How to pour it
a Bordeaux in
Put a red Bordeaux in the refrigerator for half an hour. A room temperature of twenty degrees is too warm: at 16 to 18 degrees, the fruit stays prominent and the alcohol does not come forward. Put a white Bordeaux in the refrigerator for longer, down to 8 to 10 degrees; otherwise, the freshness that sémillon and sauvignon blanc should bring will disappear.
Cut all the way around the capsule below the raised ridge on the neck and wipe the rim clean. Then read the label: the appellation tells you which part of the region the wine comes from, the name of the château tells you who made it, and the word cru refers to a ranking of châteaux within a subregion. Insert the corkscrew in the center of the cork and pull slowly and straight up.
You decant Bordeaux for two different reasons. You pour a young bottle into a decanter to give it air: the tannins become rounder and the fruit comes forward, and half an hour in the decanter is often enough. An old bottle, on the other hand, is decanted to leave the sediment behind; therefore, stand it upright a day in advance and stop pouring as soon as the sediment reaches the neck.
Pour until the glass is about one-third full. In a Bordeaux glass, that may look like very little compared with the bowl, but that is precisely what allows you to swirl the wine and keeps the aroma in the glass. A glass filled to the brim also warms up faster than one that is one-third full.
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The story
Bordeaux is primarily a region, not a grape. That is the immediate difference from many other wine names on a label: when you pour a Bordeaux, you are almost always drinking a blend of several grapes rather than just one. Which grape takes the lead depends on the bank where the vineyard is located. The Gironde and the rivers that flow into it divide the area in two, and the soil differs on each side: gravel and pebbles on one bank, more clay and limestone on the other. Cabernet Sauvignon thrives on warm, gravelly soils, while Merlot prefers cooler clay. The blend is therefore not a winemaker's trick but a consequence of the soil.
The right glass
Bordeaux calls for a tall bowl with a generous round shape and a rim that tapers slightly inward. The height gives the wine room to breathe without letting the aroma dissipate immediately, which is exactly what a robust, tannic wine needs. Choice 01 is a Bordeaux glass like this; its description explicitly mentions Bordeaux, Syrah and Cabernet and recommends never pouring more than one-third full. Choice 02 is the white wine glass from the same series, with a smaller bowl that keeps white Bordeaux cool. More sizes and shapes can be found among the white wine glasses.
Schott Zwiesel Vina Bordeaux Glass 63 cl (6 pieces)
Schott Zwiesel Vina White Wine Glass 28 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 102,00.
The right tools
For a bottle of Bordeaux, besides the glass you mainly need a corkscrew and, for a young or particularly old bottle, a decanter. If the bottle does not get finished in one go, a wine stopper helps. The bar tools below only come into play when it becomes a jug of sangria or mulled wine: a bar spoon for stirring and a jigger for measuring. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Stirs a jug of sangria or mulled wine without creating foam
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 76,90.
What do you serve alongside?
Bordeaux is one region within a much wider selection. These are the varieties and regions that come before, alongside or after it at the table, from a glass of champagne to start to a bourgogne from a completely different part of France. On every drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair well with it and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Bordeaux isn't just red. The region produces dry white wine from sémillon and sauvignon blanc, rosé, and sweet Sauternes made from grapes that have dried on the vine. Red styles also vary widely: a light bottle from a broad appellation tastes different from a bottle from a small commune that has spent a long time aging in the bottle. If there's a little left, it works perfectly in a sangria or mulled wine. Want to read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Serve red at 16 to 18 degrees and white at 8 to 10, and don't leave the bottle next to the stove in between. Classic regional dishes work well alongside it: lamb, duck, a piece of grilled sirloin or a board of hard cheeses. With white, go for fish, seafood and anything finished with lemon. If half a bottle is left, seal it and keep it chilled.
