Bordeaux Fine Wines: A Beginners Guide

Wine drinking is a hobby that can be quite daunting and intimidating for those with the right knowledge are allowed to dabble in. But those with the knowledge weren’t born with it – they had to learn it somehow! So here is our beginners guide to wines from one of the most important in the world: Bordeaux.

Whether you want to become a wine expert and use your knowledge and expertise to host wine tastings and events, or simply want to show off to your friends and family, starting with Bordeaux wines is a good place to start. They don’t have to be expensive either – Bordeaux fine wines can be found at The Perfect Cellar. So read on to see what you can find out about Bordeaux fine wines.

The History of Bordeaux Fine Wines

Bordeaux is one of the most famous and important wine regions in the world. Its 120,000 hectares make it one of the largest wine regions in France, and each vintage on average produces 700 million bottles of wine across the region ranging from everyday wines to some of the most prestigious and luxurious wines in the world.
Almost 90% of wines produced in Bordeaux are red due to the high number of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes growing across the region. The climate for these wines is perfect, allowing the vines to thrive and produce beautifully ripened grapes all year round.

Red Bordeaux Wines

Bordeaux is home to thousands of fine wines, with the majority of them being red although there are many beautiful whites also. If you’re hoping to learn more about wine whilst on a budget, there are many Bordeaux fine wine on sale that can whet your palate. Besides, you may find Bordeaux wines aren’t for you, although it doesn’t happen very often!
Red wines are typically produced with a blend of various different grapes to give the wines their signature delicious and more rounded flavours. The most common grapes used are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot as well as Malbec and Carmenere. When paired together, particularly the Cabernet Sauvignon with the Merlot, the harsh flavours of the Cabernet Sauvignon become more rounded and easier to drink thanks to the Merlot’s soft tannins.

The Villa

Antinori Rosso is a beautiful example of how harmonious the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes are when blended together.

White Bordeaux Wines

Bordeaux is such a large region with different parts having better soils and climates to others. The Chateau Deville Blanc is a fine Bordeaux wine, which hails from the Entre-Deux-Mers part of Bordeaux, which translates as ‘between the seas’. The rich alluvial soils found here allow the growing of white grapes to thrive, which is what makes up the Chateaus Deville Blanc. Made from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes, the wine has real depth and fresh citrusy flavours.

Bordeaux’s varying climates and soils makes it one of the most versatile regions perfect for producing a number of different wines. Now you have a little more information, delve into the Bordeaux wine at your local wine merchant. Whether you splash out on an expensive bottle or hunt for Bordeaux fine wine on sale you’re likely to pick up a beautiful bottle of wine.

What Goes Into Making Bordeaux Fine Wines

Bordeaux is one of the most prestigious and well-known wine regions in France. It’s famous all over the world for its wine production that is home to hundreds of different wineries. Each winery produces their wine in a specific way to ensure they are keeping in line with the Bordeaux Fine Wines  standards.

Whether you’re a wine lover or expert, or don’t know anything about wine but want to, there is a Bordeaux fine wine for you. With so many different grape varieties and flavours to choose from, immersing oneself in Bordeaux wines is a real treat.

The History Of Bordeaux Fine Wines

The region is found two-thirds of the way down France’s west coast, where the climate and soil types are perfect for growing vines. The region stretches 80 miles inland from the Atlantic coast along the Gironde estuary. Although it remains a long distance from the Atlantic, the harsh, cool winds still affect some of the wineries that lay closer to towards the coast.

The Left Bank of the region is predominately gravel soil – the perfect soil type for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. On the other side of the river, the dominant grape is Merlot as this type of grape thrives in the clay type soil found here.

The majority of all Bordeaux fine wines are blends of a number of grapes including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc – the majority of wine produced in this region is red, so much so it outnumbers white six to one. So if you’re looking to sample a nice juicy red, you’ve come to the right region!

The Right Bank of Bordeaux is categorised by the 1855 classification of Bordeaux. This is the ranking of wines in the region and sorting them into relevant classes. Many of the original wines are still around and continue to feature in the classification today. Modern wineries are not included in the classification, however they are filed under ‘Cru Bourgeois’ or ‘Cru Bourgeois Superiore’.

What To Expect From Bordeaux Fine Wines

With Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominating the Bordeaux wine regions, there are still a great variety of flavours produced from the many wineries. The Left Bank appellations tend to produce fruity flavours, with nuances of red berries, plums, cherries and rich fruitcake. Real, hearty red wines that compliment similar food dishes. Bordeaux fine wines are excellent choices for pairing with food, as their flavours help intensify different food flavours. Of course, it helps when you pair the food and wine correctly. So with rich, fruity reds pair it with slow cooked lamb steaks for a delicious warming meal.

Bordeaux fine wines don’t just come in red – some of the most favoured wines in the world are Bordeaux’s white wines, and as the production of these is limited, it makes them even more special. So perhaps you would prefer something a little lighter, and more refreshing? Well Bordeaux’s fine wines have many different options for you. The golden tones of the crisp white wine look dazzling in the glass and offer clean, refined flavours of grapefruit, citrus and apples.

