Under the Influence of Bordeaux: planning the trip

Under the Influence had the great privilege of visiting the Bordeaux wine region in France this month, to meet with Chateaus, better understand their wines and bring this understanding back to South Africa.
Why Bordeaux? Certainly, this region is the birth place for many great wines and is often used as a benchmark by winemakers around the world. Kevin Arnold, winemaker of Waterford Estate in the Stellenbosch region, has likened the Helderberg pocket to the Pauillac appellation in Bordeaux, due to wines from these regions often having a stronger and more austere tannin finish. Further, many of the Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and to a lesser extent Petit Verdot and Malbec are planted in South Africa. The opportunities for comparison are certainly there. In this quick overview of the visit, with more details to follow, we aim to give you a better understanding of Bordeaux and just what it takes to visit this region.

Firstly, one needs to understand that Bordeaux is massive.How does one go about arranging a visit to this region? It must be said that visiting Chateaus in France is not simply a matter of arriving at the door with an empty glass and a smile. Some preparation is certainly key!

The first step is to gather as many contacts and introductions to people in Bordeaux as possible and personal introductions are key. If you are planning any trips please let us know, we would be happy to assist. The second step is to draft a beautifully written email and send it to those Chateaus that you wish to visit. The third step is to not get frustrated when nobody responds! Rather, translate your original email into French and resend. Watch that inbox because the replies will fly in! Then, after numerous translations and counter translations your dates will be set. Some Chateaus like Mouton Rothschild will charge you, but nothing excessive.

Once in Bordeaux some more challenges are presented, especially if you cannot speak English, drive on the wrong, or is it right, side of the road or read maps. These need to be covered in a separate blog post as we explore St Emillion and then the Medoc.

Under the Influence of the Land

In the Under the Influence course material this month we are investigating the influence of regionality in South Africa by comparing two wines; one from Helshoogte and the other from Elgin. The Camberley Shiraz and the Iona Shiraz have two very different addresses and we investigate how the terroir of these two renowned wine making pockets influence flavour and character in the wines that they produce.

South Africa is blessed with varying terroir within a relatively small area. I.e. in one day you can experience vast differences in temperature, soils and subsequently wine flavour. On a recent wine tour from Eben Sadie to Waterford and then Hamilton Russell we experienced this vividly. At Waterford even the calm and collected Kevin Arnold had a bead of sweat on his brow and there was not a cloud in the sky. The soils on the farm varied from Table Mountain sandstone to red koffieklip.

As we drove over Sir Lowry's Pass and over to Hermanus the clouds gathered and rain began to fall. The soil on Hamilton Russell was characterised by a thin top layer of quartz and other minerals with a subsoil of clay. This contributes to the marginality of the site and the subsequent character of the wines. So, within a space of 60km we experienced vast differences in soil, climate and aspect. How does this influence flavour? Well, ask one of our wine ensemble members at the end of this month!

Borat before he attended an Under the Influence Wine Course

We all had to start somewhere... Click here to view this YouTube video