By Eric Gaudet

Premières Côtes de Bordeaux wth the Garonne River in the background

Médoc, Saint Estèphe, Pauillac, Moulis, Margaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes, Entre-Deux-Mers, Côtes de Bordeaux, Saint Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, Castillon, Francs, Bourg, Blaye, … these names are like a music to the ears of any wine lover. Who hasn't dreamt of them? This is not new. Bordeaux wines have indeed been famous for about 2,000 years. During the Gallo Roman times, they were already appreciated in Rome where they used to be served at the Ceasars' tables or during the rich Romans banquets. We know this for sure as it has been reported by such Latin writers as Ausonius, Columelle or Pliny.

They were famous then (the claret) at the Court of England during the Middle ages, when Guyenne, the Bordeaux province, belonged to England. There was even a law in the Middle Ages, enforced until the 18th century, which stated that the only wines to be brought and sold in Bordeaux were the ones made on estates belonging to Bordeaux inhabitants. All this helped to develop the Bordeaux vineyards. Since then, these names have been renowned all over the world and their glory has never faded away.

Gabaire, a traditional Garonne River fishing boat

The times have changed now, and so have Bordeaux wines and Bordeaux winegrowers. They have improved a lot. They can now offer good wines even in the bad or difficult years and thanks to the economics, they try to find a balance between the market, the terroir and their production costs. The wines still need to age, but they are quite drinkable at a younger age than they used to. The grapes now are picked riper than they used to be in the past which gives lower acidity in the wines and not so strong, but rather sweeter tannins. At the same time, the winegrowers have much better use and control of the malo-lactic fermentation, which helps to improve the quality of the wines. The wine is now made in a less aggressive way, where the nature is respected. When you see the birds coming back in the vines, it is a good sign. It means less chemicals, more life, better grapes and better quality. Most of the time, the trend is to come back to hand made operations for leaf tearing or grape picking.

But the Grands Crus can still appear as being too famous, too intimidating, or sometimes too expensive. This shouldn't prevent you from buying and drinking Bordeaux wines, as new pleasures are now offered to you.

Besides the Grands Crus, there are many other Bordeaux wines and the efforts which have been done for 30 years are paying off. Many wines which are not famous at all, which you have never heard of, are really worth tasting and drinking. Take for example the wines from the Côtes appellations : Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Franc and Côtes de Castillon.

All the Côtes have in common is to be located on the North bank of the river (Garonne or Dordogne), facing South. This makes them one of the nicest areas to visit in the region, as you have from the top of the hills there are some splendid views over the rivers, like the panorama on Bordeaux and the Garonne which you can enjoy in Bouliac, from the terrace behind the superb Roman church. While visiting the region, don't hesitate to leave the main road which usually follows the river to take one of the side ones which goes up into the vines to some small villages from where you will admire the vine landscape. You won't get lost, and the worst thing that can happen to you, is ending up in a winery to ask for your way… and tasting some more wine.

Clock Tower at entrance to Cadillac

At a time when the varietal tries to monopolize the attention, a trip in a wine growing country is indeed a trip through friendship, through the real values of life, in places where the love of the earth, of the well done work, a craftsmanship and almost an art, lead the world. A vine-life time is about 100 years. Which is to say that when...