In the 17th century, Dutch engineers were the founders of the ‘terroir’ in the Médoc in Bordeaux. We’ll discuss the activities of our ancestors in this wine region.
In addition, we’ll make a ‘tour de Bordeaux’ where we’ll taste wines from both the Gironde River’s left and the right banks, as well as other Bordeaux region red, dry white and sweet white wines.
Draining swamps
In the Golden Age, Dutch engineers in the west and south of France worked on draining swampy areas along the major rivers, including the area along the Gironde’s left and right banks that we know as the Bordeaux wine region. The reclamation knowledge of the Dutch was exported early on, not only to France but also to Germany.
Bordeaux and its blends
Bordeaux is the largest production area of quality wines in the world, and is well-known for its wine châteaux and Grand Cru wines. Thanks to a mild climate, the rivers flowing through the area that provide moisture, and a large pine forest that protects the area from the saltiness of the ocean, beautiful wines have been made here for centuries. Wine production averages about 800 million bottles a year, with the majority being red wines. The famous 1855 Grand Cru classification of the more than sixty best Médoc wines is still in effect in 2022.
The main blue tannin-rich cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes, dominant in the blends, are planted all over the world and give the wine potential for long aging. In Bordeaux, dry white and sweet white wines are also made from, among others, sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris and sémillion grapes.