Bordeaux Touring, July '04?

[amw5g]

On the heels of a most enjoyable trip to Sonoma and Napa this past July, we're considering trying a repeat in Bordeaux next July. While the Cali wineries on the whole seemed very public-oriented and it was easy to drop in and have some nice chit-chat, we've read that formality tends to reign across the pond.

Any recommended tour groups or planning advice? We would really like to be as independant as possible- choosing most of our meals, minimal group size, avoiding tour guides who give sly, knowing winks to the taste-master, etc. Add to that, we're enological neophytes.

A trip isn't definitive, but we're exploring our options, so any thoughts or commentary would be most appreciated!
Cheers,
Andrew