The History of the Winery in the City of Bordeaux - Research Paper Example

The History of Winery in the City of Bordeaux Abstract The city of Bordeaux has a long trail of history in winery. The history dates back to the Romans where the Bordeaux wine was first introduced in the region of Bordeaux in the mid-1st century, in order to provide wine for the consumption of the locals. The grape variety in the Bordeaux region includes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Terroir plays an important role in the growth of a plant’s genetics and is mainly a combination of climate of the region, soil, geographical location and the exposure of sun. The quality growth of a wine is highly dependent on it terroir which is the reason why the wine industry is always search for a better region for a high quality wine. The wine that compliments best with Salmon Tartare is considered to be ‘Sparkling Rose wine’. Chablis wine is the best suitable wine that highly compliments whole sea bass particularly baked in salt. Filet Mignon would be best suitable with the Pine Ridge that will suit the standard of beef. The wine that matches with the Crème Brulee dessert is referred to as Sauternes which is also sweet in nature. There are many elements that are available in wine label which describes about its whereabouts and specifies its quality. Some common elements are vintage, producer, country, region, percentage of alcohol and cost. Contents Bordeaux Region The paper attempts to discuss the region of Bordeaux which is famous for producing wines amongst the old world wine. The paper explains various grape varieties and their pairings with different food provided in the list. Furthermore, the paper provides a comparison between the new world wines with old world wines and understanding of wine labels mentioned in wine bottles. Answer 1 Bordeaux Region The city of Bordeaux has a long trail of history in winery. The history dates back to the Romans where the Bordeaux wine was first introduced in the region of Bordeaux in the mid-1st century, in order to provide wine for the consumption of the locals. Romans were the first people who planted the vineyards after taking over the area in 60 BC. They referred to the area as Burdigala. Bordeaux had already achieved fame for its wine in the 1st century AD (MacNeil, 2001). The region produced a unique combination of soil to cultivate grapes that could be beneficial in producing Bordeaux wine. Moreover, a new era came in the history of Bordeaux wine in 1152, when Eleanor of Aquitaine married the then future king of England named Henry Plantagenet. Thus, marriage automatically helped England to own Aquitaine and the ownership remained for over three hundred years. Bordeaux wine started trade with England in 1302, for the contentment of the King Edward I. Moreover, with the end of a hundred year war, the British had already discovered Bordeaux wine. The royals appreciated the wine to the extent that Richard the Lion-heart, son of Eleanor and Henry II, made it a daily beverage. Therefore, the citizens of England believed that if the wine was good enough for the royals, then it was good enough for the entire Kingdom (MacNeil, 2001). With the turn of the 17th century the people started making wine in Medoc, it was during the 17th and 18th century the Bordeaux wine was controlled by England, Germany, and Netherlands. In this era, the wine was sold in barrels and drums, the wine used to be freshly made therefore the merchants used to buy it in barrels and mature the wine by emptying the drums in bottles. Moreover, it was during 1855 that the Englishmen started to classify Bordeaux wine. The classification still exists as is famous by the name of Grands Crus Classes (Terroir-France, 2011). From 1875-1892 was the period when the Bordeaux winery faced trouble. Phylloxera epidemic spoiled the vineyards in Bordeaux. The grafting native wines on to anti- pest America rootstock saved the entire manufacturing. All the wines of Bordeaux are a result of this action today. With the spread of this epidemic a benefit surfaced, some of the grape variations responded better to this technique and became the leading grapes in Bordeaux that are still used and are fruit in terms of providing profits to the manufacturers (Fallis, 2006). Bordeaux wine region covers a vast area of 120,000 hectares in vines, which makes it the second biggest region in the world for winery. The combination soil on the land of Bordeaux presents the opportunity to the manufacturers to cultivate a variety of grapes in the region. The grapes in the region include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle (Wine Tour France, 2012). Answer 2 Grape Varieties 1. Merlot Merlot is a dominate grape in Bordeaux and is widely used in Cotes vineyards. These grapes contribute immensely to the flexibility and taste of Bordeaux wines. Merlot aids in the enhancement of color and taste along with the providing smoother tannins and it matures more quickly. Merlot holds 50% of the production of Bordeaux wine (Wine Tour France, 2012). 2. Cabernet Sauvignon This is a ruling grape in the Medoc region, Cabernet grapes are rich in tannins, aids in aging and augments the structure of the wine. Cabernet Sauvignon hold 26% of the production f Bordeaux wine (Wine Tour France, 2012). 3. Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is a 10% production of the wine in Bordeaux. These grapes not only assist in the structure of the wine but also add a fruity flavor to it with flowery tone of violets and light berries. Moreover, these grapes are conveniently grown in the arid conditions and are more tolerant to poor soil quality (Wine Tour France, 2012). 