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bordeaux wine

7 Reasons to Study Bordeaux + Buying Tips

    1) Bordeaux is France’s largest quality wine region and largest producer of AOC wine.2) The quality of its vintages drives the fine wine market globally. 3) Bordeaux’s rich history, commercial significance, mercantile mindset, size, and quality set it apart from other French wine regions.

Bordeaux elected Top City in the World to travel to for 2017

Lonely Planet has released their Best in Travel 2017 guide about THE places to visit in the next year…and Bordeaux tops their list as the No. 1 city destination in the world! {youtube}GfyqZxpfdFc{/youtube} Bordeaux contains more preserved historical buildings – such as Place de la Bourse – than any city in France aside from Paris © Justin Foulkes / Lonely Planet

Bordeaux Who's Who with Fanny Darrieussecq

Summary:  The allure and legacy of Bordeaux is legend. It has enjoyed centuries of success, not only because of a gifted terroir but also because of the uncanny business sense of its producers. Never resting on its laurels, the region has maintained its spotlight within the world of wine and established itself as cutting-edge and avante garde within the realm of viti/vini research

Common Knowledge: Estuary

There have been moments in my career as a professional winophile where I’ve realized I haven’t retained a bit of information that perhaps I should have learned in grade school had I been paying attention. Everyone needs a refresher once in a while and this series of blog posts aims to fill in possible gaps of knowledge that your grade-school mind may not have realized you would use in your fabulous wine career. Estuary is a term that surfaces a lot when talking about Bordeaux. Though it is often used interchangeably with the word “river,” estuary has a very specific meaning.

Getting to Know Sweet Bordeaux with Deborah Parker Wong

Summary:  Beyond Sauternes and Barsac there are eight AOPs for Sweet Bordeaux that frame the Garonne river. Although these AOPs are neighbors, their climatic and geologic nuances result in a complex range of expressions and wine styles from Semillon, Sauvignon, and Muscadelle. Deborah will be presenting the following wines/AOPs geographically starting with the Moelleux which can be

Green Bordeaux with Jane Anson

Summary:  Bordeaux is the largest AOC quality wine region in France, and is home to some of the best known names in the world of wine. Its oceanic climate allows the grapes a long, slow growing season that delivers complexity of flavours and long ageing potential in bottle, but also poses challenges in terms of keeping the grapes healthy during the season.

Is White Wine the Future of Bordeaux?

Let's face it: Bordeaux is struggling. A recurring theme during my latest visit was producers lamenting declining sales, despite their wines tasting rather delicious. In January, the Gironde Chamber of Agriculture reported that more than 1,320 winegrowers were facing financial challenges – a situation that prompted the agriculture ministry to allocate €57 million to support the uprooting of nearly 10,000 hectares of vines in the region.

Meeting of the Minds: Bordeaux Classifications: Asset or Liability?

Summary:  Bordeaux may serve as a general model for fine-wine regions worldwide, but one Bordeaux institution is little imitated elsewhere: its property classifications.  How and why did these come into being?  How do they differ from one another?  Is it better to leave an original classification unchanged since inception, as the 1855 classification of the

PODCAST: Jane Anson on Bordeaux

Award-winning author and Decanter Magazine columnist Jane Anson draws us deeper into the Bordeaux conversation and reveals what she discovered while working on her massive new book project, Inside Bordeaux, and what to expect when the book is launched in Spring 2020.

Saint Emilion with Fiona Morrison MW

Summary:  Saint Emilion is one of the most famous names in the wine world. It is also one of the only regions in the world where an appellation also contains a classification. If this sounds confusing, the legal wrangles over the Saint Emilion classification which is updated every decade have thrown up many interesting discussions about the quality of the different terroirs and crus in the region. Some of the most famous châteaux have decided not to be classified, others have been

Saint Emilion: an Appellation In Search of its Soul? with Colin Gent, MW

Summary: To some observers, Saint Emilion is the epicentre of the qualitative and stylistic revolution in Bordeaux, bursting with courageous and dedicated artisanal wine estates pushing the boundaries, regardless of tradition and hierarchy. To others, Saint Emilion has become a byword for the worst excesses of hubris and greed in a region already well known for them.  In this webinar,

Sarah Graham-Beck reports live from our 2017 Bordeaux Wine Study Trip

Assisting trip instructor Gerard Basset MW, MS, our Tour Manager Sarah Beck-Graham reports daily on the learnings and encounters on our 2017 Bordeaux wine study trip taking place October 1st through 6th 2017. Sarah lives in Bordeaux and has 15 years of experience in the Bordeaux wine industry.  She has been manager of a top Right Bank chateau and worked for several top Bordeaux wine merchants. She now guides wine tours in the region and handles logistics for wine-related events.

The Wine History of Bordeaux with Tanya Morning Star

Summary:  Bordeaux has been one of the most important ports in all of Europe since Roman times, and it is no surprise that the wines of the area have inspired strategic political alliances, wars, wealth, and are among the old world’s most internationally influenced and sought after. Bordeaux is iconically French, but would not resemble itself without the impact of the English and the Dutch.

Top Bordeaux restaurants with good wine lists

… including excellent restaurants out in the wine regions. Preparing your next Bordeaux wine tour? Sarah Graham-Beck, Tour Manager on the Wine Scholar Guild’s Bordeaux wine tours will be writing a series of articles about travel tips to Bordeaux. In this first article, Sarah shares a selection of top Bordeaux restaurants with a great wine list! Food and wine are at the heart of life in Bordeaux. The city and its surroundings now offer some of the best restaurants in France, on a par with Lyon & Paris.

White Bordeaux

Summary: It's time to shine a light on the dry white wines of Bordeaux. Often overshadowed by the region’s famous reds, these wines deserve more attention. From the polished, subtly oaked Sémillon and Sauvignon blends of Graves to the fresh and vibrant Sauvignon Blancs of Entre-Deux-Mers - and beyond - there is so much to discover.  French Programs Director

Why study Bordeaux?

Bordeaux is France’s largest appellation and largest producer of AOC wine! It has been exported since the Middle Ages. In fact, its inland port with its historic and stately, stone warehouses, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site!   The region has been tracked with regard to vintage year for its entire history. Collectors speak in terms of Moueix and Derenoncourt, of Thunevin and Maltus as avid fans speak of their favorite athletes. Even non-wine drinkers have heard of Châteaux Mouton, Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Haut Brion!

Wine Trends in 2020: Bordeaux by the Numbers

Author of Inside Bordeaux, a book that has been described as the 'bible' by Le Figaro newspaper and a 'category buster' by Jamie Goode, Jane Anson has lived in Bordeaux since 2003. Here she takes a look at the wine trends that are shaping the region, its economy, its climate, the industry and its winemakers.

WSG Live: Andrew Jefford Hosts Christian Moueix

Summary: Following our debut WSG Live with Jancis Robinson MW in late July 2020, WSG is thrilled to present an in-depth discussion with famed Pomerol and Napa producer Christian Moueix. WSG Live is a series of podcasts in