it's like the brightest green.

Mmm. -[ Arnaud speaks French ]

-Mmm. It tastes like it just came out of the garden an hour ago.

Which it did! -It did, actually. It did!

-How do you feel eating like this every day?

-We feel like we get to see the result

of all this work every day, basically. - Every day. Yeah.

-And the chefs do a wonderful job, which is awesome for everyone.

-Mmm. -Usually plates come out empty.

-Oh. -Which is a good sign. -I would --

And then the dish I'd been waiting for.

[ All exclaim ]

-The slow roasted lamb with rosemary and thyme.

-Bon appétit. -Bon appétit.

-Merci. -Oh my God.

Wow. -Good?

-That is so tender!

So subtle, so soft.

So, Arnaud, other châteaux don't do this?

-But it's like an ecosystem, too.

You need every person here to make the vineyard work.

-Yeah, exactly.

So having everyone here all together, it just

brings community all altogether.

-I know the château has a different menu,

but I'd much rather be in this room.

-Yeah, right? -[ Eva laughs ]

-Santé!

♪♪

Bordeaux is and always has been a world leader in wine.

But the food was always sidelined.

The cuisine was born out of a necessity

to feed its workers in the fields and in the vineyards.

But in the last 20 years, the city and the region of Aquitaine

has undergone a renaissance...

[ Eva gasps ]

...and an amazing food scene has emerged

to rival its vineyards in ambition.

Sleeping Beauty has awoken from her slumber

and boy, is she awake.

♪♪