Wine Regions

In my last post on the Wine Regions of France, we took our first steps into the Rhône Valley. As I discussed in that post, the Rhone is divided into two distinctly different parts – the Northern Rhône and the Southern Rhône. Our focus today is the Northern part of the valley.

If you were to draw a line from Burgundy through to Beaujolais, the next region below those two on the line would be the Northern Rhône. In fact, climatically speaking, the Northern Rhône actually has a bit more in common with Burgundy than it does with the Southern Rhône. The continental climate of the Northern Rhône means the grape vines face cold winters and fairly warm summers, similar to those in Burgundy. However, the proximity to the Rhône river offers good moderating effects which helps the grapes ripen. Many of the Northern Rhône’s top vineyards are located on the steep slopes of the Rhône river – in fact the Northern Rhône is the site of some of France’s steepest vineyards. The slopes have good drainage and they offer the grapes excellent exposure to the sun which further positively influences the growth of the grapes.

One last dominant feature of the region is the Mistral, a strong wind that blows through the Rhône Valley. Given the formation of the valley (picture the letter V – the grapes grow on the sides of the V and the river is at the bottom), the wind essentially comes whooshing down the corridor blowing through the vineyards. While it can cause some problems (vines have to be supported in the face of such a strong wind), it does help to keep the region dry and it helps to keep problems of frost and mold at bay. The soils of the Northern Rhône are somewhat varied. You can find some granite soils covered with a rocky topsoil as well as some patches of clay and limestone.

When it comes to the grape varieties grown in the Northern Rhône, this is again something that differentiates this part of the Rhône from the southern part of the valley. The Northern Rhône is best-known for the reds wines made from 100% Syrah, whereas the wines in the Southern Rhône are usually blends and the dominant grape there is Grenache. Syrah is an amazing grape – and one of my favorites. It is a relatively productive and hardy grape that produces wines that are usually fairly full-bodied with firm tannins, moderately high acidity and moderate alcohol. The wines typically have distinctive notes of black pepper, blackberries, raspberries and cherries and can sometimes have a note of leather, bacon or roasted meat.

When it comes to the whites, which account for a fairly small amount of production, the main grapes one can find are Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. Viognier is another fascinating grape with an intense, perfumed nose with notes of honey, citrus fruits and flowers. Wines made with Viognier typically have a deep yellow color and can be fairly full-bodied with high levels of alcohol. Historically, Viognier grapes were added to Syrah grapes as the wine was fermented to help stabilize the color and add aromatics to the wine. This was especially popular in the Côte Rôtie appellation of the Northern Rhône. One usually finds Marsanne and Roussanne blended together in the Rhône to produce a wine that is also very aromatic with notes of herbs, nuts and citrus fruits.

There are 8 appellations in the Northern Rhône that are important to know: Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu, Château Grillet, St Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas, and St. Péray.
Côte-Rôtie, which means “roasted slope” has steep terraces that produce red wines made from Syrah. One finds mainly red wines, but also some whites in St Joseph, an appellation that tends to produce a lighter-bodied style of Syrah that is very approachable when young. One of the most famous appellations of the region is Hermitage, which produces very full-bodied, age-worthy red and white wines. Crozes-Hermitage, an appellation that surrounds the hill of Hermitage, also makes mainly red wines with some whites. Crozes-Hermitage is thought of as a little brother to Hermitage as the wines are a little lighter in style and the vineyards are a little flatter. Cornas is a small appellation that produces only red wines from Syrah. The vineyards are a little sheltered and warmer, so the wines there tend to be fuller and more alcoholic in style. Condrieu produces only white wines made from Viognier as does Château Grillet, an appellation that is interesting in that it belongs to a single estate. Finally, there is the St. Péray appellation, a village that produces mainly sparkling wines and some white wines.

You might be wondering why I haven’t really addressed the Côtes du Rhône appellation in this post. While the Côtes du Rhône appellation does include vineyards in the North, it is much more common to find wines made from grapes grown in vineyards in the Southern Rhône. So in the next installment of my posts about the Rhône Valley we will discuss the Southern Rhône in detail and focus on the important appellations found there – including those labeled Côtes du Rhône. Until then, cheers!

Like many of the major wine regions we have discussed here on the blog, the Rhône Valley has a rich history of wine production. Since there is so much to cover, I thought it would be a good idea to split the Rhône into three parts. In Part I, we will cover a little bit about the Rhône Valley as a whole and then in Part II explore the Northern Rhône and in Part III, the South.