4. Semillon Semillon grips 8% of the production of Bordeaux wine, and holds the position as a main grape to manufacture sweet wine. Furthermore, it is vital for the production of dry, new, and lively white wines (Wine Tour France, 2012). 5. Sauvignon Blanc Sauvignon Blanc caters to 4% of the manufacturing of wine in the Bordeaux region. It contributes to the wine a unique aroma of significant flair to Bordeaux white wines (Wine Tour France, 2012). 6. Muscadelle Muscadelle brings spices to the range of white wines manufactured in the Bordeaux region. It contributes to the 2% production of wine (Wine Tour France, 2012). Answer 3 Characteristics of Terroir Terroir plays an important role in the growth of a plant’s genetics and is mainly a combination of climate of the region, soil, geographical location and the exposure of sun. The quality growth of a wine is highly dependent on it terroir which is the reason why the wine industry is always search for a better region for a high quality wine. Some of its characteristics are described below: 1. Soil The quality of soil has an impact on the grapes composition and directly to the quality of a wine. The main features of a soil are its color, its depth, pH of a soil, the moisture of a soil, its temperature and its water-holding capacity. Scientists believe that the most important feature of all is the capability of a soil to store moisture. The soil present in Bordeaux is a desired soil which helps in the growth of a wine because it is rich in moisture and its soil temperature suits best with growth of grapes that helps in producing wine (Anderson, 2004). 2. Climate Climate is a combination of many factors that influences the growth of wine and its quality. The temperature of the environment, the sea breezes, annual rainfall, and humidity in the air, winds and the shining of the sun are the common climate characteristics which are essential for plant’s growth (Terroir-France, 2011). a) Temperature Grape wine is highly affected by climate’s temperature. Outcome of a high temperature would lead to high contents of sugar in a plant. Higher temperature is not considered good for the grape wine as their quality decreases. An optimum temperature for the grape wine should be between 20-22º C for its better growth. This temperature would result in more color formation, the flavor and the development of its aroma (Terroir-France, 2011). b) Humidity Humidity is an important factor in conjunction with the temperature for high quality growth of a wine plant. Higher content of humidity with lower temperature can cause diseases in a plant while lower humidity with higher temperature and lower the growth of a plant. Therefore, the humidity and temperature are a significant component that should support each other for better growth of a plant (Terroir-France, 2011). c) Wind Strong winds can be dangerous for new plants and their growth but at the same time it can be the reason for high quality plants when the plant is strong enough to face the wind. Moderate winds are also damaging for grape wine as it results in the occlusion of stomata of leaves which can block the process of photosynthesis in a plant. Sea breezes can help the growth of grapevine as it helps in lowering the temperature of the climate. The low temperature helps in lowering the stress level of a vine which in turn leads to longer term for photosynthesis (MacNeil, 2001). d) Water supply Due to the role of a soil, the water is supplied through stems of a wine plant to its roots. There is an important link of soil with their regulation of water supply through the plant’s vine. If more quantity of water is stored in the soil, then it would result in better supply of water to the plant and would play an important role in developing wine quality. In Bordeaux region, the two most important factors are soil and water supply which is essential in a wine’s growth (MacNeil, 2001). e) Topography The concept is the relationship of environment with its belongings such as the climate, temperature and soil which closely relates to the concept of geology. It is essential for the growth of grapevine that it’s temperature above and below the ground is being monitored. This temperature is influenced by topography. Topography would run negative if there is soil drainage and cool air running through the climate (Terroir-France, 2011). Answer 4 Wine Pairing with Food Dish 1: Salmon Tartare The wine that compliments best with Salmon Tartare is considered to be ‘Sparkling Rose wine’. The wine is rich in carbon dioxide which makes the wine look all fuzzy and it lifts the oil of salmon. Similarly, the wine has crisp acidity and is rich in apple and berry flavor which merges the meat and raises Salmon Tartare’s taste (Hoffman, 2004). Normally a ‘brut’ sparkling rose wine is considered best when pairing with salmon Tartare which is not as sweet in nature as other wines. Sparkling rose wine is a best marriage with salmon tartare as its flavors wrap around at every bite of Salmon which seduces the meat. Salmon is a fish which is rich in oil and if the dish involves chives, dill and shallots as its compliment to the meat then it would sound delicious as the wine is more cheerful and lively and would allow colorful contrast. It provides a right balance to the dish as salmon is rich in oil whereas sparkling rose wine has bright acidity and is high carbonated which complement its richness (Hoffman, 2004). Dish 2: Whole Sea Bass Chablis wine is the best suitable wine that highly compliments whole sea bass particularly baked in salt. Chablis is often