Good to know
Why Bordeaux is almost always a blend
In Bordeaux, the region appears on the label rather than the grape variety, and the wine in the glass is almost always a blend of several grapes. For red wine, cabernet sauvignon and merlot play the two leading roles, with smaller proportions of cabernet franc, petit verdot, and malbec. The proportions vary by estate and by vintage, because one grape ripens earlier than another and the weather is not the same every year. It is precisely this blending that makes it possible to achieve the same style every year.
The Left Bank and Right Bank, and what the soil has to do with them
The Left Bank, including the Médoc and Graves, lies on gravel and pebbles. This soil warms up quickly and retains heat, allowing cabernet sauvignon to ripen well there; the wines are robust, with pronounced tannins and a somewhat more linear structure. The Right Bank, including Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, has more clay and limestone. This soil stays cooler and retains water, and merlot performs better there; the wines are rounder and softer. Hence the rule of thumb: Cabernet as the foundation on the Left Bank, Merlot as the foundation on the Right Bank.
The white Bordeaux many people forget
For most people, Bordeaux means red wine, but the region also produces dry white wine, mainly from sémillon and sauvignon blanc. Sauvignon blanc brings acidity and a fresh, herbal aroma, while sémillon brings body and a rounder mouthfeel. Together they produce a white wine with more structure than an average sauvignon blanc. Serve it at 8 to 10 degrees, in a smaller bowl than the one you use for red wine.
Sauternes, the sweet side of the same region
Sauternes is a subregion within Bordeaux where sweet white wine is made. The grapes, again mainly sémillon and sauvignon blanc, are left on the vine for a long time and partially dry out, concentrating the sugar and flavor. The result is a rich, sweet wine with acidity underneath, served chilled at 6 to 8 degrees and in small amounts. It belongs to the region, even though it resembles the red wine next to it in no way.
How to read a Bordeaux label
Three things are almost always on it. The appellation tells you which part of the region the wine comes from: the smaller the area, the stricter the rules and the more specific the style. The name of the estate tells you who made the wine, and in Bordeaux such an estate is often called a château, even when there is no castle. The word cru refers to a ranking of estates within a subregion; which ranks exist and how they are structured varies by subregion, and it says something about the estate's reputation, not about the bottle in front of you.
Temperature, glass and alcohol content
Serve red at 16 to 18 degrees in a tall glass of 60 cl or more; dry white at 8 to 10 degrees in a smaller glass; Sauternes at 6 to 8 degrees in a small stemmed glass. Pour everything to about one-third full. Red Bordeaux usually contains roughly 12 to 15 percent alcohol, while white Bordeaux is slightly lower. The percentage is shown on the label.
Frequently asked questions
Which grapes are in a Bordeaux?
In red wines, cabernet sauvignon and merlot usually take the leading roles, supplemented by smaller proportions of cabernet franc, petit verdot and malbec. In dry white wines, mainly sémillon and sauvignon blanc. A Bordeaux is therefore almost always a blend, and the region rather than the grape appears on the label.
What is the difference between the Left Bank and the Right Bank?
The Left Bank, with the Médoc and Graves, lies on gravel and pebbles and is based on cabernet sauvignon; these wines are fuller-bodied and have more tannin. The Right Bank, with Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, has more clay and limestone and is based on merlot; these wines are rounder and softer. The difference therefore starts with the soil.
At what temperature should you serve Bordeaux, and in which glass?
Red at 16 to 18 degrees, so half an hour in the refrigerator if the bottle is at room temperature, in a tall 60 cl glass or larger. Dry white Bordeaux at 8 to 10 degrees in a smaller glass. Pour to about one-third full, leaving room to swirl the wine.
Should you decant Bordeaux?
It depends on the bottle, and the reason varies. You decant a young bottle to give it air, which makes the tannins rounder and brings out the fruit; half an hour is often enough. You decant an old bottle to leave the sediment behind in the bottle, and then just before serving. A simple, light Bordeaux needs neither.
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