With an increasing number of enthusiasts interested in visiting places where grapes are grown and made into wine, many areas of France have had to spruce themselves up. And the famous Bordeaux region is no exception.
Prince Robert of Luxembourg, the president of Domaine Clarence Dillon which owns Chateau Haut-Brion, explains the clean-up of the area was spearheaded by Mayor Alain Juppe in 1999 and has resulted in a more tourist-friendly area.
'Bordeaux is a small town really, so there wasn't enough public transportation, buildings had to be cleaned and even walking areas for pedestrians had to be created,' the prince said during a recent visit to Hong Kong.
'In the countryside things are more decentralised, but now it's easier for visitors to get around.'
The upgrades in Bordeaux have occurred in time to receive more tourists, including those from Asia.
'Within two to three years, the fourth largest number of visitors we [Chateau Haut-Brion] receive are from Hong Kong and [the mainland],' he says. 'Before then there were hardly any.'