Home Entertaining Ideas - Bordeaux

The famous French city of Bordeaux is located on the coast of South-West France, in the department of Gironde, and the Region of Aquitaine. In Bordeaux you will encounter the Bordelais (men of the city) and the Bordelaise (their lady counterparts). The city itself is traversed by the large and majestic River Garonne as it makes its way into the sea.

For those interested in history, you might be interested to learn that from the 12th century and the following three hundred years, the city of Bordeaux actually belonged to the English, following a royal marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine, formerly wife of the King of France. From then on, due to trade across the channel, Bordeaux was to become ever more prosperous. Another peak in prosperity came in the seventeenth century with the expansion of the port and the opening up of international trade routes.

From a climate perspective - the weather - Bordeaux can be considered to be a cross between the north and the south of France. The culture follows very much along similar lines, being very elegant, perpendicular, classical in style, all originating from the previous English occupancy. The city also has a confident, professional air, clearly identifying with its position in international trade, particularly with the Dutch. There are also many fine examples of chateaux built out of a characteristic local white stone... a joy to behold!

But that's not all there is to Bordeaux... beneath the sophisticated surface of professionalism lies a heart which beats to a rhythm altogether different... a Latin tempo. Doubtless this is due to its close proximity to Spain. And in this lies the other side of Bordeaux one given over to festivals and all manner of frivolity. You've been warned!

The climate of Bordeaux is considered to be Oceanic, that is to say with no great difference between summer and winter temperatures. Here the summers are hot and the winters relatively mild, even warm. However the region does get its fair share of rain spread throughout the year, due to it being on the Atlantic coast. However, extreme periods of dryness can also be a problem from time to time. In Bordeaux, only one thing is certain, and that's the wine!

The majority of the city of Bordeaux is located on the left bank of the Garonne, an area of wide and marshy expanses. There are a few hills, but they aren't high, and they are ideal for wine growing. It is here that you will discover the famous Medoc and Grave wine varieties.

On the right bank of the River Garonne, the situation is quite different, since the earth is made up almost exclusively from chalk. It's here on the right bank that many of the most famous wines in the world have their origin. Here you will find vineyards bearing the almost mythical names such as Fronsac, Pomerol and Saint Emilion. Such wines are justifiably famous around the world, and they possess price tags to prove it!

Bordeaux is the world wine capital. In the Bordeaux region, a major wine grower will produce several wines, a number of them being amongst the most prestigious in the world, designated collectively as "Vins de Bordeaux", or simply "Bordeaux". Around Bordeaux there are in fact about 14000 wine producers with an annual production of about 700 million bottles. These are both white and red wines, the latter being the origin of the Bordeaux color.

As for the gastronomy of Bordeaux, as throughout the whole of Gironde, it is a veritable art, Gascon cuisine being one of the most famous in France. The city will delight visitors with its evocative names such as "palombe" (wood pigeon), "cepes de Bordeaux" (mushrooms), "sauces aux echalotes" (shallot sauce)... all obviously accompanied by the inevitable Bordeaux wine.

And then of course there's the famous "canele" cake, a Bordeaux speciality made of tender pastry, with a lacing of vanilla and rum, finally covered with a thick caramelised crust. In fact this Bordeaux delicacy was the recipe of some sixteenth century nuns who used to make them to give to the poor of the town. But don't let that put you off... they are far from poor and most exotic... perfect when accompanied by a fine white wine, such as a Saint Emilion! But be careful, they are known to soften quickly after baking... don't worry simply put back in the oven and in a few minutes time they'll recover their famous crustyness!

Other culinary delights to discover in Bordeaux are the strange lamproie fish (or lamprey), which is exceedingly unusual, possessing neither scales, backbone or jaws... in fact more like a large eel, although nevertheless quite delicious. Then of course there's "sauce d'escargots" (snail sauce), known locally as the "truffe de Bordeaux" (or Bordeaux truffle). Inteestingly enough this incorporates grapes, chocolate and alcohol. Then of course there is the famous Tome Aquitaine (a goats cheese plus Sauterne !) and last but not least the unforgettable local "foie gras", renowned throught the region.

So I hope you spend a wonderful and delicious time in and around Bordeaux, meeting the many colourful Bordelais characters!

For further information on France, the French lifestyle and Poitiers in French, please visit Rencontres Poitiers at Antonio Bonito's QuePourToi.com rencontres libertines web site.

Bordeaux - Wine and History