Bordeaux Wine Region Essay Example for Free

Bordeaux vino area EssayRomans In the mid-1st century, they introduced booze to the Bordeaux Region to provide fuddle for local consumption, and wine production has been unbroken in the region since then. the popularity of Bordeaux wines in England increased dramatically following the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The marriage do the province of Aquitaine English territory, and thenceforth the mass of Bordeaux was exported. Grave Clairet Dutch traders drained the swampy ground of the Medoc in order that it could be kit and caboodleed with vines, and this gradually surpassed Graves as the most prestigious region of Bordeaux. Malbec was prevailing grape here, until the early 19th century, when it was replaced by Cabernet Sauvignon. 12th century 17th century 1855 the chateaux of Bordeaux were classified this mixed bag re of imports widely used to mean solar day. 18751892 approximately all Bordeaux vineyards were ruined by Phylloxera infe stations. The regions wine manufacturing was rescued by grafting native vines on to pest-resistant American rootstock and all Bordeaux vines that survive to this day are a product of this action. This is not to say that all contemporary Bordeaux wines are truly American wines, as rootstock does not affect the production of grapes.1936 the government responded to the appeals from the winemakers and stated that all regions in France had to agnomen their wines by the place in which they had been produced. Labeled with the AOC approved stamp, products were officially confirmed to be from the region that it stated. Terminologies The Bordeaux Wine Official sort of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification dodge for Frances best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world.Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a chateaus reputation and trading price, which a t that time was directly related to quality. Cremant are produced using the traditional system, and make believe to fulfill strict production criteria. Grafting or graftage, is a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the both sets of vascular tissues may join together. Rootstock is a plant, and sometimes just the stump, which already has an established, healthy root system, used for grafting a cutting or develop from another plant. Phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. These almost microscopic, pale yellow sapsucking insects, related to aphids, feed on the roots and leaves of grapevines (depending on the phylloxera genetic strain). It gradually cutting off the flow of nutrients and water to the vine. Bordeaux Wine The major reason for the success of winemaking in the Bordeaux region is the excellent environment for growing vines. The geological found ation of the region is limestone, leading to a footing structure that is heavy in calcium. These rivers define the main geographical subdivisions of the region ? The right bank, situated on the right bank of Dordogne, in the northern parts of the region, around the city of Libourne. ? Entre-deux-mers, French for between two seas, the area between the rivers Dordogne and Garonne, in the centre of the region. ? The left bank, situated on the left bank of Garonne, in the west and south of the region, around the city of Bordeaux itself. The left bank is further subdivided into o Graves, the area upriver of the city Bordeaux.o Medoc, the area downstream of the city Bordeaux, situated on a peninsula between Gironde and the Atlantic. climate and geographics florid Grapes MERLOT Early-ripening Merlot is the most widelyplanted grape variety in Bordeaux. It expresses its full po cardinaltial on cool dirts, producing smooth wines with a great deal of color, roasted aromas, and flavors r eminiscent of red fruit (such as plums) and figs afterwards ageing in bottle for several years. Red Grapes CABERNET SAUVIGNON Cabernet Sauvignon is a traditional late-ripening local variety.The gravely soil of the unexpended Bank provides the necessary warmth for optimum ripening. This grape variety contributes structure to the wines as easily as hearty tannins and a flavor profile including liquorice, black fruit (such as blackcurrant), and elegant aromas of quality floor with age. Red Grapes CABERNET FRANC Cabernet Franc ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. It is an excellent complementary grape variety that rarely makes up the majority of the final blend. It adds freshness, finesse, and aromatic complexity as hearty as hints of raspberry and violet.White Grapes SAUVIGNON BLANC Sauvignon Blanc, except in rare instances, is the most important variety for dry white wines. It provides the wines with the necessary acidity as well as minerality, aromatic freshness, and varie tal aromas, such as