Although the reputation of Bordeaux is based on its very prestigious red wines and the
famous sweet white wines from Sauternes, Bordeaux also produces white wines, rosé wines, and a sparkling
wine, called Crémant de Bordeaux.Both red and white wines are made in
Bordeaux.
Red Bordeaux is called claret in the United
Kingdom. The Bordeaux wine region is divided into subregions including Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Médoc, and
Graves.
The Bordeaux wine region is divided into subregions including Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Médoc, and Graves. In 1855, a classification system, known as The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, ranked the wines into five categories according to price.
The first growth red wines (four from Médoc and one, Château Haut-Brion, from Graves), are among the most sought after and expensive wines in the world.
History
The city of Bordeaux is situated in the Aquitaine region in the southwest of
France. It is the capital city of Gironde, the ninth most populated département in France and
covers 10,000 square kilometres.
Throughout history, Gironde has played a key role in the French
economy. Its geographical position as a coastal region meant that it was in a valuable location
for maritime trade.
Bordeaux and its surroundings have always been dominated by the culture and
industry of wine and winemaking. This has been the predominant industry in Bordeaux for centuries
and has earned itself a distinguished reputation for producing among the best wines in the world.
This reputation extends back to the Roman occupation of St. Émilion when
immediately after their invasions, the Romans established vineyards to cultivate wine for the
soldiers. Estimated to be around the third century B.C., this is the believed to be the first
evidence of wine production in France.
In the 12th century however, the popularity of Bordeaux wines increased
dramatically, following the marriage of Henri II Plantagenêt and Aliénor d’Aquitaine.
Two years after their marriage, Henri II became the king
of England and Duke of Aquitaine.
He imported the wines grown on his
French lands to England and these soon grew to be the
preference of the British upper class.
As the popularity of Bordeaux wine increased, the vineyards expanded to
accommodate the demands from abroad. Being the land tax beneficiary, Henri II was in favour of
this industry, and to increase it further, abolished export taxes to England from the Aquitaine
region.
In 1725, the spread of vineyards throughout Bordeaux was so vast that it was
divided into specific areas so that the consumer could tell exactly where each wine was from.
The collection of districts was known as the Vignoble de Bordeaux, and bottles were labelled
with both the region and the area from which they originated.
Due to the lucrative nature of this business, other areas in France began
growing their own wines and labelling them as Bordeaux products. As profits in the Aquitaine
region declined, the viticulteurs demanded that the government impose a law declaring that only
produce from Bordeaux could be labelled with that name.
In 1936, the government responded to the appeals from the winemakers and
stated that all regions in France had to name their wines by the place in which they had been
produced.
Labelled with the AOC approved stamp, products were officially confirmed to be from
the region that it stated. This law later extended to other goods such as cheese, poultry and
vegetables.
Problems faced by the French Wine Industry with special reference to Bordeaux
The province of Bordeaux is very
important to the French wine industry as a whole.
Despite having one of the best reputations in the world
for producing quality wines, Bordeaux wine sales are
decreasing, and jobs are being lost. Many individuals in
the industry blame the French government for their
stringent laws, and others blame the industry itself.
French culture has been condemned by the
new generation of wine growers, whilst the industry
abroad appears to be benefiting from it.
The Effects on France
Over the past five years, France has
seen a major changes in the winemaking industry.
New production methods are being used;
there is increasing competition from countries in the
New World; and the tastes of the wine-drinkers have
changed. With nearly 663 million cases, France accounts
for 22% of the world’s wine production, but although a
formidable percentage, French wine exports have declined
by 10% since 2003, whilst domestic sales fell by almost
5%.
The decline in this annual period
mirrors those of the previous years, where compared to 5
years ago (1999), sales have slumped by nearly 24%.
The Effects on Bordeaux
There are many regulations governing the way in which wine can be made. When previously
analysing this, it may have seemed unfair that these outmoded laws are holding back the full
potential of French wine.
After attending a demonstration in the centre of Bordeaux, it was
clear that the viticulteurs blame only one party, the government. The purpose of the march was
to demand compensation for the loss in sales, apparently caused by the Loi Évin and AOC
directives.
Credits : This article is licensed under
the GNU
Free Documentation License. It uses material from
the Wikipedia
article "Bordeaux".
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