Insider Tasting

What’s a Chartreuse? No, not the green liqueur made by the Pères Chartreux monks in the mountains, These are the beautiful Chartreuses – mini châteaux found in the vineyards of Bordeaux. Elegant homes dating from late 17th through to 18th century and are typical of Bordeaux. They are a byword for an elegant style of bourgeois architecture and now many are open to guests

Despite popular belief, red Bordeaux is not dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot accounts for 66% of red vine plantings, a …

Continue reading “Is Merlot the new Left Bank star?”

A quick post with some fun sipping suggestions from Bordeaux to put you in the mood for summer.
From French Can Can, to baby bottles, Blanc de Noirs, a new Rosé to discover, red bubbles and some low alcohol and low sulphur options. Bordeaux has so much to offer for the summer. Read on!

The two iconic French wine regions of Bordeaux and Champagne have a lot of close family and commercial ties. This year see the 20th anniversary of the Rothschilds bringing the regions even closer together.

A Bordeaux based non-profit is working with local wineries to improve and protect their own vineyard environments whilst building awareness of the fragility of our shared natural environment.

One of the many challenges facing wine makers is finding skilled workers. Labour intensive Sauternes and Barsac is particularly hard hit by this recruitment problem, but they have a solution.

Château cellars have never been so diverse, stainless, oak, concrete, eggs, amphores, globes, inverted and suspended vats. Join me on a magical mystery tour of the cellars of Bordeaux.

Melanie and Damien Barton Sartorius are bringing a light touch to the Barton Family vineyards. 

Let me introduce you to Nina Basset, woman who has stepped into the limelight to help others step into the wine business.  

Should Bordeaux join the NoLo party? I explore some of the innovative options ‘made in Bordeaux’.