Taste Edinburgh - Bordeaux

The ladies on this stand were not from the vineyards themselves but were there because they liked Bordeaux wines and were promoting the region as a whole.
Laura Clay guided me through there tasting with a passion for each and every one. The French wine industry has been struggling against fierce global competition and it’s good to see a region pulling together to increase peoples awareness of what the region has to offer. Bordeaux is located 45 degrees latitude north. It fills the riverbanks of the Gironde Rive and continues south along the Dordogne. To the west is the Atlantic Ocean, the Landes forest provides a natural wind break for the vineyards. Terroir is diverse with clay, gravel, chalk and limestone present across the 57 appellations. Laura provided a booklet A Guide to Bordeaux Wines, a leaflet about the l’Ecole du Vin, a very informative mini guide to the Bordeaux region and a copy of the magazine Bordeaux, Uncork The Potential. All of which have are great sources of information. Further information can also be found at www.bordeaux.com .We’re off the Loire this year but I think a visit to Bordeaux next year is certainly on the list now.
Now for the tasting – there’s a list of 77 wines that includes the name, appellation, vintage, price, blend, stockists, tasting notes and they all have a Decanter 2007 medal at the side of them, all Bronze or Silver. None are more than £15 a bottle a sign perhaps that Bordeaux is going for the easy drinking market. There are 12 available to try.