By: F&B Manager, Tariq Alhammouri

The Bordeaux wine region is home to some of the finest wines in the world, to most wine lovers the French wine region of Bordeaux is a vinous Mecca. As back as AD379, some of the greatest names in the wine world have their home there: Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château Pétrus, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Margaux and Château Latour, among others.

Yet these top names comprise less than 5% of the region’s production—which means you don’t have to fork over $100 to get a good bottle. In fact, there are more than 5,000 châteaux, encompassing some 300,000 acres of vineyards, which produce about 700 million bottles a year.

This is the largest fine winemaking region in the world, about the same size as the entire wine region of Chile. Recently, Bordeaux production has exceeded 550 million litres a year, about half of the total output of Australia. The Bordeaux region offers it all, from rich and bold red wine to sweet white wines.

The cabernet sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc grape varieties make up the typical red Bordeaux, Bordeaux Whites wines are made using Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

When it come to Bordeaux, buying the vintage is often seen as a significant consideration, it has a temperate oceanic climate, with cool winters thanks to its close proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the cooling effect of the westerly winds, yet summer can be extreme hot in some years since the region lies close to a humid, subtropical climate zone.

Below are a few wine recommendations that are available through Cedar Brae or LCBO

-Vieux Chateau Palon 2016 $40

-Chateau Pipeau, Saint -Emilion Grand Cru 2018 $45

-Chateau Saint-Pierre 2015 $130