In the “Shopping for Wine with Barron” Video Series, Barron Beltz helps Wine Lovers navigate the often confusing Wine Sections and Wine Displays found in Grocery Stores and Supermarkets in Europe.
In Episode 2, Barron Beltz reveals the secret of finding Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Wines in the French Wine Section! The Bordeaux Region of France produces world-renowned Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, but it is important to note that the vast majority of these wines are red blends containing any or all of this region’s 5 major red grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
In the French Wine Section, look for wines with the name Bordeaux printed on the label. Next, you will notice that many will have another place name (typically village name), which will primarily come from 2 different areas along the river systems, commonly (though never written on the label) referred to as the Left and Right Bank (of the rivers).
Left Bank wines tend to be dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, and the most common village names are the following: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St.-Julien, Margaux and Pessac-Léognan.
Right Bank wines tend to be dominated by Merlot, and the most common village names are the following: Saint Emillion, Pomerol and the region of Côtes-de-Bourg.
NOTE: In many cases, less expensive wines from Bordeaux may only list “Bordeaux” on the front label and not contain any of the village names listed above. These wines may even have the grape varietal(s) listed on the front label as well. This doesn’t necessarily mean the wine is low quality, but it does typically mean that the winery sourced grapes from several locations within the large Bordeaux region of France.
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