France: Bordeaux Flashcards
What are the 3 main white grapes of Bordeaux?
Sauvignon Blanc
Sémillon
Muscadelle
What are the 6 main red grapes of Bordeaux?
Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec Petit Verdot Carménère
What was the most important foreign market of Bordeaux wines in the Middle Ages?
England
A. 300 years ago, in the 17th century, what did Dutch merchants do to the marshes in Bordeaux, and why?
B. Their actions led to what important, beneficial trait to the soils of Bordeaux?
A. They built channels that drained marshes in Bordeaux – making the land more suitable for viticulture – to expand trade.
B. Drainage is the important soil trait – it allows roots to dig deeply for water, nutrients, and help ripen thick-skinned Cabernet Sauvignon on the Left Bank.
On which ocean is Bordeaux situated?
Atlantic Ocean
The ocean access made Bordeaux famous faster than other regions in France because the wines could be exported easily.
In what area of France can you find the Bordeaux wine region?
Southwest
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime
On what parallel is Bordeaux?
45th
What moderates the climate in Bordeaux?
The Gulf Stream
warm waters carried up from the Caribbean keep Bdx mild (but humid)
Coastal proximity + waterways
breezes off of both keep air circulating
What is the name of the pine forest that protects Bordeaux from strong winds + storms off the Atlantic Ocean?
Les Landes
Here’s a fun, easy-to-read article giving further background.
What are the 3 main waterways in Bordeaux?
Hint: two are rivers and one is an estuary.
Gironde Estuary, which is formed by:
Garonne River
Dordogne River
In what direction does the Gironde Estuary flow? Away from the Atlantic or into the Atlantic?
Into the Atlantic
Fun Fact: Banks of a river are named “left” or “right” according to the directional flow of that river. The Garonne, Dordogne + Gironde flow from southeast to northwest and so, drifting downstream, Pomerol and St.-Émilion will appear on your right and the Médoc on your left. Ergo, Médoc is located on the left bank and Pomerol + St.-Émilion are on the right bank.
What are the weather threats in Bordeaux?
Rain at harvest
Spring frost
Where is Entre-Deux-Mers in Bordeaux?
Between the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers
What are the 3 main soil types in Bordeaux?
Gravel
Gravel, limestone, sand
Iron pan beneath sand + clay
What is the predominant soil type found on Bordeaux’s Left Bank (e.g. Médoc, Graves)?
Give an example of a grape that grows well here.
Soil: Gravel
Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon
What are the predominant soil types found in Saint-Émilion?
Give examples of grapes that grows well here.
Soil: Gravel, limestone, sand
Grape: Cabernet Franc, Merlot
What is the predominant soil type found in Pomerol?
Give an example of a grape that grows well here.
Soil: Iron pan beneath sand + clay
Grape: Merlot
What is Bordeaux’s most planted red grape?
Merlot
Merlot is mostly planted on which bank?
Right Bank
Cabernet Sauvignon is mostly planted on which bank?
Left Bank
Bordeaux wines, both red and white, are typically:
single varietals
blends
Blends
When you see a Right Bank red wine, the main grape in it is almost always going to be ___.
Merlot
When you see a Left Bank red wine, the main grape in it is almost always going to be ___.
Cabernet Sauvignon
