The Wine Sutra

“Take Versailles, add Antwerp, and you have Bordeaux” - Victor Hugo

“Nous avons un code de déontologie qui peut se résumer en une dizaine de points”

Bordeaux has about 117,000 hectares of vineyards, 57ppellations, 9,000 wine-producing châteaux, 13,000 grape growers, 400 traders, sales of 14.5 billion euros annually and two empty bottles. With an annual production of over 700 million bottles, Bordeaux produces large quantities of everyday wine as well as some of the most expensive wines in the world. Included among the latter are the area’s five ‘premier cru’ (first growth) red wines (four from Médoc and one, Chateau Haut-Brion, from Graves), established by the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855: The first growths are:

• Château Lafite-Rothschild
• Château Margaux
• Château Latour
• Château Haut-Brion
• Château Mouton-Rothschild^*

^*In 1855 Mouton-Rothschild was ranked a Second Growth. In 1973 it was elevated to First Growth status.^[2]

Both red and white wines are made in Bordeaux. Red Bordeaux is called claret in the United Kingdom. Red wines are generally made from a blend of grapes, and may be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and, less commonly in recent years, Carmenere. White Bordeaux is made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle. Sauternes is a subregion of Graves known for its intensely sweet, white, dessert wines such as Château d’Yquem.

Bordeaux, birthplace of Montaigne, Rene Clement

Contact:

Brad L. Nichols

Fine-Wine Buyer

Heidelberg Distributing of Northern Kentucky

101 W. 13th Street

Covington, KY 41011

E-mail: brad.lee.nichols@gmail.com

Website: www.winesutra.com