citrus, boxwood, and fig leaves. White Grapes SEMILLON Semillon is the main grape variety for semi- clean and sweet white wines and is almost always a component of dry white wines as well. It contributes roundness, richness, and apricot and dear aromas. When affected by noble rot, it develops an inimitable bouquet.White Grapes MUSCADELLE Muscadelle, which plays a secondary type in the blend for both dry and sweet white wines (generally no more than 10%), is a fragile but very interesting variety with musky floral overtones. Viticulture Bordeaux is a relatively humid region. Thus it is a place rife with diseases and other problems that afflict vines, compared with many of the worlds other wine regions, such as dry Chile or Australia. In Bordeaux, the pruning of the vine happens almost always as cane-pruning (as opposed to spur-pruning). there are two types of cane-pruning guyot simple and guyot double. The use of chemicals and fertilizers has dropped in th e recent decades in Bordeaux. Instead, the *lutte raisonnee method is gaining ground. When harvest time approaches the Bordeaux wine producers start getting anxious. Unlike many other wine regions, bear in Bordeaux is relatively unstable and sudden changes in weather can delay a harvest, durability a harvest in bad weather (diluting the wine) or severely damage the harvest. In Bordeaux, slip by picking is now common among the more prestigious chateaux.But while hand-picking is foremost, some classified chateaux electrostatic harvest by machine. Viticulture Hand-Picking the delicate and selective process of harvest time by hand is yet the best way to secure a maximum quality harvest. One problem with manual harvesting is the sheer size of vineyards in Bordeaux (not to mention the labor cost of hand-picking), with tens of thousands of hectares needing harvesting within a hardly a(prenominal) weeks. Mechanical harvesting flexibility it makes possible harvesting at night, wh ich is preferable during hot weather. The flatter geography of Bordeaux also allows for mechanical harvesting, whereas the steep slopes of wine-producing areas such as *Cote-Rotie make machine harvesting nearly impossible. wine making In Bordeaux, almost all wines are blended. Only a few producers make single-variety or varietal wines, though the lack of naming grape varieties on labels masks the fact. The typical blend consists of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (and/or Cabernet Franc), with small additions of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Wine classification. There are four different classifications of Bordeaux, covering different parts of the region ? The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, covering (with one exception) red wines of Medoc, and sweet wines of Sauternes-Barsac. ? The 1955 Official Classification of St. -Emilion, which is updated approximately once every ten years, and last in 2006. ? The 1959 Official Classification of Graves, initially classified in 1953 and revised in 1959. ? The Cru mercenary Classification, which began as an unofficial classification, but came to enjoy official status and was last updated in 2003.However, after non-homogeneous legal turns, the classification was annulled in 2007. As of 2007, plans exist to revive it as an unofficial classification. Wine styles The Bordeaux wine region is divided into subregions including Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Medoc, and Graves. The 60 Bordeaux appellatives and the wine styles they represent are usually categorized into six main families, four red based on the subregions and two white based on sweetness ? Red Bordeaux and Red Bordeaux Superieur ? Red Cotes de Bordeaux ?Red Libourne, or Right Bank wines ? Red Graves and Medoc or Left Bank wines ? Dry white wines ? Sweet white wines The name of estate -(Image fashion model Chateau HautBatailley) The estates classification -(Image example Grand Cru Classe en 1855) This can be in reference to the 1855 Bordeaux classification or o ne of the Cru Bourgeois. The appellation -(Image example Pauillac) Appellation dorigine controlee laws dictate that all grapes must be harvested from a particular appellation in order for that appellation to appear on the label.The appellation is a key indicator of the type of wine in the bottle. With the image example, Pauillac wines are always red, and usually Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety. Whether or not the wine is bottled at the chateau (Image example Mis en Bouteille au Chateau) or assembled by a Negociant. The vintage -(Image example 2000). alcohol content (Image example 13% vol) Wine label http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Bordeaux_wine Credits http//www. bordeaux. com/us http//www. bordeaux-fete-levin. com/uk/programme/index2012uk. html give thanks YOU ?