The Rhône Valley is located in the southeastern part of France. Above it to the north lie Beaujolais and Burgundy, and to the south are the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence. The region follows along the curves of the Rhône river with a topography that varies dramatically depending on whether you are in the north or the south. Together with Bordeaux and Burgundy, the Rhône Valley is considered one of the most important appellations for the production of top quality red wines. In fact, the Rhône produces a tremendous amount of
appellation contrôlée wine – more than any other region besides Bordeaux. While the majority of the wine made in the Rhône is red, you can also find white wines, rosés and sparkling wines. The main grape variety of the North is Syrah and in the South you tend to find blends that are based predominantly on Grenache. We’ll spend some more time getting to know the numerous grapes of the South in Part III.

There are, as I mentioned above, several distinct parts to the Rhône, the most important two being the Northern Rhône and Southern Rhône. The Northern Rhône overall has the more prestigious appellations of the two, but the Southern Rhône is extremely important for the quantity of wine that is produced there.

Regardless of where you are in the Rhône, it is widely known that the region has a very long history of wine production. In fact there is evidence that suggests people were growing grapes there as early as 600 B.C. With its proximity to the Rhône River and the Mediterranean, the Romans were particularly taken with the Rhône, especially the North. The steep hillsides with excellent sun exposure, the location of the river and the stony soils were all appreciated early on for their potential for quality. Appellations in the Northern Rhône such as Côte Rôtie and Hermitage with their proximity to the Roman city of Vienne were all recognized early on as excellent terroirs.

We’ll explore these and several other terroirs of the Northern Rhône in my next post – Part II of the Rhône.

In my previous post on Bordeaux last month, I covered some of the major appellations for white wines, both dry and sweet. This month’s post will concentrate on some of the red wines that Bordeaux is so very famous for.
Let’s first start out with a little about the red grapes that are grown in Bordeaux. There are three major varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. There are also two lesser-known grapes that are sometimes used in the blend as well: Petit Verdot and Malbec. A third grape, Carmenère, used to be part of the blend, but after Bordeaux was hit by phylloxera in the late 1800s, much of it was not replanted and so today it is very rarely used.
While Cabernet Sauvignon is considered by many to be the King of Bordeaux, it is in fact, the second-most planted red grape in the region. The most-planted red grape of Bordeaux is actually Merlot. Much of this has to do with the soils that are found in Bordeaux. On the well-draining gravelly soils that dot the region, Cabernet Sauvignon is typically the favored grape. But for the cooler, damper soils that are found throughout much of the rest of Bordeaux, Merlot has proved easier to grow. Merlot tends to tolerate dampness better than Cabernet Sauvignon and it also ripens earlier. The differences between these two grapes can be very helpful in a region with a lot of wet weather and the possibility of rain during the harvest months.
In fact, while some interpret blends as a way of camouflaging a grape’s limitations, another way of looking at a blend is that the sum is greater than the parts. Not only do Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon act almost as insurance policies for each other by ripening at different times and having a preference for different soil types, but they also work to complement each other in a blend. Merlot adds a softness and a fullness to Cabernet Sauvignon while Cabernet’s acidity and tannins can be used to prevent Merlot from being too plush and lacking in structure. Each of the other grapes, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec have something to add as well and the combination of all of these grapes ideally works to create a wine that is well-balanced, long-lived and harmonious on the palate.
As we discussed in the first post about Bordeaux, the region’s appellations can be thought of as concentric circles. The largest circle for red wines would be the AOC Bordeaux – think of it as a regional appellation that encompasses almost all of Bordeaux. It accounts for approximately 40% of all red wines produced in Bordeaux. A slightly smaller circle is the AOC Bordeaux Supérieur, which has a minimum alcohol that is a half a percent higher than AOC Bordeaux, a slightly higher aging requirement of a minimum of 12 months and is made from selected spots within the appellation.
Now here is where the circles get a bit confusing as there are lots of smaller appellations that are well worth discussing. This post will focus on the Left Bank, or the west side of the Gironde where we find the very important appellation of the Médoc. The Médoc is perhaps the most famous home for Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. With its well-draining soils with their high gravel content and a climate moderated by close proximity to the ocean, the Médoc is well-suited to growing high quality Cabernet Sauvignon. The Médoc is also very famous because it is the main subject of the historical Classification of 1855 (Graves was included as well, but we are going to discuss that area separately in another post). This classification of the chateaux on the Left Bank was put together by the merchants in Bordeaux and the rankings were based mainly on price. Chateaux were grouped into growths, going from First Growths (or Premier Crus) to Fifth Growths (Cinquième Crus). While many of the chateaux that were classified back in 1855 have ceased to exist, for the most part, the 1855 classification is still used in Bordeaux and there has only been one formal change to the list in 1973, when Château Mouton-Rothschild was changed from a Second Growth to a First Growth. It is important to note though, that the classification of 1855 is not part of the AOC system and in many ways, getting to know the different appellations is much more important than memorizing the entire list of classified growths.
Returning to our idea of concentric circles, within the Médoc is the Haut-Médoc, an appellation made up of vineyards located in several communes that are not entitled to their own commune AOC. Many of these wines can represent excellent buys for Bordeaux lovers. Château Corconnac, one of the wines from my list, is a great example of an affordable and very delicious Haut-Médoc wine.
Finally, within the Médoc we reach the most important Left Bank appellations – the communes of St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, and Margaux, which are home to the majority of those chateaux from the 1855 classification. St. Estèphe is known for producing full-bodied, but rather austere red wines with high levels of acidity that are typically very age-worthy. Two of the most well-known producers are Ch. Montrose and Cos d’Estournel. Pauillac is perhaps one of the most famous communes in the Médoc as it is home to three of the five first growths – Ch. Lafite-Rothschild, Ch. Latour and Ch. Mouton-Rothschild. The wines of Pauillac are very powerful, concentrated and long-lived and especially known for their distinctive Cabernet Sauvignon character and notes of cassis and cedar.
The next commune, that of St-Julien, is perhaps a bit underrated compared to the others. It typically produces wines that are a bit more subtle and approachable. Chateaux such as Léoville-Las-Cases, Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton, Gruaud-Larose, and Ducru-Beaucaillou are some of the best-known producers from St-Julien. Finally, we reach the commune of Margaux, the home of the well-known Ch. Margaux as well as Ch. Palmer, Ch. Lascombes and Ch. Brane-Cantenac. Wines from Margaux are considered to be some of the most perfumed and silky of the Médoc. While many will argue that Margaux has experienced more ups and downs than other communes, when the 1855 Classification was originally put together, Margaux had more properties included than any other commune. Fortunately for Cabernet Sauvignon (and Merlot) lovers everywhere, it is back on the upswing today.
We’ll continue in another post with some of the other smaller communes in Bordeaux that can offer wine lovers a good buy, but I thought it would be important to cover some of the most historical and well-known appellations in this post about the Left Bank. As always, let me know if you have any questions and comments!

