France opens 'Guggenheim of wine' in Bordeaux

A picture taken on 14 March 2016 in Bordeaux, south-western France, shows a general view of the Cite du VinAFP

A "swirl in a wine glass" - Bordeaux's new shrine to wine, which it is hoped will attract 450,000 visitors a year

A new museum devoted to the culture of wine around the world has opened its doors in Bordeaux.

La Cite du Vin was designed by Paris-based XTU Architects to resemble "the swirl in a wine glass". It cost €81m (£63m; $90m) to build.

It has been dubbed a "Guggenheim to wine" - a reference to the New York art museum - by Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe.

He attended the museum's inauguration on Tuesday, along with President Francois Hollande.

The president is currently battling a wave of industrial unrest and was unable to escape protests for the inauguration. He was met by demonstrators protesting against both a contested new labour law and the use of pesticides in wine production.

Picture taken on 22 December 2015 in Bordeaux, shows the Cite du Vin under constructionAFP

The shimmering, 14,000 sq m structure was designed by Nicolas Desmazieres and Anouk Legendre and took about three years to build.

A picture taken on 24 May 2016 shows one of the exhibition rooms of the new Bordeaux's wine museum, in BordeauxAFP

Museum facilities include a restaurant and a cave a vin - a wine boutique - with 14,000 bottles from more than 80 countries, as well as grape juice for younger visitors.

Director of Bordeaux's wine museum Philippe Massol gives explanations on the art of tasting in one of the exhibition room of the new structure in Bordeaux, on 24 May 2016AFP

Special exhibition zones explore, for instance, the art of wine-tasting.

A picture taken on May 24, 2016 shows the Chaban-Delmasthe bridge seen from a window of the new Bordeaux's wine museum (Cite du Vin), in BordeauxAFP

The swirling shape of the building is also a reference to the eddies of the nearby Garonne river. City authorities are hoping for 450,000 visitors a year.

A picture taken on 24 May 2016 shows the room with panoramic view where the ceiling lights is made of thousands of bottles in Bordeaux's new wine museumAFP

Thousands of wine bottles form ceiling lights in one room boasting panoramic views of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux mayor Alain Juppe (R) and French President Francois Hollande (L) raise a toast as French junior minister for Foreign Trade, the Promotion of Tourism and French Nationals Abroad, Matthias Fekl (C) looks on, during the inauguration of the Cite du Vin (Wine Museum) on 31 May 2016 in BordeauxAFP

President Francois Hollande (left) toasted the museum's opening with Bordeaux Mayor Alain Juppe,

Protesters lie on the ground to represent people poisoned by pesticides on 31 May 2016, in Bordeaux, south-western France, during a demonstration against the use of pesticides in viticulture, during the inauguration of the city's new wine museum, La Cite du VinAFP

But even here Mr Hollande was unable to shake off protesters - here highlighting the health impact of the use of pesticides in grape growing.

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