Bordeaux is the largest urban area to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This status it thoroughly deserved – although everyone we spoke to there was keen to regale us of Bordeaux’ stunning transformation.
Five years ago, we are told, the beautiful old buildings of Bordeaux were separated from the river by abandoned waterfront industries and hidden under a layer of filth. The people were separated from the life of the streets through car dependency. The French Prime Minister returned to Bordeaux as its Mayor and cleaned up the city. The abandoned riverside buildings were demolished to create a visual link between the stunning old buildings in the heart of the city and the river. A tram was driven through the heart of the city and a number of pedestrian only streets were created, driving out the cars. And the beautiful old buildings were given a healthy dose of elbow grease.
On our adventure we have visited many interesting places that we are keen to return to. Bordeaux is the one place that we have both marked as a place where we must return as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we could only spend about 48 hours in the city. The night we arrived was a Tuesday so Cassy hunted out a fabulous restaurant called Alcazar, choosing from a short list due its similarity to “Balthazar” the name of the place we met. We dined well and drank fabulous wine. We overindulged slightly, particularly at dessert when I smashed down a dessert place with 9 selections. Creme Caramel, Creme Brulee, Macaroon, Apple Crumble, Chocolate Fondant, Chocolate Mousse, Strawberries and Creme, Apple Cake and a Marzipan Ball. MMMMMMMMM......
The next day we went on an all day wine tasting tour, after which I finally began to understand French wine. In Australia, every region produces some good varietals and the wineries also dabble in other varietals. It is not uncommon to visit a winery in an Australian wine region and taste four or more reds and three or more whites grown in the one region. In France, to be able to use the name of a particular region, you can only use one or more a few approved grapes. In the Graves region of Bordeaux these grapes were Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds and Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadel for the whites. As a result, each winery typically produces two wines – a red and a white. To be able to order French wine from a menu you need to know which grapes are approved for use in that region. Maybe you already knew this but it was a revelation for me.
We visited Chateaux Louvieres in the Graves region which is one of a number of Chateaux owned by the one family in Bordeaux – most of which are in Graves. We tasted a number of reds and whites from their Chateaux and also visited their modern cellars to learn more about their production techniques. We then visited the Lillet factory. Lillet is a drink made from citrus liqueur and white wine. It is used in making margaritas and made famous in Bond movies. We sampled two vintages and developed a liking for this apertif. We bought a bottle of it to take to Paris for Tammy’s birthday.
We lunched at a charming restaurant overlooking the Garonne River which is one of the main rivers in the Bordeaux region. The other guests on the wine tour were a Brazillian couple and three ladies from the Bordeaux Tourist Bureau who were touching up on their wine knowledge. Tough gig.
Cassy was most excited about the afternoon’s events. We visited Raymond Lafon in Sauternes – a sweet wine growing region. The approved grapes in Sauterne are sauvignon blanc. However, due to the location of the vineyards in the misty Ciron valley, the grapes benefit from botrytis, otherwise known as noble rot. The winegrowers monitor the growth of botrytis on the grapes, individually picking grapes from the bunch when the botrytis has reached its peak. This results in the rich sweet taste of the wine for which the Sauternes region is famous. For the Bordeaux region, each vine produces on average one bottle of wine. In Sauternes, each vine produces on average one glass of wine. The vineyard at Raymond Lafon has not been given cru status but it is surrounded on all sides by vineyards that have cru status, including the famous Yquiem vineyard directly across the road. Suffice to say the wine we sampled was superb and Cassy was licking her lips and staring ominously at the half bottle of wine left over after the tasting which we weren’t allowed to drink.
Unfortunately, after the wine tour we had little time left to explore Bordeaux. We booked our tickets to Paris on the TGV and went to bed ready for the early trip the next morning. Bordeaux, we will return.
Five years ago, we are told, the beautiful old buildings of Bordeaux were separated from the river by abandoned waterfront industries and hidden under a layer of filth. The people were separated from the life of the streets through car dependency. The French Prime Minister returned to Bordeaux as its Mayor and cleaned up the city. The abandoned riverside buildings were demolished to create a visual link between the stunning old buildings in the heart of the city and the river. A tram was driven through the heart of the city and a number of pedestrian only streets were created, driving out the cars. And the beautiful old buildings were given a healthy dose of elbow grease.
On our adventure we have visited many interesting places that we are keen to return to. Bordeaux is the one place that we have both marked as a place where we must return as soon as possible. Unfortunately, we could only spend about 48 hours in the city. The night we arrived was a Tuesday so Cassy hunted out a fabulous restaurant called Alcazar, choosing from a short list due its similarity to “Balthazar” the name of the place we met. We dined well and drank fabulous wine. We overindulged slightly, particularly at dessert when I smashed down a dessert place with 9 selections. Creme Caramel, Creme Brulee, Macaroon, Apple Crumble, Chocolate Fondant, Chocolate Mousse, Strawberries and Creme, Apple Cake and a Marzipan Ball. MMMMMMMMM......
The next day we went on an all day wine tasting tour, after which I finally began to understand French wine. In Australia, every region produces some good varietals and the wineries also dabble in other varietals. It is not uncommon to visit a winery in an Australian wine region and taste four or more reds and three or more whites grown in the one region. In France, to be able to use the name of a particular region, you can only use one or more a few approved grapes. In the Graves region of Bordeaux these grapes were Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for the reds and Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadel for the whites. As a result, each winery typically produces two wines – a red and a white. To be able to order French wine from a menu you need to know which grapes are approved for use in that region. Maybe you already knew this but it was a revelation for me.
We visited Chateaux Louvieres in the Graves region which is one of a number of Chateaux owned by the one family in Bordeaux – most of which are in Graves. We tasted a number of reds and whites from their Chateaux and also visited their modern cellars to learn more about their production techniques. We then visited the Lillet factory. Lillet is a drink made from citrus liqueur and white wine. It is used in making margaritas and made famous in Bond movies. We sampled two vintages and developed a liking for this apertif. We bought a bottle of it to take to Paris for Tammy’s birthday.
We lunched at a charming restaurant overlooking the Garonne River which is one of the main rivers in the Bordeaux region. The other guests on the wine tour were a Brazillian couple and three ladies from the Bordeaux Tourist Bureau who were touching up on their wine knowledge. Tough gig.
Cassy was most excited about the afternoon’s events. We visited Raymond Lafon in Sauternes – a sweet wine growing region. The approved grapes in Sauterne are sauvignon blanc. However, due to the location of the vineyards in the misty Ciron valley, the grapes benefit from botrytis, otherwise known as noble rot. The winegrowers monitor the growth of botrytis on the grapes, individually picking grapes from the bunch when the botrytis has reached its peak. This results in the rich sweet taste of the wine for which the Sauternes region is famous. For the Bordeaux region, each vine produces on average one bottle of wine. In Sauternes, each vine produces on average one glass of wine. The vineyard at Raymond Lafon has not been given cru status but it is surrounded on all sides by vineyards that have cru status, including the famous Yquiem vineyard directly across the road. Suffice to say the wine we sampled was superb and Cassy was licking her lips and staring ominously at the half bottle of wine left over after the tasting which we weren’t allowed to drink.
Unfortunately, after the wine tour we had little time left to explore Bordeaux. We booked our tickets to Paris on the TGV and went to bed ready for the early trip the next morning. Bordeaux, we will return.
