Newsletter 2,     February, Vintage 2009

This Newsletter goes out to over 16,500 Bordeaux Wine Lovers all over the world!

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Read about:

v The President of the Grands Crus Classés on the 2008

v Come and meet us in New York

v The right time to go on a Bordeaux Wine Tour

v Ronald acquiring new wine skills

v What Ronald has been drinking this month

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Ronald meets Philippe Castéja, President of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés of 1855

Dear Wine Lover,

A windy start to an exciting new vintage. Last weekend a huge storm hit our part of France. The winds were up to 190 km (about a 115 miles an hour). No damage was caused to our chateau, we just have a few trees lying on the ground.
Don't worry, all fallen trees and branches will be cleared in the coming days.

Apart from this little hickup, 2009 started very well. I was interviewed on I Wine Radio. You can listen to the interview by clicking here. And we have released a brand new version of the website of Chateau Coulon Laurensac, our home base. To visit this site, please click here.

And there is more good news:The 16,000th subscriber has been added to our Newsletter, making it the fastest-growing and most popular newsletter dedicated to the wines of Bordeaux!

Please help us to continue this growth and subscribe your fellow Bordeaux Wine Lovers here!

But let's not talk about us; let's get back to Bordeaux. In this edition you can read about our meeting with the President of the organization that protects the interests of Bordeaux Classified Growths. And we invite you to come and see us in person in New York at the The New York Times Travel Show. I will tell you about my newly acquired technique for opening a bottle of Champagne. I've been trying to find the same sort of sword since...

Please continue to support me!
It has become a tradition to ask to vote for me. So please keep on supporting me. It's easy and it's free! Please click on the link and vote! Thanks very much for your help.

I hope you'll enjoy reading this Newsletter and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Don’t drink anything I wouldn't drink!

Have a great end of winter!

Ronald Rens, M. Sc., Wine Master
Wine writer and President
of The Bordeaux Wine Experience
 

Philippe Castéja president of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés on the 2008 vintage

It was a cold winter day in Bordeaux when we went to see the President of the ominous Conseil des Grands Crus Classés. The task of the Conseil, as our host will explain later, consists of two major streams. Firstly the Conseil exists to protect the 1855 Classification as well as the Classified Growths.

The coat of arms of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés of 1855

Having "Grand Cru Classé" on your label is a valuable asset. It needs protection from copycats or "inspired wine labels" that try gimmicks as: "a cru with grand classe", etc.
The Conseil's second task is to create an awareness of the Grand Cru Classé label. This second task is mainly achieved through education. The Conseil is involved in the schooling of sommeliers as well as participating in the Master of Wine program.

We met Philippe Castéja in his ornate office of Borie-Manoux, one of the leading Bordeaux wine merchants. Monsieur Castéja is heavily involved in the bordeaux wine scene. He manages Borie-Manoux, a family owned négociant house that was founded in 1870. Today, Borie-Manoux is one of the largest family-owned French winery and wine merchant groups. If this is not enough, he owns eight Bordeaux chateaux, both on the left and right bank. His portfolio includes two Médoc Fifth Growths (Batailley and Lynch-Moussas) and one Saint Emilion First Growth (Trotte Vieille). On top of that Castéja is Vice Consul of Austria and President of the Conseil des Grands Crus Classés in 1855.
We were received in what is without a doubt the Consul chamber of Borie-Manoux. Castéja who is every inch a gentleman, had just returned from Washington where the French Embassy hosted a dinner with all the Classified Growths from the 2003 vintage. "In this business traveling becomes part of your life style".

Philippe Castéja, Vice Consul, wine merchant, multiple château owner and President of the Grands Crus Classés

When I started to discuss the 2008 vintage and the impact of the financial turmoil on wine, his eyes lit up: "We are confronted with two challenges. On one hand there are the obvious problems of the exchange rate between the dollar and pound against the euro. On the other hand there is going to be a misunderstanding on the wine market between demand (wants low prices) and supply (needs high prices to compensate a small crop)". The Conseil isn't involved in the pricing policy of its members. "The market is always right", he continues. "You can make a mistake in pricing your wines once, maybe twice but definitely not three times or more. The futures campaign 2009 is going to be difficult".
I asked for his opinion on the current vintage and Castéja replied: "The quality of the wines is très bonne (very good). In our chateaux we had very low yields. 30-40% less wine than usual and sometimes only the quantity of half a normal crop. In 2008, the older the vines were, the lower the yield was. Never before have I experienced a late vintage which has produced such good quality wines. I tasted some samples in Pauillac yesterday and they were excellent".

