Bordeaux - Key History Flashcards
Where does the Médoc peninsular lie in respect to Bordeaux city?
North
WHEN and HOW did the Médoc peninsular become suitable for agriculture?
In the 17th and 18th centuries after the Dutch drained the low lying lands
Which two chateaux were lauded in Europe and the Americas for their wine by the mid 18th Century?
Margaux and Lafite
Which U.S. president had a particular fondness for Margaux and Lafite wines?
Thomas Jefferson (President 1801-1809)
What other wines were exported from Bordeaux before the rise of the Médoc peninsular?
Wines from Bergerac
Entrepreneurial Merchant and Broker classes arose from which countries?
Britain, Ireland, Holland, Germany
What did the entrepreneurial class of brokers and merchants originally do in Bordeaux?
Market and distribute wine from regions like Bergerac
What event heralded the formal market classification based on price in the Médoc?
World Exposition in Paris 1855
What role did the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce play in the 1855 classification?
They asked merchants and brokers to formalise the market ranking based on price.
Ranking had previously existed informally prior to 1855
Which still red producing property outside Médoc was included in the classification?
Ch. Haut Brion in Graves
How many levels were in the 1855 classification for the
Médoc and single Graves estate?
Five
How many levels in the 1855 classification of Sauternes?
Three
In which year was the Bordeaux AOC established?
1936
How much area is under vine in Bordeaux appellation?
111k hectares
Which appellations do the majority of of wines come from ?
Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur
