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I took the train from Paris to Bordeaux. To be honest, I didn't even know where Bordeaux was in France. I only vaguely knew it as a city of wine. Bordeaux is a port city in the southwest of France. Its shape resembles a crescent moon, so it is also called Port de la lune, a romantic name. It is famous for the Garonne River, which flows from the Spanish Pyrenees to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mirroir d'Eau, the water mirror of the elegant Palais de le Bourse. I was not good at wine and didn't know much about it, but I thought it would be nice to take this opportunity to experience a city other than Paris. Unlike the big city of Paris, I was excited by imagining wide open vineyards and warm sunlight.
I met a local on the tram going to the accommodation, and when I asked why he lived in Bordeaux, he said that unlike chic Paris, people have a relaxed smile. Bordeaux has wide streets and no smell of tobacco or hemp. Even though it's late at night, people are playing peacefully here and there in the park, so oh it's safe... ? I thought that.
On the first day, we did a bicycle tour. It was a group tour with people from various countries, and while listening to brief explanations, I quickly skimmed the outline of the entire city. It is said that Bordeaux was ruled by various countries such as Rome, France, and England. I was able to see the traces of France and England, which led the world's huge flow, such as the Roman Era Colosseum, English-style parks, and French cathedrals. From the 11th to the 13th century under British rule, wine, clothing, and wheat were imported and exported, and during the 17th and 18th centuries under French rule, it grew into a large port city through the trade of goods and slaves from colonial Africa and the West Indies. It was said that the combination of Britain, which had an excellent commercial sense, and France, which could grow the finest grapes, made it possible to spread the finest wines around the world.
When France holds weddings with important people from other countries, Paris is very French-centered, so I also remembered the story of holding the wedding in Bordeaux, which is slightly closer to another country. In many ways, I thought that Bordeaux played a unique role between the two countries at a time when wine was a powerful weapon leading the world order.
Terroir is the French word for soil. It is a word that expresses everything that affects grape growth, such as geography, climate, and cultivation methods. In Europe, even if wine is made from the same grape variety, the land is important because it is thought that completely different wines are made depending on the natural environment in which they are made and raised. That's why wines are named after regions. Bordeaux is divided into three major rivers: the Gironde, the Garonne, and the Dordogne. The left bank of the river is called the left bank, and the right bank is called the right bank. Medoc in the north is famous on the left bank, and Saint Emilion is famous on the right bank.
In Bordeaux, grapes are harvested in a month in early September. When it is under-ripe, the sugar content is low, so the sour taste becomes strong and the body is light, and when it is over-ripe, the sugar content is high and the sour taste and aroma are lost. The left bank has a lot of rocks and gravel, so it is good for growing Cabernet Sauvignon because it has good drainage and keeps the temperature well. It is good for making fine wines that can be aged for a long time with high tannins, alcohol and acidity. The right bank is rich in mud and fertile, making it a good place to grow Merlot, which is sensitive to soil quality. It produces soft wines with low tannins, alcohol and acidity. Unlike Burgundy, Bordeaux makes wine by mixing grape varieties, and the left bank is mainly blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec, and the right bank is blended with the rest based on Merlot.
Wine sales are largely dependent on the label name, but in order to use a certified name, it must pass a thorough standard called AOC (Appellation Bordeaux Controlee). No more than a few vines should be planted in one hectare of vineyard, no more than a few hundred liters should be produced, the alcohol content should be at least over a certain level, a few milligrams per liter of SO2 should be used to prevent oxidation, and the grapes next door should be mixed. No, you can't buy bottles from other regions, and you can't harvest grapes early. It is said that the official expert announces the harvest date and picks a good non-rainy day after that date. It is a strict and thorough central control method.
Also, the grading system is strict. Introduced in 1855 by Emperor Napoleon III to promote Bordeaux wines around the world. It is called Grand Cru Classe, and it is a combination of Grand Cru, which means outstanding vineyard, and Classe, which means grade. The wines were ranked in order of price based on price, quality of the chateau, and popularity. It is divided into 5 grades and is said to be inherited to this day. The right eye has the St-Emilion Classification, introduced in 1955 and updated every 10 years. It is divided into three grades: Grand Cru Classé A, Grand Cru Classé B, and Grand Cru Classé. However, the rating system was divided into old standards, and simply famous tended to be rated high. Some famous château said they would not be subject to this rating, and they said they wanted a lot of meaning.
