Buying Bordeaux for Christmas!
Grandfather / Dad
They’ll likely to choose a full-bodied wine, so go for a heavier, yet supple Bordeaux red. We’d recommend a round and structured wine, such as this 2012 lightly oaked medium bodied Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux, made predominantly from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. If you know they lean towards a wine with a longer lasting finish, we suggest a powerful and intense red wine, such as one from the Médoc, Pauillac or Margaux regions. And if you’d like to buy an older vintage, consult our graph here to help you pick a year.
Grandmother / Mum
We like to imagine that the women in your family are sweet enough, but that won’t stop them enjoying sweet white wine. Bordeaux’s golden sweet white wines are rather special – so perfect for the important women in your life! They were produced as a result of a mistake a few hundred years ago. A Bordeaux-based vineyard owner was called away on business and asked his winemakers to wait for his return before harvesting the grapes. He returned late and the grapes had already rotted, but he decided to harvest them anyway. Unexpectedly the wine tasted like sweet nectar! By the 19th century sweet wines were firmly rooted in Bordeaux’s winemaking culture as the pinnacle of the region’s winemaking.
A mellow and fruity sweet Bordeaux wine, such as a Bordeaux Supérieur, tastes just as good on its own as an aperitif as it does with food. The sweet aromas of acacia with a zing of citrus grapefruit and pineapple, will pair extremely well with veined cheeses. If they have a sweeter tooth, then we suggest gifting this bottle of Sauternes. This unctuous and intense sweet Bordeaux white wine with opulent butterscotch flavours and notes of mandarin is produced from the Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle grapes. It’s best paired with desserts, so perfect for pairing with sweet Christmas treats!
Girlfriend / Sister
Many women gravitate towards dry white wine, especially Sauvignon Blanc on a night out. It’s the perfect after work drink as it makes a great apéritif – but it’s also a great choice during the festive season. What you might not know is that Bordeaux produces plenty of dry white wine options, produced with the Sauvignon Blanc grape. So if you’re thinking which wine to buy your girlfriend or mum, try a crisp & fruity dry white wine, such as Entre-deux-Mers – which tastes great with seafood (like oysters or prawns), or a more structured and generous dry white, such as a slightly oaky Graves or Pessac-Léognan, with will pair beautifully with smoked salmon.
Boyfriend / Brother
We’d suggest a versatile red Bordeaux wine that pairs well with both white meat and grilled fish (perfect for those who love to cook). Go for a supple and fruity red Bordeaux, which is produced from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes, with aromas of strawberry, blackcurrant and violet. An easy-drinking wine, it can also be enjoyed on its own.
Every wine-lover
If you have a wine-loving friend who is curious to learn more, or a budding sommelier in the family set on working in the wine trade – gift them a Bordeaux wine course! Held at the Bordeaux Wine School in the heart of the city of Bordeaux they’ll learn everything from tasting notes and how to taste and describe wine, to regions and appellations. Choose from a 2-hour taster workshop to a more intensive course, ranging from €25 (for students) to €690 for a Grand Crus class. We will have new dates for 2017.