considered to be a good companion of sea foods but it perfectly matches with sea bass due to its citrus notes which makes it tempting for a diner. Chablis wine is very fruity and acidic in nature but its taste differs when put in the mouth which disguises the taste of vanilla and lemon (Hoffman, 2004). A gentle note is created while merging the salty and smoky effects of sea bass with the citric and vanilla effects of Chablis. Freshness is the common essence which is present in both items which brings out the refreshing element in to play. A sea bass baked in salt looks extra refreshing when it is taken with a dry wine that has little sweetness. Chablis is a dry wine that has faint touch of sweetness which seems perfect against salty whole sea bass (Hoffman, 2004). Dish 3: Filet Mignon A thick juicy Filet Mignon would be best suitable with the Pine Ridge that will suit the standard of beef elegance. The sweet cinnamon flavored Pine Ridge with essence of berry can be demanding for any filet due to its supportive nature with the taste of beef. The wine is a little acidic in nature and has a meek fruit flavor which tends to go well with mashed potatoes and fresh greens around the thick Filet Mignon. The dish is tender in nature and it melts through the mouth when it is taken with Pine Ridge due to the presence of high acid in the wine (Hoffman, 2004). Dish 4: Crème Brulee Crème Brulee is a dessert similar to custard which is most famous when it consists of vanilla flavored. The wine that matches with the particular dessert is referred to as Sauternes which is sweet in nature and matches with the effect of dessert. Sauternes are produced in Bordeaux region which are extraordinary acidic in nature and it pairs well with sweet food. However, Sauternes are very expensive because a certain type of bacteria affects the growth of the particular grape. It is also called as the sweet dessert wine which is the reason why it suits best with Crème Brulee. The dish contains coatings of caramelized sugar and when it is been tasted with Sauternes wine, it tends to blend with the same nature and becomes soothing for the mouth (Hoffman, 2004). Answer 5 Old World Wine against New World Wine The ‘New World’ wine is a term which is used to describe wine that are being produced in countries like Australia, United States which are new in the field to produce wine. The ‘Old World’ wine is a term which is used to describe wine that was primarily been developed and started its origin. The countries like France, Italy and Germany are amongst those countries that had introduced the concept of wine initially (Anderson, 2004). There is very little to discern between the two world wines but however, there’s a slight difference in wine styles, their philosophies, and their quality. Some of the differences have been mentioned below: 1. Difference in Philosophies: The old wine world philosophy is based on producing wine in a place that has good terroir and believes on the Mother Nature while determining the quality of wine. However, the new world wine has a philosophy that they prefer on preserving the flavor of fruits and maintaining the fruits quality instead of focusing more on terroir. The people of the new world wine believe that they can increase the quality of a wine through technology and scientifically proven methods. They have a view that wine can survive any terroir imperfections unless good technology is in place for managing those plants (Anderson, 2004). 2. Difference in Styles: The old world wine is cautious of producing the wine that belongs to a particular region and best in its specific place. However, the new world wine producers are more concerned about their economies of scale and they produce grapevines without evaluating specific regions quality and their terroir for producing wine (Anderson, 2004). 3. Difference in Quality: The quality of an old world wine is better than the new world wine because the old world has produced some of the oldest wines that are available. However, some narrow minded people believe that new world wine has better quality because it has more essence of fruit flavors than the old world wines. High alcohol rate is present in the new world wines while the essence of alcohol is less in the old world wine. The percentage of alcohol exceeds the 16% mark in the new world wine (Anderson, 2004). 4. Viticulture: The old world wines have laws and regulations’ regarding the planting of grape wines and it has been written in the French Appellations regulations. These were the practices that had been adjusted according to their climate. The old world wine traditionally has high vine density which allows them to plant the grape wines at closer proximity. They are separated with less than one meter at one time while in the new world wines, the plant are placed at a distance of four meters from each other. The lower vine density has allowed the new world wine producers to harvest through machines. However, the best quality wines can be produces if it is being harvested through handpicked. New world has a concept of producing different varieties of grapevine irrespective of their regions but old world is more specific about the region because they want to grow the best quality wine according to their specific regions (Robinson & Johnson, 2006). 