Tips For Matching Food And Wine

Matching wine with food is something that many love to do and it does not come lightly. Pairing the wrong food with wine can put you off an amazing wine for life and for those of you who enjoy wine, this is something that you’ll know very well about. On the other hand if you make the perfect combination with food and wine then it will optimise your dinning experience. Read on to find out some of the ways that you can discover the best wine and food matches.

Do Some Research

Visit some of the worlds leading online wine merchants, many of them explain the best food to eat along with the wines they sell. This is an additional service that you can get free of charge just by visiting their website. Their food and wine pairing notes also includes tasting details,  such as the wine texture, taste and what kind of food types it would go with.

Try It Out

Take on board some of these notes that the online wine merchants make next to the wines they sell and start serving these meals for dinner parties. If it’s something you need to be sure of first, why don’t you try it out with your family first? If they enjoy it then you can probably move this along to a dinner party.

Plan Your Meals

Planning your meals are a great way to ensure that the wines you have will go well with what you are going to serve at dinner.  So for instance if your dinner is something like a fish based meal you’ll know that it will go well with a sparkling wine such as Domaine de Landreau.

In closing the best thing to do when matching wine is to experiment, research and find out what the expert think.   Have you paired wine and food before? What is your favourite food and wine match?  Feel free to share your experiences in  the comment section below.

Top Wine Gift Sets and Competitions – Vote Now

When doing a search recently,  I was amazed at how much wine gifts and competitions running there were  that expire at the end of this month.   With so many exciting ways of getting hold of a free wine competitions are one of the ways to access the best wine gift for all those wine enthisiasts. I  have picked out the best three wine competitions from my search and listed them below.

Competition 1 –  A Deluxe Champagne Gift Set

For instance this top wine merchant has a wine competition going on for which if you sign up to a free newsletter you could win a amazing Deluxe champagne gift set. Now,who can say no to such as wine offer?  These are worth at least £40.00 at  the very most, with many online retailers.  This online wine cellar have many bestselling wines in stock and have a great blog which is very insightful for wine and food matches.

Competition 2 –  A Wine Gift Set

Over at James food blog I spied another wine competition running for which you can win a Rangemaster Deluxe 54 bottle wine storage unit (worth £1,000). Now this is simply mind blowing, for all the wine enthusiasts this will be a great one to win.  From what I can see this blogger is very passionate about his food and calls himself Britain’s food ambassador.  I think his posts are so interesting and thought it was worth a mention here too.

Competition 3 – Win 6  Bottles  Of  Fine Wine 

This is another one I found with a lot of insightful questions that you have to answer correctly in order to win a total of six bottles of fine wine. 

Vote Now! 

These are some of the competitions that I found interesting on the internet using Google Search.  So  vote now on the best competitions out of the three mentioned above.  Leave your comments below.

All About The Domaine Parigot Meursault Wine

The Domaine Parigot Meursault  is a wine that has taken Britain by storm.  It has been very high in demand for a while now and I am going to be looking at the features of this wine,  what makes it so special and much more. Read on for more information.

The Parigot Family Wine

The Parigot Wine family clearly have a special skill when it comes to making wine.  When this family make a wine, they know that they will be making it for the next year and with every harvest, it is clear that this wine will have an impact to the coming year.

A Background History 

The following will contain just a little background history into the parigot wine for those of you that do not know about it.  Unlike the Cremant de Loire NV wine which is a sparkling white wine from France, the Parigoit wine is a simply a white wine also from the region of France.  As many of you that are fond of french wines will know, the Parigot Wine comes from only 3 hectares of vineyards dedicated to Chardonnay wine. This means it is the company of another exclusive wine.   This is also part of what makes it so special.

More About  Domain Parigot Meursault Wine

Unlike the Domain Guy Allion Wine which has a very fruity aroma, the Domaine Parigot Meursault actually has a roasted nut and mineral scent, which then goes on to reveal a rich creamy, deep, and nuanced flavour.

As much as the wine is deep and creamy,  it has been described as light by some with an emphasis on its lovely aroma and interesting taste.  It is best paired with a very festive dinner such as Christmas dinner.  In which case, cranberries, stuffing, parsnips and even gravy comes to mind.   This wine is one that will be demanded by those who have a very varied collection when it comes to wine.

What are your views on the Domain Parigot Meursault Wine?  Leave your views in the comments below.

How To Match Wine With A Main Meal

Have you ever wondered how wine enthusiasts  successfully choose their main meals along with specific wine?  Well this post will explain the basics of  food  and wine pairing, read on for more information.

Facts About Food Pairing

You probably didn’t know this but,  the type of food you eat with wine actually has an impact on the flavours which you taste from the wine. This is as well as the flavours you taste from the food. You must therefore choose the right match otherwise it could impact your judgement of a particular fine wine.

