BORDEAUX BASICS

Nearly all Bordeaux wines, including the greatest, are blends of different grape varieties.

 

The three different quality levels

1.Bordeaux
This is the first level of A.O.C. wine in Bordeaux, and usually the least expensive. These wines are easy drinking, inexpensive, and consistent "drinking" wines. These are sometimes known as "proprietary" wines-wines known by what you could almost call a brand name, such as Mouton-Cadet, rather than by the particular region or vineyard.

2.Bordeaux + Region
Regional wines come from a defined area. Only grapes and wines made in that certain area can be called by its

regional name. For example, Médoc and St-Èmilion. These wines are more distinguished than those labelled simply as Bordeaux.

3.Bordeaux + Region + Château
Château wines are the products of individual vineyards. There are more than 9,000 châteaux in Bordeaux. Hundreds have been officially recognized for their quality. In the Médoc, for example, the 61 highest-level châteaux were officially classified in 1855 and are called Grand Cru Classé. There are more than 240 châteaux in the Médoc that are entitled to be called Cru Bourgeois, a step below Grand Cru Classé. Other areas, such as St-Èmilion and Graves, have their own classification systems. Château wines are usually considered the best quality wines from Bordeaux. They are the most expensive wines, with some examples of the best known of the Grand Cru Classé commanding the highest wine prices in the world.

Don't serve reds too warm or whites too cold