Is French Bordeaux Wines your 'cup of tea'!

Picture Source : Bordeaux wine! by ajburgess, on Flickr

As we always hear that French Wines are the best wines in the world. Not sure whether you share the same sentiments, when I first tasted a bottle of French Bordeaux Red picked up from the supermarket many years ago, the first impression I had was that it is not so fantastic after all. It is really 'Siap Siap' (astrigent) like chinese tea.

During then, I thought I'll never like French Bordeaux Red. But as time goes by and I get the chance to taste a variety of French Bordeaux, the conclusion is that never pick-up a cheap off-the-shelf Bordeaux, of course I can't deny the fact that occasionally one might strike lottery unexpectedly.


Picture Source : Grapes by Dan Finnan, on Flickr

It is normally not easy for Asians to appreciate French Bordeaux as we tend to prefer sweeter and stronger-taste drinks. But these are not the elements you'll associate with Bordeaux Red wines.

Good Bordeaux red wines should be dry (not sweet) and complex (e.g. taste of earthiness, tobacco etc.) and they are normally not as full-bodied (in simple term 'thick') as the Australia and California wines of the same varietal (Cabernet Sauvignon).

In addition, tannin (the element that causes astringency in wine) produces from the skin, seeds and stems of grapes; is commonly found in Bordeaux red wines. It is mainly contributed by the thick skin of Cabernet Sauvignon varietal which is blend with Merlot and Cabernet Franc to produce the Bordeaux Red.

Hence, when you open a bottle of Bordeaux Red it is important to let it 'breathe' (left in contact with air) for a while before drinking. Some good Bordeaux Red should be 'breathe' for 3-4 hours before consuming. The purpose is to soften the tannin so that it is not so astringent.

Also its good to remember that most Old World wines are food wines. Thus, try to have your Bordeaux Red over the meal especially the cheesy type to bring out its intended flavour.

Attempt on questions on Bordeaux wines and Win Winekaki Points! CLICK HERE

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Get to know Bordeaux wines

Saint-Émilion Vineyard
Originally uploaded by ClatieK

In France, wines are named after the region where they are produced. Hence, Bordeaux is the wine produced in Bordeaux region.

However, to complicate to the thing a bit, within Bordeaux region itself, there are wine producing areas like Medoc, Haut-Medoc, Graves, Pomerol, Saint-Emilion, Entre-Deux-Mers, Sauternes; and wines are named after these places.

At this juncture, you may think that it is difficult to pick a Bordeaux, actually it is not quite if you knows some of the basics...MORE

Winekaki on Facebook Application now!

Winekaki has launched our Wine Portal as a Facebook Application on 15 Dec 2009.

Besides being an online Boutique Wines Store that sells "Good Value For Money" Napa Valley wines and French Bordeaux wines, we are the 1st comprehensive Wine Portal implemented on Facebook application in Singapore providing Food Wine Pairing Suggestion in he easy to understand manner.

And, our user-friendly system features allows you to find out your preferred wine styles (by taking a simple quiz); to recommend wines to your Facebook friends; save wines into Favourite List; Rate a Wine; Request & add Wine Buddies.

Check out it out at http://apps.facebook.com/winekaki/

Check out beautiful pictures of New Zealand Vineyards

View all of New Zealand Vineyards photos @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/33284576@N05/sets/72157611207932362/detail/

These photos are courtesy of Mr. Lim Shao Bin

Some Q&As on Australian wines from my postings in forums

Question: Hey there. You seem very knowledgeable about wines. What good whites do you recommend? I am looking for a bottle under 50. Thanks a lot!

My Response: For white, I'll recommend Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. They are refreshing with good acidity, good to go with seafood or even to drink on its own.Try out Oyster Bay or Wither Hill, you should be able to get them in Cold storage


Question: Hi winekaki, besides carrefour, where else do u recommend noobs like me to get my cab sauv fm? Besides kang ridge, wat other brands can i get??

My Response: You may try out Marketplace @City Hall. In terms of what brand to pick up, it really depends on your budget and taste preference.General rule of thumb, don't get anything below $20 unless there is a good discount. For $20 - $30 range, you might not be able find a good one, may try Yellow Tail and Wolf Blass though.For $30 - $60, you should be able to get a nice ones, try out Cab Sauvignon from Coonawarra region with brands like Hollick and Wynns. Also may try out Mad Fish Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot (one of my personal preference).

Australian Shiraz or Bordeaux wine -continued

Continue from where I’ve left off, let’s start with Australian Shiraz.

Shiraz is one of the most popular varietal planted in Australia especially in Barossa Valley in South Australia. Barossa has gained its fame since Max Schubert produces his 1st Penfold Grange back in 1950’s

Side track: Don’t mistaken Penfold Grange to be the same as other Penfold range wines, it is of quite a different class from the others, it could be said as one of the Australia's most famous wines.
Though having said that, there other good and more affordable Penfolds like Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz (which is also called ‘Baby Grange’), Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz (which is one of my personal favourite) and Bin 138 Barossa Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre

In general, you may think that most of the Australian Shiraz tastes the same, which is, Full Bodied, Up Front, Not Too Dry and Not Too Tannic.

In Layman Terms:
Full Bodied = Thick
Up Front = Strong alcohol up front
Not too dry = Sweet
Not too tannic = not astringent (Hokkien: Siap Siap)

In fact, it is not so. The characteristics as described above are more of the “Hotter” regions Australian Shiraz. If you like this type of wine, look for Shiraz from Cowra, Riverina or Hunter Valley.

If you prefer a more complex Shiraz which is slightly drier but still “Big” in fruitiness, go for the Barossa Valley shiraz. Please be reminded that good Barossa Shiraz are quite expensive due to their good complexity, length and overall balance.

As for those who prefer not so “thick” (medium-bodied) Shiraz, you may want to go for “Colder” regions shiraz from Victoria state. The well-known wine regions includes Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsular, Heathcote. Though these regions are better known for their Pinot Noir, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc; they do have good Shiraz.

Reminder: “Colder” region wines are normally more tannic and drier than the “Hotter” regions ones

Another region that can’t be ignored is Coonawarra which is situated in South Australia like Barossa Valley. Due to its proximity to sea (which provide the cooling effect to the grapes), it produces well-balanced wines

Finally, for those who like French wines but are attracted to Australia wines’ fruitiness, try out McLaren Vale’s Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon which are slightly more tannic but still big in fruit.

Check out more on Australian wine regions HERE and list of some australian wines HERE