Bordeaux

Few wine regions are as famous or highly acclaimed as France’s Bordeaux region. Centered around the city of Bordeaux in southwest France, this area produces a wide variety of fine wines, and being especially well known for their blends. The white Bordeaux and red Bordeaux blends combine several tasty grape varietals into a single skillfully balanced masterpiece.

Today, we would like to take you on a tour of this iconic wine-growing region; we’ll discuss a little bit of Bordeaux region history, the best wines that come from the region and what they’re like, and some suggestions on what to do if you ever decide to visit the region. So sit back, relax, and let us guide you through Bordeaux, France and it’s delightful wines.

History
The Bordeaux region’s wine-growing history dates way back, and is quite a storied history at that. Amazingly, though not called Bordeaux at the time, the region was originally used for wine-growing by the ancient Romans over two millennia ago. Around 60 BCE, Rome claimed the area and referred to it as Burdigala. They soon began planting vines and making wine in the area, and said wines began to garner fame as early at 1^st century CE.

The influence of the ancient Romans in this area is still visible today. There are Roman ruins scattered all over the Bordeaux region, the most complete and impressive being the remains of the Palais Gallien ampitheater.

We could write an entire article (or more) on this region’s history, but the broad strokes from there on out are that wine was produced on and off in the area until it eventually became part of France. By the mid 1600s, Bordeaux wine was in popular demand in various parts of Europe, and in 1725, the first specific boundries for the Bordeaux region were drafted. Today, fields of grapevines are planted in the same soils as the ancient Romans over two thousand years ago, and the wine is as good as ever.

Bordeaux Wines
The most well-known and iconic wine to come from the Bordeaux region is of course the red Bordeaux blend. In fact, the Bordeaux region in general is known for its blends. You will of course find some pure wines coming from the area, but blends are what made them famous. The iconic red Bordeaux blend allows Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Camenere, though the latter is rare. White Bordeaux blends are not as restricted and can contain a variety of grapes. Red Bordeaux is generally fruity, with very little oak, and is complex yet approachable.

What to Do
In between the vineyard-hopping you’ll undoubtedly be doing (who would go all the way out to Bordeaux, France and not to wine-tasting in some vineyards?), you’ll definitely want to spend some time in Bordeaux city proper, the heart of the region. Here you’ll find a variety of elegant and awe-inspiring historical landmarks like cathedrals, theaters, palaces, and city squares. Some such historic buildings, like Le Grand Theater, still see regular use, so treat yourself to an orchestra or ballet performance for a memorable evening!

And as long as you’re here, why not check out some of the ancient Roman ruins found in the wine region? As we just explained several paragraphs ago, Rome played an important part into turning what we now know as the Bordeaux region into the wine-growing powerhouse it is today. Again, the Palais Gallien Amptheater ruins are probably the most notable.