Summer sipping with Bordeaux Wines

It may surprise you, but the Bordeaux region has always produced white wines – and a lot of them are made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes! Today, 2,000 winemakers, who mostly run small estates, continue the thousand-year-old tradition of white wines in Bordeaux. And you will see, these wines will not stop surprising you!

Summer is the season for picnics, aperitifs and barbecues, and generally, to accompany these meals we crave light and refreshing wines. Composed mainly of Sauvignon blanc, a grape with exceptional aromas and astonishing freshness, the dry whites of Bordeaux are the best ally of your aperitifs and summer recipes!

Seafood lover? Opt for an AOC Entre-Deux-Mers, the freshness of these wines will pair perfectly with the sea delights.

Want to surprise your guests? Offer them a white Bordeaux wine with cheese.

TASTING ADVICE :

Serve chilled at 9°C – 12°C

DID YOU KNOW?

Sauvignon blanc is the best ally of goat cheese!

Brought together by the AOC Bordeaux rosé appellation, made mostly from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, Bordeaux rosés have experienced a real revival in the past five years under the power of a new generation of winemakers. And thanks to them, a new wave of rosés was born: clear, lively, fruity, elegant – more than enough to wake up your taste buds this summer.

It's easy – with everything! Bordeaux rosés are suitable for all your aperitifs – seafood tapenade, fresh goat cheese, barbecue… and even any summer salads, such as cherry tomato salad with burrata.

TASTING ADVICE :

Serve chilled at 8°C – 12°C

DID YOU KNOW?

We produce rosés from red grape varieties, they are being pressed gently to obtain the pale colour from the skins.

Although the Crémant appellation is one of the most recent in the Bordeaux region (1990), the production of sparkling wines in Bordeaux is a century-old tradition. With its delicate bubbles and full of freshness, Crémant de Bordeaux, is the perfect accompaniment for festive occasions.

There are two types of Crémant de Bordeaux – white and rosé.

With the white, you will experience fine bubbles with aromas of citrus and white flowers. Its aromas are of lemon, hazelnut, white flowers such as acacia, buttery or toasty notes.

White Crémant de Bordeaux represents 69% of the production of Crémant de Bordeaux and involves 214 winemakers. They can be produced using all Bordeaux grape varieties, both white and red.

For the Crémant rosé, the bubbles are lively with notes of red fruit. Its aromas are similar to redcurrant, strawberry or raspberry.

Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé are made from the red grape varieties of Bordeaux: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot. Approximately 173,000 hectolitres were produced in 2019, the equivalent of 2.3 million bottles. 

White and Rosé Crémants are best enjoyed with aperitifs, shellfish and red fruit desserts.

However, for white meat dishes, the white Crémant is preferable and for cheeses, the Rosé is more suitable.

TASTING ADVICE :

Serve chilled between 7°C and 11°C

DID YOU KNOW?

More than 65% of the Bordeaux vineyards are certified since 2019 by an environmental initiative such as Agriculture Biologique (Organic Agriculture), Haute Valeur Environnementale (High Environmental Value) or Terra Vitis.

They come from a terroir bathed in an exceptional microenvironment and are produced using Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Sémillon grapes. The secret of sweet white wines is the development of a microscopic fungus, botrytis cinerea (also called noble rot) which takes root on over-ripened grapes. The harvest is long and delicate since the pickers select only the most affected grapes. There are 10 AOCs of sweet white wines in Bordeaux which extend to the south of Bordeaux, with around 350 winemakers.

The sweet white wines of Bordeaux come in two families: sweet and fruity white wines, harvested over-ripened but earlier than the sweet wines for a light juice with a nice fruity pep (AOC Bordeaux Moelleux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Premières Côtes de Bordeaux); and sweet and intense white wines – from late and manual harvests in order to select the best sun-drenched berries (AOC Cadillac, Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Cérons).

Sweet whites go perfectly with many summer dishes from aperitif to dessert! Serve AOC Sainte-Croix-du-Mont or Loupiac with slightly spicy dishes such as chorizo – the sweetness of the wine will balance the spicy side of the chorizo – a real treat. They also go very well with sushi and Asian flavours like wasabi and ginger or with blue cheeses. Why not try Roquefort with an AOC Cadillac?

Another great idea is to use sweet white Bordeaux wines in cocktails with a citrus zest and lots of ice.

TASTING ADVICE :

Like rosé and dry white wines, consider serving sweet white Bordeaux wines chilled between 8°C and 12°C.

DID YOU KNOW?

An opened bottle of sweet white wine can be kept for 3 weeks in the fridge.