Pairing Wine With Fish 

Fine white wines  are generally the best wine to pair with fish meals this is down to the fact that white wines are not very complicated in comparison to red wines.  However,  Tempranillo is a fabulous fine red wine to pair with meatier fish steaks such as swordfish and tuna.  On the other hand a fish like Salmon is best matched with Chardonnay wine.

Pairing Red Wines 

Since red wine has a rich tasted in general, it is best paired with rich meats such as red meats this is because both of the flavours manage to compliment each other. Think about all those rich meals such as roast beef,  shepherd’s pie or steak well these all go well with red wines.

Pairing Bordeaux Wines

Do you enjoy eating lamb meals such as roasted lamb, lamb curry or even lamb mince with spaghetti or pasta? Bordeaux fine wines matches well with lamb as the rich taste also matches well with these selections.  Many people have attested to the fact that lamb matches well with french wines.  After all the french tradition involves a lot of balanced flavours of food..i.e. spicy and complex dishes.

For more information about food and wine mixes check out the guide in the link as it goes into further details. 

Differences in Fine Red Wines

Since there is a huge amount of fine red wines out there, it can be hard to keep a track of them.  I am going to be going through some of  the ones that I have done some research on so read on to find out some  more.

Dolcetto wine

Dolcetto wine is an Italian red wine grown in the Piedmont region.  Delcetto Wine in the Italian tongue actually translates to  ‘little sweet one’.. so you would probably think that   this wine tastes quite sweet, however the taste is rather tannic and fruity.

Merlot wine 

Merlot as a fine red wine is one that is best drunk when young as its so full of flavours at this stage. This also goes well with meat dishes such as beef or rich pudding.  Lighter Merlot wine on the other hand tastes delicious with pasta dishes as it brings out their flavours.  Try drinking Merlot along with cheeses as they go well together.

Chianti 

This is one of  Italy’s most famous red wine’s, which is still produced in Tuscany. Chianti is one of the very few traditional wines still produced in this region. With a mixture of berry flavours this wine is one for its taste.

Grenache 

Grenache red wine is  at least one of the most planted red wines in the world that thrives in hot, dry conditions. This is a very sweet wine taste with descriptions ranging from ‘soft, velvety to sweet blackberry’.  This wine is ideal for those who have a sweet tooth.

Top Four Wine Tasting Regions

Depending on where you’d like to go for a wine tasting break, it could take an entire holiday or a day.  Whether you’d like to travel to USA, France or  New Zealand this post is packed with information on what each location offers for wine tasters alike.

1. Bordeaux, France 

Bordeaux is one of those regions that screams at wine tasters. Wine lovers no doubt have this in their top places to visit list. With endless vineyards and amazing gardens wine tasters will have planned this for months in advance before visiting. Going to locations such as
Château Mouton Rothschild and even Saint-Émilion is a must when visiting Bordeaux.

2. Tuscany, Italy 

Italy is one of the best places I myself would like to visit. With locations like Toscana offering an upscale of fine red and white wines, it’s no wonder why this location is a prime location for fine wine lovers. Italy is also the home of the famous Chianti of which I am sure you’ve heard plenty about. Whilst you’re in Italy don’t forget to check out Sassicaia and Castello di Volpaia as these are amazing regions to visit.

3. Marlborough, New Zealand 

Marlborough is located on the north-east of the south Island of New Zealand.  This is one of the largest growing wine tasting regions in New Zealand.  The much talked about wine festival is also held in this region every February.  Whilst you’re in New Zealand, make sure you visit Herzog and Highfeild estate for some great Pinot Noir wine.

4. Douro, Portugal 

Douro is a great wine region which has some of the highest wine classification in Portugal. Portugal endures the hottest summers and these are often quite scorching. So if you’re one for enjoying the sun this is the location for you.  The Fonseca winery and Quinta Do Crasto are both excellent vineyards with fabulous ports so do visit this location when in Portugal.

Travelling To The Bordeaux Wine Region

Bordeaux fine wines is high up on any wine lovers list. When it comes to travelling to this region, many wine lovers enjoy this will be pleased as it is home to many wine tasting events and beautiful vineyards and old churches.

Since Bordeaux fine wines is one of the most searched for wines, visiting the regions it is better if a lot of thought goes into the planning.

Sometimes those visiting Bordeaux have to book these exclusive events online or by phoning in beforehand, otherwise they wouldn’t be allowed to enter the event. This applies especially to the events of large names such as Chateau Lafite Rothschild, who only allow those that have booked far in advance.   However,  many of the younger Chateau’s are beginning to allow visitors with no appointment.

It’s not an easy task to figure out which Chateau in Bordeaux you’d want to visit as they are so many of over ten thousand to be exact. It’s essential to get a lot of research done before leaving.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild is one of the very best ‘big name’ vineyards to visit. One must arrange a tour months in advance.

For the party-goers in you, Chateau Rigaud would have to be the ideal solution. This location offers outlet hotels and they provide well for their guests, as well as lessons from wine experts on the wine and food matches.

In order to get most out of your stay in Boredeaux, make sure you make the most of the events going on and enjoy yourself.