5. Marketing Styles: The world wine focuses on the approach of responding to customers’ needs instead of producing the same wine that is being produced from centuries. However, the old world wine focuses on promoting wines that had been produced from centuries with a similar procedure (Anderson, 2004). Answer 6 Elements of Label of Wine There are many elements that are available in wine label which describes about its whereabouts and specifies its quality. The history of wine label was introduced by a French monk that tied the specifications of wine around the neck of the bottle with a piece of string which was hand written. In the 18th century, people were aware of producing wine in different countries and their production increased. This made people to distinguish wines from other wine that are being produced all over the world. The first official and true label was made in 1798 when lithography was invented. Lithography had the capability to print wine labels in mass quantity. The wine producers then adopted a rectangular shape label that could allow a wider space for its information to be written in the label (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). In 1852, there came new trend in Italy which had more characteristics of wine in the label than it had previously. In this period, the varieties of wine produced increasing and the manufacture of bottles made it compulsory that the labels should be present in wine bottles in order to differentiate with other wines. In further years, the wine producers took pride in producing wines and they would boast their wine quality through labels and the design of the bottle to make them superior over other wine producers (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). The elements of wine label have been described below: 1. Vintage Vintage is described as the year in which grapes were harvested and pruned. It does not refer to the year in which the grapes were blended and put into bottle. Many countries do not allow the vintage year to be written because their harvesting period differs (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). 2. Producer This is the company that produces a particular wine with a brand name. Most often the names of the brand are combined with words as ‘Chateau, domain etc which specifies the region in which the wines are produced (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). 3. Country This specifies the country and the wines origin. 4. Grape Variety or Style 5,000 varieties are known to be found amongst grapes. This element specifies the name of the grape and their varieties. If wine is made with blending of two different grapes then they are mentioned in the label (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). 5. Region/Appellation The wines are produced in specific regions for example if wines are produced in Bordeaux then it is further divided into sub-regions. There are also laws governed by French government regarding regulations for producing wines which are stored in French Appellation regulations (AOC). The label identifies that the wine is certified with the French regulation (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). 6. Percentage of Alcohol This refers to the percentage of alcohol present in a particular wine. The old world wines have low amount of alcohol than the new world wines. 7. Winery Information This information identifies where the grape was harvested and where it had been processed, its blending and production (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). 8. Cost This is the amount that a person pays for the wine in order to purchase it. This element is also listed in the label. 9. Proprietary Name There is a new style developed among wine producers that they have started referring wine with unique names. This technique is used to entice customers in purchasing the unique brand. An example includes, “Heritage Vines” (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). 10. Vineyard It is a place in which wine grapes are grown in order to make wine. The place is reflected by its terroir and has specific geographical location. An example includes “William Fevre” (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). 11. Vendor This specifies the place from where the customer purchased the wine. This can represent the name of the store (Hall & Mitchell, 2008). Conclusion Bordeaux region is one the oldest region in France that produces wine and delivers all over the world. There are over 5,000 grape varieties that are produced by blending different grape varieties. The old world wines and the new world differ in various ways having different grape styles, quality, viticulture and different ways of marketing. Bordeaux is the region which is considered to be rich in grapevine and its history reflects the oldest region in old world wine. List of References Anderson, K., 2004. The World's Wine Markets: Globalization at Work. Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing. Fallis, C., 2006. The Encyclopedic Atlas of Wine. Westminster: Global Publishing. Hall, M. & Mitchell, R., 2008. Wine Marketing. 1st ed. Burlington: Routledge. Hoffman, R., 2004. Pairing Wine With Food: Everything You Would Like to Know About Pairing Wine with Food and More. California: Rayve Productions. MacNeil, K., 2001. The Wine Bible. New York: Workman Publishing. Robinson, J. & Johnson, H., 2006. The World Atlas of Wine, Volume 1. 1st ed. New York: Mitchell Beazley. Terroir-France, 2011. Bordeaux wine history. [Online] Viewed at: HYPERLINK "http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/bordeaux_history.htm" http://www.terroir-france.com/wine/bordeaux_history.htm [Accessed 18 october 2012]. Wine Tour France, 2012. Grapes & Wine of the BORDEAUX Region of France. [Online] Viewed at: HYPERLINK "http://www.winetour-france.com/bordeaux-grapes.asp" http://www.winetour-france.com/bordeaux-grapes.asp [Accessed 18 october 2012]. Read More