Fine Wine Fair profile: Bordeaux Wines

Think “fine wine” and there is only one name that instantly springs to mind: Bordeaux.

Never mind the acclaimed 2009 vintage – wine of the very highest quality has been produced in the French region for centuries, and you’ll be able to sample some of the best examples at The Fine Wine Fair, which takes place in London in October.

Generations of family-run winemaking has fostered an intimate knowledge of the climate, land and grapes required to produce the finest plonk on the planet.

Each year the winemakers use their skill and experience to blend their grapes – Cabernet and Merlot for the reds, Sauvignon and Sémillon for the whites – to produce wines of character and diversity, whose restrained style makes them especially good with food.

A spokesperson for the Bordeaux Wine Council said: “There are reds to suit every taste and occasion.

“They range from the predominantly Merlot-based wines which are soft and smooth, and ready for immediate drinking, to the more complex and full-bodied wines where the more powerful cabernet dominates, and which need a few years to develop.

“At their simplest, Bordeaux white wines are crisp and refreshingly fruity – ideal for drinking on their own, and great matches for plain grilled fish and salads.

“The more sophisticated whites have a rich, weighty texture that marries beautifully with heavier fish dishes, white meats and pastas in creamy sauces. And then there are the sweet wines, delicious with desserts or even, well chilled as an aperitif.”

Earlier this year, the Bordeaux Wine Council invited a panel from the Association of Wine Educators to select some wines, readily available in the UK, which they considered representative of Bordeaux.

As highly qualified wine professionals, regularly involved in presenting tastings, they are well placed to know the wine styles that appeal to the enthusiastic wine drinker.

The wines available for tasting at The Fine Wine Fair are taken from their selection, and are priced from £10 upward per bottle.

The Fine Wine Fair takes place at Chelsea Old Town Hall in London from 15-17 October 2010. Click here for more details.

Alan Lodge, 05.08.2010