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The gates of great Bordeaux chateaux closed for you? Wait, no longer the reality! On December 13th and 14th the biggest of all Bordeaux chateaus all collected under one roof to present their Grand Vin in Bordeaux Tasting 2014 organized by the magazine Terre de Vins . 120 of the Grand Vin de Bordeaux (red and white), 10 stalwarts from other parts of France and 10 from abroad, as well as 20 excellent champagnes graced the event. In the holiday season which was to follow, Bordeaux Tasting offered the opportunity to savor these wonderful wines and to meet those who make them. Launched in 2012, the event has responded to a strong public expectation that the third edition carried forward.
How it happened
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| The grandeur of Bordeaux Tasting 2014 |
All areas of the magnificent Place de la Bourse (square of Stock Exchange) were hustling and bustling with activity. 120 chateaux of Bordeaux were present at the ground floor. Also a separate tasting hall was reserved for tasting stands for wines from Spain, Chile, Argentina Lebanon, Japan, New Zealand and Morocco. On the first floor, there were champagnes along with the halls for Master Classes. To achieve this perfection and smooth sailing every function the team Terre de Vins began preparation a year in advance. Logistics began taking place in the month of September. A total of 150 people comprising wine students and sommeliers, security personnel were mobilized to ensure the well-being of the public and winemakers. More than 4000 bottles were opened to be tasted at 150 tasting stands.
Highlights
 Master Class opened gustatory magic by putting forward a rare tasting ranging from a La Mission Haut- Brion 1995 to rare vintage Champagnes! One of the missions of Bordeaux Tasting is also the exchange of information. This year it was the announcement by Bernard Magrez about its future investments in the vineyards of Apulia, Italy.
My favorites amongst the red wines I tasted were Chateau Beychevelle, AOP Saint-Julien, 2012, Chateau La Fleur de Boüard, AOP Lalande de Pomerol, 2012 and Felicidad de Serenidad 2009 from Bernard Magrez property in Chile. In whites I loved Chateau de Chantegrive « Caroline », AOP Graves, 2013 and Chateau Raymond-Lafon, AOP Sauternes, 2011.
In a telephonic Interview the Managing Director of Terre de Vins, Rodolphe Wartel said “Bordeaux Tasting 2014 exceeded our expectations. The visitors we welcomed were connoisseurs, curious Epicureans, eager to improve their knowledge about the culture of wine. In 2013, we received 5000 people. This leads us to think about how we have evolved.” When asked about the funding he quips, “We have  managed without any grants to date and with the confidence of all the Bordeaux wine producers and with partners like Hotel School and Wine School whom I thank for their co-operation”.
About his expectations from the next Bordeaux Tasting he says," Bordeaux Tasting is a big event; fired with ambition we plan to take a bigger course in 2015.This great success of this edition encourages us to continue and to engage early next year in a second round that will allow us to grow, but in a calculated way because the expectations of our partners are huge. Our visitors are very qualitative; we will try to grow by maintaining this priority. With a 2014 attendance significantly higher than last year (5200 visitors in 2013), we have achieved a growth threshold in this place. "
Contributions to Economy
Its third edition being an amplified success of the last edition, Bordeaux Tasting capitalized on the satisfaction index derived from the visitor survey conducted in 2013. 98% of them said they enjoyed their visit and 92% said they are willing to buy the wines they tasted during the event. Guaranteeing two main objectives -the high quality of this event in terms of the reputation of the wines and - the quality of service and hospitality unparalleled in comparable events in France, Bordeaux Tasting also adds its contribution to the economy of the city because of thousands of visitors who visit the city for this event. More importantly, the trade generated after the event, when visitors go in search of the wines they tasted, sets in motion a chain of economically profitable exchanges for wine trade.
India in Bordeaux Tasting
In future if Indian wines could participate in events like Bordeaux Tasting it will not only give our wines the well needed international exposure but will be a great felicitation for Indian wine producers who are making some noteworthy quality wines. Because of the awareness and economy the wines would generate, I hope it will also attract Indian government’s attention towards improvising tax laws which open doors for Indian wines in international markets and great wines from around the world in the Indian market. As a wine drinker, for me it’s “the more, the merrier”.
Pallavi Vatsa
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