Author of Inside Bordeaux, a book that has been described as the 'bible' by Le Figaro newspaper and a 'category buster' by Jamie Goode, Jane Anson has lived in Bordeaux since 2003. Here she takes a look at the wine trends that are shaping the region, its economy, its climate, the industry and its winemakers.

Following our debut WSG Live with Jancis Robinson MW in late July 2020, WSG is thrilled to present an in-depth discussion with famed Pomerol and Napa producer Christian Moueix.

WSG Live is a series of podcasts in which our presenters talk at length with some of the extraordinary individuals working in today’s wine world, both those involved in creating wines as well as those involved in communication and education.

Christian Moueix was born on Christmas Day 1946, the second son of Jean-Pierre Moueix, in Libourne – the capital of Bordeaux’s Right Bank. Jean-Pierre Moueix had arrived in Bordeaux as a 16-year-old with his parents from Corrèze, so the family fortunes have been built on the work of two generations (recently joined by the third: Christian’s son Edouard).

Christian studied agricultural engineering in Paris, then completed these studies with a year at UC Davis, California, between 1968 and 1969 – a year that inspired a lifetime’s affection for the USA and for California. He joined the family company in 1970, and over the succeeding half century has become synonymous with Pomerol, not only guiding the fortunes of Ch Petrus on behalf of his father and then his elder brother Jean-François, but becoming an informal but influential spokesman for his region, for the Right Bank, and for the much-maligned Merlot as a variety.

In 1982, he formed a partnership to farm and  make wine in Yountville from the Napanook vineyard, once a part of the historic Inglenook.  He named the estate wine Dominus and in 1995 became the sole owner. In 2008 he made a further purchase of 16.2 ha in Oakville, a former part of the Charles Hopper Ranch, and has named this property Ulysses. The family properties in Bordeaux include Ch La Fleur-Pétrus, Trotanoy and Hosanna in Pomerol, as well as Bélair-Monange in St Emilion.

Christian and his wife Cherise are enthusiastic about architecture and have completed five projects with the Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and PIerre de Meuron, including the Dominus winery (2007), a refectory for the harvesters in Pomerol and currently a chai for Bélair-Monange; they are also art collectors in their own right; indeed they met in a Paris gallery. Other artistic interests include music and literature -- and few wine producers anywhere speak about their work with the elegance and refinement of Christian Moueix, as WSG students can discover for themselves.

On October 21st, Wine Scholar Guild Academic Advisor Andrew Jefford will be talking at length to Christian about his long career, about Merlot and Pomerol, about creating wine quality through viticulture and vinification, about the changing aesthetics of fine Bordeaux wine, and about the difference between artistic creation and the craft of producing great wine. They will also talk about Napa and its uniqueness within the wine world, as well as the challenges it faces from global warming and from fire threats. Students will have a chance to ask Christian questions of their own in a 15-minute wrap at the end of the discussion.

Award-winning author and Decanter Magazine columnist Jane Anson draws us deeper into the Bordeaux conversation and reveals what she discovered while working on her massive new book project, Inside Bordeaux, and what to expect when the book is launched in Spring 2020.

There have been moments in my career as a professional winophile where I’ve realized I haven’t retained a bit of information that perhaps I should have learned in grade school had I been paying attention. Everyone needs a refresher once in a while and this series of blog posts aims to fill in possible gaps of knowledge that your grade-school mind may not have realized you would use in your fabulous wine career.

Estuary is a term that surfaces a lot when talking about Bordeaux. Though it is often used interchangeably with the word “river,” estuary has a very specific meaning.

Leading up to The Wine Scholar Guild’s next Bordeaux wine tour at the end of October, our Tour Manager, Sarah, is writing a series of articles about travel tips to Bordeaux.

This second blog looks at some of Bordeaux’s favorite foods that are not to be missed on your next Bordeaux wine tour...

Preparing your next Bordeaux wine tour?

Sarah Graham-Beck, Tour Manager on the Wine Scholar Guild’s Bordeaux wine tours will be writing a series of articles about travel tips to Bordeaux.

In this first article, Sarah shares a selection of top Bordeaux restaurants with a great wine list!

… including excellent restaurants out in the wine regions.

Preparing your next Bordeaux wine tour?

Sarah Graham-Beck, Tour Manager on the Wine Scholar Guild’s Bordeaux wine tours will be writing a series of articles about travel tips to Bordeaux.

In this first article, Sarah shares a selection of top Bordeaux restaurants with a great wine list!

Food and wine are at the heart of life in Bordeaux. The city and its surroundings now offer some of the best restaurants in France, on a par with Lyon & Paris.

1) Bordeaux is France’s largest quality wine region and largest producer of AOC wine.

2) The quality of its vintages drives the fine wine market globally.
 
3) Bordeaux’s rich history, commercial significance, mercantile mindset, size, and quality set it apart from other French wine regions.