Saint-Emilion

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Today we are going to explore the oldest wine in the famed Bordeaux region of France, known as Saint-Emilion.

Bordeaux is a wine region in France where many of the most famous wines in the world come from. The Bordeaux region is broken up into areas which specialize in wines made from blending the Bordeaux varieties which grow best there. Saint-Emilion is the oldest wine area in Bordeaux, wines from this area can be confusing as they are classified at many different levels. Saint-Emilion Grand Cru should not be confused with Saint-Emilion Grand Cru  Classe’ or Saint-Emilion  AOC. The wines are made from the grapes Merlot and Cabernet Franc. These wines are considered the most hearty of the wines from Bordeaux. They are generous in flavor, intense in color, full bodied and will likely reach maturity quicker than other red Bordeaux wines, due to the exclusion of caberner sauvignon from the blend. Ask for help from your wine merchant when you are making a purchase. As I said the classification in Saint- Emilion is complex and varies from vintage to vintage. But keep it in mind this summer when you grill ribs or Portobello mushrooms. Tomorrow we will investigate another region of Bordeaux St. Estephe. In the meantime, send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.