When you say the word, “Bordeaux,” in all likelihood, the image that springs to your mind is one of large chateaux and bottles of red wine. However, this wonderful region in France is also known for producing top-quality white wines – both of the dry and the sweet persuasion.

The white wine production region for Bordeaux is concentrated in two areas. The first area of major importance is the appellation of Entre-Deux-Mers, which is located between the Dordogne and the Garonne rivers. The second, is found on the south side of the Garonne. There you can find the appellations for both dry and sweet wines, including Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Sauternes and Barsac.
One of the things I love most about French wine is how each region grows grapes or uses grapes in a blend that is fairly unique to that appellation. For Bordeaux, the wines are made from a blend of two (and sometimes three) grapes: Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc (with the third grape being Muscadelle). While Sauvignon Blanc is grown elsewhere in France, the “unique factor” here is that in Bordeaux it is blended with Semillon. And furthermore, while the production of dry wines can be found all over the world, the sweet wines of Bordeaux are in truly in a special class all by themselves – as you will shortly see.

Of the two major white wine grapes of the region, Sauvignon Blanc is undoubtedly the better known. Sauvignon Blanc is recognized for having a fairly high level of acidity and notes of grapefruit peel, zesty citrus fruits, passionfruits and gooseberries on both the nose and the palate. Semillon, on the other hand, has a more mellow profile. The level of acidity is a bit lower and the level of potential alcohol is much higher. The flavor profile is characterized by notes of honey, oranges, orange marmalade and figs. Up through the 1970s, Sémillon was extremely important for white wine production for both dry and sweet wines. But today, Sauvignon Blanc is increasingly dominating the blend for dry wines, while Semillon is the favored grape for the sweet wines.

