So last year, I signed up for a wine class.
I went twice.
The class met six times.
See, it was in Westminister, and well, I could never make it there on time. So I’m trying again this year. With Louise, of Al & Louise, my “English friends.” Last night was the first class. And it was all about Bordeaux.
As an American, I know very little about French wines. Next time I’m home, I’ll take a photo of the wine aisle in the local supermarket–it’s California as far as the eye can see (and some Oregon and Washington), with some Australian wine mixed in.
I have trouble keeping Bordeaux all straight. But here’s the gist: Bordeaux is mostly Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Cabernet Franc in the reds. Among(st) the whites, it’s Sauvignon Blanc or Semillion. Who knew?
Oh, and when talking about Bordeaux, you should throw around Right Bank and Left Bank a lot. (If you’re that sort of person who needs to throw things around.) I sorta zoned out at that part, but here’s what I remember:
Right Bank: Merlot. Cab Franc. Mellow wines. Approachable. More fruit-forward. Petrus comes from the right bank.
Left Bank: Cab Sauv. Austere wines. Tannins. The whites come from here. Sauternes, only my absolute most favorite thing in the world, also comes from the left bank.
I have a cold. So everything tasted pretty similar to me, which was sad. But of course, the one I did like (besides the Sauternes, which doesn’t count) just happened to be the most expensive wine of the night. It was the Chateau Langoa Barton, St. Julien, 2002. It retails for £29.00 and is a blend of 75% cab sauv, 20% merlot, and 6% cab franc.
I want to know who was counting.
Next week? Burgundy and the Rhone.
(Sometimes, you just need a stock photo. Mine is from Twango.com.)
