Inspiration
Key Facts about Bordeaux for your Customers
01
Bordeaux produces a diverse mix of wine styles
- A wide range of wine styles: Bordeaux is not only about red wines.
- New grape varieties are constantly under experimentation.
- Crémants, dry whites, rosés, clairets, sweet wines…
02
Bordeaux is innovating
- New winemaking and ageing techniques (whole-cluster fermentation, single-parcel vinifications, amphorae…).
- Significant reduction in SO₂ usage (–30% to –60% over the past 40 years).
- Single-varietal, vegan, and no-added-sulphite cuvées.
- A new generation of winemakers bringing fresh perspectives.
- Contemporary packaging: modern labels, cans, screw caps…
- Bordeaux as the cradle of WineTech: number of start-ups has doubled in 10 years.
- Red wines that are lighter, fruitier, low in tannins — fresh and easy to drink.
- Revival of forgotten grape varieties allowing for unique, personalized blends.
03
Bordeaux is committed to a sustainable, transparent and environmentally-focussed future
- Environmental transition: organic farming, HVE certification, collective initiatives.
- Carbon footprint reduction.
- Transparency and traceability.
- Social responsibility and strong local roots.
04
The Introduction of Médoc Blanc AOC
- White wine has a centuries-long history in the Médoc — Production peaked at nearly 17,000 hectoliters in 1929, meaning the 2025 AOC recognition isn’t creating something new but formally acknowledging a long-standing tradition that had quietly persisted in château cellars.
- Médoc Blanc is sold only in glass bottles — Box wine and bag-in-box are prohibited by the appellation rules, protecting the wine’s quality and reinforcing its premium positioning to customers.
- Médoc Blanc must be aged in wood — Unlike most white wines, the specifications require at least partial aging in wooden containers, giving it a rounder, richer profile with greater aromatic complexity than a typical Sauvignon Blanc-led white.
05
Claret – the new style of Bordeaux red
- Style: It sits in an interesting position — closer to red wine than rosé, but much lighter than a typical Bordeaux red. Key characteristics are low tannins, a wide permitted colour range, fruit-driven aromatics with Merlot as the dominant variety, and an optional malolactic fermentation meaning producers can retain freshness and acidity if they choose.
- How to drink it? This is perhaps the biggest departure from conventional Bordeaux red wine culture. Claret is explicitly designed to be served chilled at 10–12°C, enjoyed young (ideally within two years), and consumed casually — as an aperitif, at a summer gathering, or an afterwork drink.
- Who’s it for? It’s a direct response to shifting consumer tastes — people seeking fruit-forward wines without heavy tannins or technical complexity, and the growing appeal of fresher styles in a warming climate. Around 40 winemakers committed to producing it for 2026, estimating roughly 2 million bottles by year end. In essence, it’s Bordeaux’s answer to the global trend for lighter, more accessible, chillable reds.