Postcards From Abroad: Bordeaux, France, 25 Oct 2006: Bacchanalia Burdigala<br><i>A Day Of Wine & Roses</i>

Saturday, October 06, 2007

Bordeaux, France, 25 Oct 2006: Bacchanalia Burdigala
A Day Of Wine & Roses

Burdigala is the ancient Roman name for Bordeaux, famous for her climate, soil (perfect for growing grapes) and blended vintage wines. A total stranger to oenology, I went on a organized wine tour of three vineyards in the Médoc region: Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Château Lynch-Bages in Pauillac, and Château d'Arsac in Margaux.

The wine-growing regions are divided by a strict classification system into appellations, each comprising adjoining vineyards that share similar microclimatic conditions, soil, grapes and wine-making art that impart unique identity and personality to the wine. So important is the impact of the terroir on wine quality, that each vineyard, or château, is rigorously ranked into first, second, third growths, etc in descending order of prestige based on this.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande produces fine second growth vintages. The female owner injects her personal touch and love of beautiful things into the château: rose bushes lining the borders of the vine fields, painted wine barrels, extensive art collection exhibited on the premises, a handsome private residence. From the patio of the château, the famous tower of the premier cru Château Latour beckons alluringly from the distance while we sipped the proffered red.

After lunch, we made our way to the fifth-growth Château Lynch-Bages, also in Pauillac. More libation rouge. It also boasts a museum of antique wine-making equipment. Our last wine tasting of the day, Château d'Arsac, sits on two different appellations separated by a foot path: Margaux and Haut-Médoc. Previously fallen on hard times, the vineyards and wine production have since been painstakingly restored by new owners, with the château grounds reinvented as an open-air modern art museum.