Everything You Need To Know About Bordeaux Wine

Facts and figures

Everything You Need To Know About Bordeaux Wine

June 24, 2021 food and drinks 0

Bordeaux lies in the southwest region of France. It is basically centred on the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. Any kind of wine produced in this region is known as Bordeaux wine. The vineyard lies near the Gironde department where it takes up an area of 120,000 hectares. Since it is the largest wine growing area of France, it is a quite popular destination among wine tasters.

The Quantity and Types of Wine Produced in Bordeaux

More than 700 million bottles of this wine are produced which includes several different types of wine such as table wine, and even some of the most prestigious and expensive wines in the world. Most of the wine produced in the Bordeaux region is red. Smaller quantities of white wine, dry whites and sparkling wines are also produced here. Approximately 8500 producers of this wine from Bordeaux are there.

An Overview of its History

The wine was first brought to this region by the Romans. Some sources state it was introduced back in the first century. It was mainly brought for local consumption and ever since then it has been constant in this region.

After the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine, this wine became increasingly popular. The export of the wine began soon after the prestigious wedding. However, these friendly relations did not last long. In 1337 the war between France and England initiated which meant the trade between the two halted for some time.

By the time the Dutch arrived in the seventeenth century, the swampy grounds of Medoc were useless. This is when these Dutch traders finally drained these grounds and commenced with the plantation of vines. The production increased to the extent that this eventually crossed Graves as the most prestigious region of Bordeaux.

Types of Grapes Produced

Reds

A blend of grapes is used to produce red bordeaux wine. A wide variety including Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Malbec are used. It is very rare for winemakers to use Carmen ere. Most red grape wines are made from Cabernet Sauvignon.

Whites

White Bordeaux is mostly sweet tasting since it is made of the sweet variety of grapes including Mus cadelle, sweet Semillons, and Sauvignon blank. Typical white Bordeaux is composed of 80% Semillons and 20% Sauvignon Blanc. 

The Unique Bordeaux Wine Making Style

Bordeaux is divided into several winemaking regions. It is almost broken down into 60 smaller regions where wine is made. Each of these wine styles is further categorized into 6 main families listed below:

  • Red Bordeaux
  • Red Côtes de Bordeaux
  • Red Libourne
  • Red Graves and Médoc
  • Dry white wines
  • Sweet white wines

The entire region is well known for its unique wine making style which has attracted several wine tasters from all across the world.