Giggling nonstop. Driving out to Bordeaux sounds little dangerous.
This time, rarely enough, happy time spend not exactly from alcohol but the lovely sugar boast perhaps. It was the 7e Edition of the Sweet Wines of the World Tasting. I had tried sweet wine from over 20 different wineries at Château La Tour Blanche a week ago. It was organized each odd year, the day before the opening of VINEXPO exhibition of Bordeaux it gathers in Château La Tour Blanche’s cellar, in Bommes, in the heart of the Sauternes, producers from the entire world who come to present their wines, exchange and share their experiences.
Thus the world of sweet wines comes to Sauternes every two years, this year there was 27 producers from 11 countries present. Below is the list of wineries :
Until recently, sweet wines have been ignored by consumers. There are different types of sweet wines like ice, fortified or botrytized ones and most of them are ideal to pair with dessert and cheeses. A lot may says sweet wine is more like a ladies’ drink, but I can assure you that most I have encountered whom open a sweet bottles at the end of meals, they are mostly men, not the ladies. In most cases, of course, ladies would be delighted to enjoy the sweet gold, however, one can always hear “can’t drink too much, it makes me fat,” or “just a little for me will be perfect” if not a 1975 Chateau d’Yquem were poured. Anyway, like most americans, most of us have sweet tooth, and we love sweets from coca cola to sauternes, don’t we?
At the venue, quite a lot of wine makers were at the event and I had bumped into Bruno Bilancini from Monbazillac Tirecul La Gravière whom produces the very delicious Cuvée Madame; German superstar Ernst Loosen from Weingut Dr. Loosen; Olivier Humbrecht from Alsace’s Domaine Zind Humbrecht and many others, and few others.
The good thing about this gathering is that, despite being in Sauternes, one can comprehend the different making and taste the even more exotic at one go. E.g. the Croatia’s Krauthaker, historic Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2007, a thrillingly intense wine produced from vineyards first planted in the late 1600s.
If you are going to be in Bordeaux 2 years later and somewhat having a sweet tooth, make sure you don’t give this event a miss.
The event was taken place on Saturday 15th June, from 2pm to 6pm, invitation only.
