Bordeaux Wine: The Red Wonder That Rules the World of Wines

For the uninitiated, the world of wine is simply divided into red and white. For the connoisseurs, this is a vast territory where unending varieties vie for attention. But some of them stand apart with their magnificence and classic appeal—Bordeaux wine is most notable among them.

Bordeaux wine – the making of the legend
You don’t need to be a connoisseur to know the name of Bordeaux wine. Not only in France, Bordeaux is probably the most well-know wine region in the whole world.

Located in the Gironde department in south-western France, Bordeaux is not only the fine wines capital of the world, it is also famous for its colorful history, rich culture, arts and music. But somehow the place became the brand ambassador of great wines to the rest of the world.

It was during the reign of Eleanor of Aquitaine, that this city started its journey of wine trade and eventually went to become the most bustling wine trade center in the world with the largest fine wine-producing vineyard in the world.

The sources

• Bordeaux is actually divided into many sub-regions. These are further subdivided into communes or Chateaux.
• Bordeaux has about 7,000 chateaux and some of the exclusive French wines come from these chateaus: Margaux, Yquem, Pétrus, Cheval Blanc, Latour, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, D’Yquem and Haut Brion are the most notable among them.
• Bordeaux’s reputation is mostly built on red wines; particularly those from Médoc, Saint Emilion, Pomerol are world famous. Another feather in its hat is provided by the famous sweet whites Sauternes.

When it comes to Bordeaux wine, you may come across such terms as AOC, crus bourgeois or crus classes. The huge repute of Bordeaux wine as a whole rests on some fifty seven “Appellations d’Origine Contrôlées” (A.O.C.). They are divided into major appellations and petite appellations and all of them are the producers of a vast range of excellent wines. The appellation is a key indicator of the type of wine in the bottle.

The produce

• As said earlier, it is the vast range of red wines that has made the Bordeaux brand so special.
• In fact, the red wine produced in this region outnumbers its white cousin by a six to one ratio.
• In addition of red and white wine, Bordeaux also produces dry white wines, sweet white Sauternes and rosé wines. Sweet white wines from Sauternes and Barsac are the most luscious in the world. The sparkling Crémant de Bordeaux also belongs to this wine capital of the world.

Before you make a purchase 

Bordeaux wines are expensive; so be careful to get what you pay for. While buying a bottle of Bordeaux, check out the label for authenticity.

A wine label of Bordeaux wine bottle would generally include:

• The name of estate
• The estate’s classification (Cru Classé / crus bourgeois)
• The appellation: Appellation d’origine contrôlée laws dictate that all grapes must be harvested from a particular appellation.
• Whether or not the wine is bottled at the chateau or assembled by a Négociant.
• The vintage
• Alcohol content

Made especially from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes, Bordeaux wine will keep on lingering in your senses long after you have consumed a glass of this red wonder. Make sure you have your share of this full bodied red wine: your wine experience will remain incomplete as long as you deprive your taste buds from the privilege of experiencing the true delight in a glass of Bordeaux.

Related posts:

1. Wines of the World
2. Vineyard Gifts

Tags: Bordeaux, Bordeaux Wine

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