One of the major reasons that Semillon is so important for the production of sweet wines in Bordeaux is its propensity for developing Botrytis cinerea, a special type of fungus that works to dehydrate the grapes, thus concentrating the sugar level (think of it as tasting the difference between raisins and grapes – the dehydrated grapes, i.e. the raisins, have much higher levels of sugar). When you go to ferment grapes that have been affected by botrytis, the yeasts can’t convert all of the sugar to alcohol, and thus there is residual sugar left in the wine making it a sweet wine. The Maritime climate of Bordeaux, with morning mists and high levels of humidity, is also perfect for developing botrytis. You will notice that the best areas for producing the sweet styles of wines, Sauternes, Barsac, and Ste-Croix-du-Mont to name three of the most famous, are clustered around the Garonne river.
The most famous appellation for the production of sweet wines in Bordeaux is Sauternes and the best-known producer in the region is Chateau d’Yquem. I love to relate the story that one glass of d’Yquem is equal to the production of one grapevine in the vineyard – production levels for the sweet wines of Sauternes is obviously very low! There are five communes that are entitled to use the name Sauternes on the label. They are: Barsac, Sauternes, Bommes, Fargues and Preignac. Barsac is entitled to its own appellation and so you will find some wines produced in the commune sold under the AOC Barsac and then other producers who choose to use the Sauternes appellation. Typically Barsac is thought to have a slightly lighter style compared to Sauternes.
Turning to the dry white wines of the region, there is a bit of variability in style and taste profile. Many of the whites made today are very fresh and fruity with a high percentage of Sauvignon Blanc. These typically are labeled as Bordeaux AOC and Entre-Deux-Mers. In contrast, the appellations of Pessac-Leognan and Graves are known for producing white wines that have been aged in oak and are made in a more full-bodied and age-worthy style. These two regions in particular are known for producing wines that can have a very distinctive mineral note that many believe is partly due to the special gravelly, well-draining soil of the area.
I often find that many people, especially those just starting to learn about wine, make the mistake of thinking that Bordeaux is a region that is only good for red wines. As you can see, there is quite a range of white wines that can be found as well. Whether you are looking for a dry wine or a sweet wine, Bordeaux is a region that should appeal to all wine drinkers, especially those looking for food-friendly wines. If you would like to taste more of the white wines of Bordeaux, there are a few on my top picks list that offer great value. For an example of Sauternes, I suggest trying the Castelnau de Suduiraut. And if you would like to taste a dry white from Bordeaux, look for either the Lafite Réserve Spéciale Bordeaux Blanc or the Michel Lynch Sauvignon Blanc. Happy Learning!

There are few wine regions in this world as famous as Bordeaux. You could also argue that few regions produce wines that have been as emulated as those of Bordeaux. Bordeaux produces more top-quality wines than any other region in France and it is home to some of the world’s most expensive wines. There is a range of wines produced in the region that runs from elegant, dry whites from a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon to full-bodied, tannic reds made from a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc to sweet, luscious dessert wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

Let’s start with a few words about the history of Bordeaux, as that is actually central to the development of the region. We know, thanks to the Latin poet Ausonius, that grapes have been grown in the region going back to the 4th century AD. However, the most important historical date to remember when it comes to Bordeaux is 1152 – which is when Henry II (who was the future King of England at the time) married Eleanor of Aquitaine (who had recently divorced the King of France, Louis VII). Eleanor, who was the Duchess of Aquitaine, the Countess of Poitiers and Duchess of Gascony, had control over much of the South-west part of France, including the region of Bordeaux. Her land-holdings made her one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Europe. The marriage between Henry and Eleanor was central to the expansion of Bordeaux as a wine region as it gave Bordeaux merchants special treatment in London. This meant that Bordeaux wine was cheaper than other imports for the English and the Bordelais were able to dramatically increase their market share in England.

Bordeaux’s position as a port on the coast of France right on the Atlantic made it perfectly situated as a trading center, so even after the English lost control of the region, Bordeaux remained a fairly wealthy merchant city thanks to trade agreements with other European cities. The wealth of the merchant class in Bordeaux is mostly responsible for the unique structure of the Bordeaux wine industry, which includes a middleman called a négociant, who provides a link in the selling chain between the large chateaux and the consumer.

Water and wine are thus central to understanding Bordeaux. Without the easy access to the sea and its status as an important port, the city of Bordeaux would probably not have been able to establish such a successful wine trade and without the powerful and successful merchant class, there would not have been as much wealth that was used to establish and grow the vineyards of the region. Proximity to water is also an essential part of what makes the wines of Bordeaux so unique. The maritime climate with its moderate temperatures and high levels of humidity are central to the structured and elegant wines produced in the region. The humidity is also key to the production of Bordeaux’s sweet wines, which we will discuss in more depth in the next post.

When I sat down to write this post about Bordeaux, it occurred to me that the only way to approach such a hugely important region was to break it up into multiple parts. In order to not overload you with information, I am going to use the geography of Bordeaux as a way to organize my posts on the region. The region can be divided into several parts and the divisions are based on the location of the main rivers in the area. There are two main rivers in Bordeaux – the Dordogne and the Garonne – which meet together and flow into the Gironde estuary. On the west side of the Gironde is the Médoc, also called the Left Bank, and on the other, Pomerol and St-Emilion, referred to as the Right Bank. In between the Dordogne and the Garonne rivers is the appellation of Entre-Deux-Mers (which means “between the seas”), which is a main area of white wine production. And on the south side of the Garonne are other important white wine appellations for both dry and sweet wines – Graves, Pessac-Leognan, Sauternes and Barsac. So consider this first post as a bit of an introduction; we will continue next with a post about the white wines of Bordeaux, both dry and sweet, and then we will move into the red wines and cover both the left and the right banks.