It’s been a lot of fun recently as the guys and girls from the Bordeaux Wines UK team have been in touch and inviting me down to a few of their gigs. It works really well for me as I work with Bordeaux wines for my job, and all these do’s that the CIVB (Bordeaux Wines) put on are just kicking me down the line to being better at my job. Which helps!
Blending Party
A few of us lucky kids were invited along recently to Soho for a morning messing around with white wine blending. So quick one for those that don’t know, blending is where you throw in wine made from a few different grape varieties into the mix and try and come up with something that’s greater than the sum of its parts. And it’s been a big factor in the wines of Bordeaux for years. Firstly to get over the annual variations in weather which can mess up some grapes more than others, and secondly as the different tastes of the grapes can come together to make something pretty special.
Not All About Reds
It’s the whites of Bordeaux that the Bordeaux Wines team think needs the most highlighting. I get that. Especially for us Brits, Bordeaux is all about claret, which refers to any red wine from Bordeaux. It’s a natural thing for us to think about. Bordeaux = red. I’m lucky as I’ve been able to get stuck into the whites, the bubbles, and the amazing sweet wines from the region for a few years now. And I’m more than happy to go alongside this event and promote the whites as much as I can.
The White Varieties
There are 6 main Bordeaux white varieties, all doing something different. Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are the famous ones, giving different fruit intensity and body from eachother. Muscadelle is low alcohol and has this lovely floral kick, and Sauvignon Gris has body and smokiness when oaked. Ugni Blanc and Colombard are usually just packer wines or used for brandy.
The Task At Hand
So armed with a bottle each of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Gris, we had to have a taste and come up with something better by blending them together. Coralie (Every Glass Matters), Fiona (Bordeaux Wines), and I were clearly the winners…in my mind. Although our most impressive achievement was our ratio skills. Mr Heap (my Maths teacher) would have been proud!
Point of the morning was that Bordeaux whites are a serious contender these days and they’re working hard to push them. You have to get some in your wine-o life. Give me a shout for tips…
Cheers
