Bordeaux Bound

(img src:  http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/bordeaux_map.htm )

I'm writing this from the airport here in Portland, awaiting my departure to Amsterdam and then Bordeaux. For the next six days I'll be in Bordeaux, courtesy of Balzac Communications and Planet Bordeaux. Since I cannot speak for my fellow bloggers (Joe Roberts and Jameson Fink), I'll say that my goals for this trip are perhaps more personal in nature.

Visiting Bordeaux and posting numerous tasting notes would be missing the point, because I've been fortunate to try quite a bit of wine from the region over the past couple of decades. What I want to find out now is where exactly Bordeaux wines fit in the American Wine Conversation. Can I accomplish such a lofty sounding goal in a mere 5.5 days? At this point I would say no, but I can maybe start to get an idea of  how we can talk about these wines in the greater context of continual exploration. By drinking more wine from the area (which is incredibly diverse, as the map above shows), the answer or answers to my question will become more apparent.

A peculiar region, Bordeaux. Nearly everyone agrees that the top-tier wines are incredible (thought not always worthy of the price), but what about the more reasonably priced tiers? Have you had a great $25 Bordeaux? I've had some stunning wine from Spain, Italy, France, Oregon, and California for $25, but never from Bordeaux specifically. Can the region, who's heritage rivals that of almost anywhere else in the world when it comes to wine production, produce compelling wines and stories? That's how I frame the question of where Bordeaux fits into the greater discussion now going on in the United States.

Stay tuned, I'm going to attempt to post while in-country, and of course will still post the tasting notes on any outstanding wines I discover. Our group will be traveling throughout Bordeaux, visiting many Chateaux as well as historical sights and even a little seaborne excursion. Similar to my trip in Navarra last September, this trip will be full of great food and wine, great people, and a great education. Am I excited? You bet!

Beau Carufel