Photo by Daniela Walter
Daniela Walter/Columnist
On Sept. 6, William Hebrank, lecturer for The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, hosted two Bordeaux seminars and tastings at the Southern Wine and Spirits Beverage Management Center. Hebrank has a deep passion for the Bordeaux area, and it clearly shows in his two outstanding courses taught at FIU: Wines of France and Italy and History of Wine. In theses courses, he often emphasizes that Bordeaux, the main wine port city in France, is “the best wine region of the world.”
Last year, Hebrank got his Bordeaux certification in France, where he met the presenter of both seminars, Wendy Narby, a specialist and consultant in Bordeaux wines as well as a tour guide and teacher for L’ecole du Vin in the southwest France. In addition, she also does private presentations and tours to groups and corporations. Her knowledge is immense.
The purpose of the first seminar was to inform the public and students of the amazing, affordable wines produced in the Bordeaux area, thanks in part to major investments in the 19th century to fight the most common diseases that affected the vineyards, and that in fact correspond to 95 percent of the total area’s production.
But why is this busy commercial port town–where tradition and modernity often complement each other–considered the best wine region in the world? The French would simply say one word: terroir, a term that incorporates location, climate, microclimate and type of soils. The location where Bordeaux is positioned is a key to its success. The temperate climate makes most of the grapes suitable for growth. The gulf stream warms the temperature when necessary and influences the climate while the pine forest protects the area against Atlantic storms. The location presents warm and sunny summers, gorgeous autumns and mild winters where frosts are rare. Once, the French noticed that for each type of soil there should be a suitable type of grape to be planted for better quality and growth.
The diversity of the soil in the area is immense, but the main types present are gravel, limestone and clay. The gravel soils are predominant on the left bank. It absorbs the warmth, encouraging ripening making ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon. The limestone is more predominant on the right bank where it has the ideal condition for Cabernet Franc. The clay soil is also concentrated on the right bank; it is more suitable for Merlot since is fairly cool and humid.
The most dominant red grape varieties are merlot with early maturing, high sugar levels, supple tannins, aromatic red fruit, cherries, violets, truffle and herbs. The next is Cabernet Sauvignon with a slow and late maturing, powerful tannins, good acidity, aromatic blackcurrant, paprika and spices. Finally, Cabernet Franc offers elegant tannin and aromas. The whites include Semillon, with a golden color, elegance and richness; Sauvignon Blanc, whose lighter color helps the fresh acidity and citric aromatic complexity; and the powerful floral aromas and discrete acidity of Muscadelle. Bordeaux translates itself as the elegant art of blended wines, where acidity and tannin balance each other to create the perfect wine.
In a food pairing note, spiced and structured wines go perfectly with red meat and strong cheeses.
My two suggestions are the white Chateau D’Archambeau 2011, Graves and a red that showed great value: Chateau Roc de Segur 2010, Bordeaux for $13.99. For those willing to spend a little more, you should definitely try Chateau du Tertre 2006, Margaux for $100.
You should decant most of Bordeaux wines one hour prior to serving.
– Daniela Walter is a Teaching Assistant to professors Chip Cassidy and Bill Hebrank of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
About Post Author
