The region - BORDEAUX - le Bordelais terrior

Situated in southwest France and located halfway between the North pole and the equator, the Bordeaux wine region stretches from the Atlantic Ocean along the Gironde Estuary and follows the Dordogne and Gironde rivers inland being over 200 kilometres. Presently 120,000 hectares are in vines making it the second biggest wine region in the world behind the Languedoc.

Over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine are produced every year, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world with one third of all the good quality wine in France coming from the region. Bordeaux wine is made in 9,000 wineries called “châteaux” from the grapes of 13,000 grape growers. There are 57 appellations of Bordeaux wine.

The soil of Bordeaux come from limestone geographical structures and are heavy in calcium. The is composed of gravel, sandy stone, and clay. The region's best vineyards are located on the well drained gravel soils that are frequently found near the Gironde river.

Most of the grapes grown in the Bordeaux region are for red wine being Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot along with some Cabernet Franc. Merlot is the most planted grape in Bordeaux, covering 50% of the wine region. Bordeaux white wine grapes make up less than 10% of vines and are Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, along with some Muscadelle.

Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style with a special blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, but what they do not have is the magical ingredient; the terrior. So come and savour the wine in its own environment; the Bordeaux wine region.

Wine and Food Lovers welcome to à la bordelaise, (Bordeaux style)

The locally raised beef, lamb and ducks make the perfect wine match with wonderful Bordeaux red wines. Typically you will find Agneau de Pauillac (lamb that has been raised on the salt marshes) and often served with truffles, as the region is known for truffles and mushrooms. And with your lamb enjoy a AOC Pauillac wine like 2004 Chateau Haut-Bages. You will find a number of dishes from lamb, beef, poultry, rabbit, pork, even fish and vegetables, prepared à la bordelaise, which usually means in a sauce made with red wine, ham, butter, shallots, thyme and parsley with perhaps a dash of cognac. While enjoying the reds, don’t forget the fine white wines both dry and sweet that Bordeaux produces, and that go with the fish and shellfish from the Atlantic and the Gironde Estuary.