English/Bordeaux

[Joel Deragon]

What is the English connection to Bordeaux?

[Innkeeper]

At one point in history the English kept Bordeaux in business. The term Claret is an English term for a light, approachable Bordeaux. That term has been appropriated for other uses. California Red Zinfandel is sometimes described as being in a Claret style versus a Monster Zin.

[winoweenie]

In the late 1700s' most of the great English wine merchants brought in barrels of the fine French Bordeaux and bottled them under their own labels. WW

[Thomas]

In the 12th century, Eleanor of Aquitane married the soon-to-become king of England. The marriage solidified Bordeaux as a British holding, including all the wines. The British became wine merchants with Gascons. The arrangement became the seed for the Medieval 100 Years Wars between France and England.

Back then, the grape named Clairette (sp) was grown near and around Bordeaux--still is, I believe. Also, Bordeaux was among the earliest French wine regions to use eggwhite to fine and clarify its wines. Somehow, a combination of the clarified wines and the name of that grape morphed into Claret, the term only the British use for all Bordeaux red wines.



[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 04-15-2005).]

[Innkeeper]

Love it the way stories evolve around here!

[wineguruchgo]

Also....the British have been drinking Bordeaux longer than they have been drinking tea! Exports to England have been dated back to the 1100's.

Another interesting tidbit...Both England and Holland are partly responsible for wines we see today. The Dutch decided they liked the wines from the left bank better than the right so in order for wineries in Bordeaux to sell their wines they had to list the appellation on the barrel. The Brits thought this was a fabulous idea and they liked wines better that were aged in oak so they demanded all wines be aged in oak or they wouldn't buy them.

When the Church owned Burgandy and the revolution came this region was broken up and that is why many vineyard owners own just one row.

Bordeaux was protected by England and the estates have been in the same families for generations.

[Thomas]

"Bordeaux was protected by England and the estates have been in the same families for generations."

Guru,

Bordeaux wasn't protected, it was owned by England between the 12th century and the middle of the 15th century, when the French reclaimed it after the 100 Years Wars. The British were then thrown out of Bordeaux, but the fact that British and Gascon merchants had centuries-long relationships, plus the French monarch came to realize that he needed the wine trade with England, brought the British back in the trade stronger than ever.

The Dutch had been thrown out of the wine trade at Bordeaux centuries prior by British exclusionary decrees, and so Dutch merchants ambled over to the Cognac region to begin that industry.

In the 18th century, the owner of Haut Brion opened a restaurant in London. There, he sold his single-vineyard wines to wealthy British customers, establishing the practice of single vineyard Bordeaux wines that led to upgrading standards and practices in the region that in turn was partly responsible for the future 1855 classification system.



[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 04-16-2005).]