Get to know bordeaux…

Apart from fabulous architecture and superb seafood – the Bordeaux region of France is famous the world over for producing some of the most highly regarded wines in the world! A manageable short flight from Ireland, a visit to Bordeaux is high on the list of wine lovers from all over the world.

Located in southwest France along the Atlantic coast and the Gironde estuary – and extending out along the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne rivers – the world-famous Bordeaux wine region benefits from the perfect climate and growing conditions that help to consistently produce high quality wines.

Originally revered for its sweet white wines from the Sauternes sub-region, over 90% of wines produced in Bordeaux are now red – with the main grape varieties being Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Sauvignon features more prominently in wines produced on the ‘Left Bank’ of the river Gironde while the ‘Right Bank’ produces more Merlot blends due to climate and soil conditions. The Left Bank encompasses famous appellations such as Medoc, Graves, St-Estephe, Pauillac, St-Julien and Margaux, while the most famous wines from the Right Bank are Pomerol and St-Emilion.

As a general rule (there are always some exceptions) Left Bank wines, made with predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon grapes will deliver aromas and flavours of cassis, blackberry, and dark cherry – whereas Right Bank Merlot dominated blends tend to produce flavours of black cherry, plum with more ‘jammy’ flavour profiles. They also tend to be less acidic than their Left Bank counterparts, with a richer, softer mouthfeel.

Once you have picked out your bottle of Bordeaux – you now need to move on to the important stuff: how to serve and which foods to pair it with! Decanting prior to drinking is optional, but around 30mins prior to serving does no harm at all, allowing the wine to ‘open up’ and flavours to develop slightly more. Best served slightly below room temperature after ideally being store ins a cool, dark place, the structure and tannins found in red Bordeaux wines make it perfect to match with a range of meat-based dishes, specifically steak, venison and duck as well as cheeses such as Manchego and Comté.

Our full range of Bordeaux wines can be found in-store and online HERE with free nationwide delivery on orders of €100 more.

Whichever Bordeaux wines you decided to go with, we hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!