If it's good enough for Louis Vuitton, it's worth a try.

You would think it’s impossible for a foodie to not know about what is quite possibly the world capital of gastronomy. Unfortunately for me, I only learned about Lyon, with its internationally-renowned chefs like Paul Bocuse and its more than 40 outdoor food markets, after I came back from trip to France.

I had meticulously planned our trip, hitting Paris of course not for the food so much as the experience of being in the city of lights. Then it was off to Bordeaux. Had I known about Lyon, I might have skipped Bordeaux, since they are on opposite sides of France. However, I’m so glad I didn’t. The laid back atmosphere of the city, the quaint outskirts filled with farmers and the astonishing vineyards of the region were the highlight of my trip, even after seeing the Eiffel tower twinkling at night, which I have to admit is quite magical.

Bordeaux has been maligned, in my view, in many ways. Most people don’t realize that the area has numerous appellations of wine, 57 to be exact. Appellations such as ‘Pauillac,’ ‘Medoc,’ ‘Graves,’ ‘St. Emillion’ and ‘Sauternes’ are all from the Bordeaux area. The wines labelled “Bordeaux” are really just what is left from the crops after the winemakers have made their limit for the appellation on their property. The amount each “Chateau” can produce is strictly controlled, so any excess grapes cannot be sold under the appellation of that specific area. Instead, they are labelled Bordeaux. Since they don’t have the distinction of an appellation, they are sold a little cheaper, but don’t overlook this region as a wine destination, because it is worthy of a stop.

While in Ontario everyone is raving over ice wine right now, Sauternes, which I like to to think of the great-grandfather of icewine comes from the Bordeaux region. If you’ve ever tried a Sauternes you know it’s a dessert wine. But do you know how it’s made?
Primarily made of Semillion grapes, it is a blended wine that includes Sauvignon Blanc grapes and sometimes is blessed with a little Muscadel.

I say that the Sauternes is a distant relative of ice wine because the grapes, which must be hand-picked off the vines, just like our ice wine grapes, are also shriveled and dehydrated.
But it’s not the cold that shrivels grapes that end up your Sauternes wine. It’s a fungus that is indigenous the specific microclimate of the Sauternes region. Known as botrytis cinerea or noble rot, this is different from other conditions that would ruin the grapes. The thin skins of the Semillion grapes make them ideal as the fungus eats the skin which lends to the dehydration of the grapes.

This sweet, rich wine that often has a deep golden colour is a great pairing for foie gras, or other rich foods like terrines. Or enjoy it with dessert or as a digestif after dinner. Even Louis Vuitton has a majority stakehold in a Sauternes Chateau. The Chateaux Yquem, which is classified a “Premier Grand Cru,” one of the best of its kind, is owned by the designer label. Now, if it’s good enough for Louis Vuitton, isn’t it worth a try?