THE GREATEST FRENCH WINES - BLUE BIRD PRODUCTIONS

The Châteaux of Bordeaux, Margaux and Mouton Rothschild

Throughout the world, French wines are recognised for their exceptional quality, especially the wines of the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. The greatness of Château Margaux lies not only in its terroir, but also in its history and the men who have worked to build the reputation of her wines. The wines are mostly made from cabernet sauvignon, with a dash of petit verdot; they are by nature powerful, yet elegant.

The Châteaux of Bordeaux, Haut Brion and Lafite Rothschild

Throughout the world, French wines are recognised for their exceptional quality, especially the wines of the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. The Château Haut Brion was built in 1550 by Jean de Pontac. It is the only estate outside of the Medoc whose wines were classified as “premier cru” in 1855. Another unique feature is the addition of merlot, which is mixed in equal measures with the cabernet sauvignon in the blend, so that the (...)

The Châteaux of Bordeaux, Cheval Blanc and Ausone

Throughout the world, French wines are recognised for their exceptional quality, especially the wines of the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. Cheval Blanc has its origins in the mid 19th century when Mr. Ducasse decided to create a building. It was bought in 1998 by the chairman of LVMH (Louis Vuitton - Moet Hennessy) Bernard Arnault and Albert Frere Belgian banker.
The Chateau Cheval Blanc was named first Grands Crus A (...)

The Châteaux of Bordeaux, Latour and Pétrus

Throughout the world, French wines are recognised for their exceptional quality, especially the wines of the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. Château Latour is the archetype of the great Paullac classic, a wine which ages beautifully. The heart of the domaine consists of the Enclos, a vineyard which surrounds the chateau and the newly renovated Chais (storehouse).

The Châteaux of Bordeaux, Yquem and La Tour Blanche

Throughout the world, French wines are recognised for their exceptional quality, especially the wines of the Bordeaux and Burgundy regions.
Chateau Yquem is customarily called “liquid gold”. The most famous white dessert wine worldwide, is elaborated using the celebrated noble rot, Botrytis cinerea, giving it almost immortal ageing qualities. The Château La Tour Blanche, the first Sauternes to be listed as a vintage wine in 1855 (...)

The Châteaux of Bordeaux, Angélus and Pavie

It was a historic moment when two new estates, Château Angélus and Château Pavie joined Ausone and Cheval Blanc on the top step of the podium, at the level of the class A premier grand crus. The name Château Angélus comes from the angelus bell. The winemakers could hear the chimes coming from the three churches in the vicinity of the vineyard. The estate, which has belonged to the Boüard de Laforest family since the end of the 18th century, has grown little by little in both size and reputation (...)

Burgundy, The Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits (part 1)
Domaines Jacques Prieur, Dugat Py and Comte Senart

Burgundy is the birthplace of many of the greatest wines in France, and indeed in the world. Generally speaking, the region is divided into two: Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, and the two together make up the so-called Côte d’Or. The Côte de Beaune, faces south-east and is based on (...)

Burgundy, The Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits (part 2)
Domaines Comte Ligier-Belair, La Pousse d’Or and Jerome Galleyrand

East facing, the Cote de Nuits is one of the most prestigious wine-growing areas in Burgundy, part of the Cote d’Or alongside its counterpart, the Cote de Beaune. Located both to the north and south of the town Nuits-Saint-Georges, the Cote de Nuits is divided into 16 wine (...)

Rhône Valley, North : Saint Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage

From Lyon, the Rhône runs through a region of steep hills of granite, shale and gneiss that are cultivated with grapevines. This region is characterized by granitic soil and steep and narrow slopes on which the grapevines must make-do. So grapes are cultivated on terraces lined with stone walls that hold in the terraced soil, called « chalais ».

Rhône Valley, South : Châteauneuf du Pape

The southern Rhône valley is characterized by vast spaces, varied soil types, often poor, and a Mediterranean climate, the hottest climate in the Côtes-du-Rhône region, with 2,800 hours of sunlight and an annual average temperature of 14°C. In this area, the Rhône valley offers a large panorama of alluvial plains and rocky scrubland.

Champagne, the finest

We will be visiting four of the most prestigious Champagne Houses.The house of ROEDERER, rated second in the Vin de France list of the 50 best Champagnes, has been a family-run business since its foundation in 1819. Furthermore, it is one of the rare Champagne Houses which continues to be independent. Founded in 1843 by Johann-Joseph KRUG, the Champagne House KRUG was bought in 1999 by the LVMH, the world’s foremost (...)

Champagne, the history

Champagne ! the cry of champagne-lovers the world over, since the precious discoveries made by the Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon. Several records maintain that Saint Remi (Bishop of Reims), after baptising King Clovis in 496, miraculously caused wine to spring forth from an empty barrel. During the Middle Ages, Champagne fairs were organised so that merchants from all over Europe could come to taste and buy the wine (...)