I drove a cute Fiat from Bordeaux for about an hour and went to Saint-Emilion. It was a small village full of yellow bricks with an old bell tower rising high. Climb up the bell tower to see the whole town and the sprawling vineyards. This village was created in the 8th century when Monk Emilion of Brittany settled down while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It is said that England and France fought numerous wars over the ownership of the village because of Alienori Daquiten, who became Queen of England. After the Hundred Years War, it became completely French territory. It was built in the Middle Ages and has maintained its appearance until now and is listed as a UNESCO cultural heritage.
It was a rough and friendly town with warm sunlight and yellow bricks. It was a village that made me think that efforts were made to preserve the shape of the village that had been passed down since the Middle Ages. Unlike the delicate architecture of large cities, traces of rough time remain on the surface, but some pillars were worn to such an extent that I wondered if they could really withstand the weight, so I could feel the past more strongly.
Based on the mild Atlantic wind, abundant sunshine, and well-drained soil, they grow Merlot Merlot and Cabernet Franc grape varieties to make world-famous Saint-Émilion wine. There is a system of its own, and it is said that the wine is also graded. I thought that foreigners would get this kind of impression when they visit Hahoe Village in Andong.
We toured the Medoc on the left side of the Garonne River. I got into the guide's car and looked around comfortably. I left to see the wide vineyards and wonderful mansions that come to mind when I think of Bordeaux. Chateau is a castle mansion in French, which refers to a mansion in a vineyard, a brewery, and a vineyard together. On the Left Bank, we visited several famous wineries, including Château Lagrange and Château Gruuault Larose.
Château Lagrange is the only foreign capital in Bordeaux. In 1631, it is said that the winery was handed over to Suntory, Japan, on the condition that it preserves the traditional method with wine that has been in existence since the Middle Ages. Suntory is said to have started to make a profit after investing 10 times the purchase price for 13 years. Château Gruuault Larose is a chateau in Saint-Julien. It is said that it maintains good quality while producing 300,000 bottles.
The large number of oak barrels stored in basements and warehouses was impressive. It is said that various events are held in turn, and wines from various chateauxes are temporarily stored. There is also a special place where old wine is kept, and it was fun to see the vintage wine of the year I was born. Some of the oldest wines were from the 1800s. The view of the vineyards from high up was wonderful. Chateau Gruuau Larose, in particular, had a sophisticated interior like a modern art museum. It was a nice garden that was fun to see besides selling wine.
Bordeaux is a city that begins and ends with wine. There are 12,000 grape growers, 400 negocians, and 130 wine brokers, with 60,000 wine-related workers. It is said that one in six people work in the wine-related industry. In accordance with strict quality control controlled by the government, grape growers grow grapes to make wine, and negociant purchases large quantities of 'en primeur' in which the wine is aged in oak barrels for about a year. Well-aged wines now spread throughout Europe, where middlemen traditionally drink a lot of wine.
Wines are divided into New World wines and Old World wines. Wine was first made in Georgia and Armenia in Eastern Europe and spread throughout Europe. Other regions are called 'New World Wines' and have been made for hundreds of years in the United States, Chile, and Australia. Free from regulation, the New World developed a winemaking method that produced good tasting wine through free experimentation. It emphasized grape varieties over brand names and turned vineyards into tourist destinations. People were enthusiastic about the wines of the New World because they tasted good at reasonable prices. It is said that the share of London International Wine Exchange Liv-ex fell from 95% to 58%.
Even in the Old World, efforts were made to prepare for this, but various vineyards were divided, so there was no single one that dominated the market, so economies of scale could not be created. It is said that superiority and inferiority have declined. If you want to increase productivity, you can't keep tradition, so you can't do it, so you can't do this.
They had an overwhelming position that no one could enter with their own clear success strategy, but as 'taste', a value that would not change even after 100 years, caught up, their monopoly position began to shake. The city of Bordeaux felt like a failing IT service company that had been successful in the past. I thought that I had to constantly obsess over my customers and values without being complacent in a safe situation. I also thought that I needed a new challenge beyond the familiar and safe state I had been through.
Wide open fields, majestic castles, oak barrels of wine and vintage wines over 200 years ago were a fascinating experience that can't be found anywhere else. The scenery of Bordeaux with tradition and time was beautiful. What direction will Bordeaux flow in the future? If we can't offer it to more people at an affordable price, I think there may be a breakthrough in providing luxury as an irreplaceable brand for special moments.
Every Tuesday morning, a designer with 16 years of experience curated Collect design trends.