When I commented on the difficult weather conditions in 2008, Castéja replied: "20 years ago a vintage like 2008 would have been very difficult, but we have made so much progress. In the old days there were some great vintages but not half as many as we have now. Techniques like temperature control, low yields, canopy management and of course picking the grapes when perfectly ripe make all the difference nowadays".

I will be following the 2008 vintage for you in this Newsletter and I am looking forward to the En Primeur (Futures tasting) in April. To be continued.

Come and see us in New York

The New York Times Travel Show is the largest travel show in the United States, attracting over 500 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees. The New York Times Travel Show is the place to find and book your dream trip. Therefore The Bordeaux Wine Experience will present its exciting 2009 Wine Tour Program in The Big Apple. This unique travel show will be held in Manhattan in the Jacob K. Javits Convention center.
Please come and see us in booth #673.

You are welcome to come and see us:
Friday February 6: from 2 - 7 PM (open to trade professionals only)

Saturday February 7: from 10 AM - 6 PM
(open to general public & trade professionals)
Sunday February 8: from 10 AM - 4 PM
(open to general public & trade professionals)

Ronald acquiring new wine skills

Ronald is now a Seigneur de Champagne

Last month we were invited by the Reims Tourist Office to attend a master class in the art of opening a Champagne bottle with a sabre. Although we tend to stick to our regional wines, we are always open to learn more about wines from other regions. I have opened a few bottles in my time, but I normally handle Champagne in a more traditional way. As a child I was always a big Zorro fan and this obviously had a positive impact on me. I handled my sword so well that Michel Feck, the President of the Reims Tourist office, decided to bestow upon me the honor of Seigneur de Champagne. If you're ever in the village of Verzenay in the Champagne region don't forget to go to Les voies de Reims. Check out parcel #20, go to row G025 and then worship plant number 001: it now proudly bears my name.

The right time to go on a Bordeaux Wine Tour

When you look for a tour that will take you through the Bordeaux vineyards, you are not looking for "just a tour" but for a unique experience. That's what you'll experience with us. Prevent disappointments. Our tours are filling up and we work on a first-come first-serve basis. One tour is already sold out. So if you have a preference for specific dates in 2009 I invite you to contact us today for a detailed itinerary and more information!

With us you will taste more Classified Growths than on any other Bordeaux wine tour!
And there is more. When you tour Bordeaux with us you:

• Experience Bordeaux like an insider!
• Visit and taste at the world's most famous chateaux like Latour, Margaux, Mouton and Lafite!
• Enjoy great food, exceptional wines and have a lot of fun!
• Stay at a privately-owned 18th century chateau.

But there is more than "just" the wine!
Meet Chateau owners and Wine makers! We are invited into chateaux, see art collections and visit unique and private gardens.
We indulge in meals at restaurants varying from typical local cuisine to Michelin-rated tables. And of course live the very special experience of eating in private dining rooms of some wonderful Bordeaux Chateaux.
So you see, it's not just a wine tour but a real Bordeaux Wine Experience!

We proudly present the following Tours and dates for 2009:

• The Grand Tour of Bordeaux 2009
  May 25 - May 30, 2009 and
  July 6 - July 11, 2009 and (sold out!)
  August 31 - September 5, 2009
  
• The Bordeaux Harvest Tour 2009
  September 21– September 26, 2009 (last 4 spots available, just 2 couples)

I invite you to contact us today for a detailed itinerary and more information!

Subscribe your Friends
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Have a great end of winter and we look forward to seeing you all in Bordeaux in the near future!

Cheers from Bordeaux,

Ronald and Margaret Rens

Visit our website:

Bordeaux Wine Tours

www.BXWINEX.com

2009 Wine Tour Schedule
(Just five couples per tour!)
Open for booking

We proudly present the following Tours and dates for 2009:

The Grand Tour of
Bordeaux 1
May 25 - May 30, 2009

The Grand Tour of
Bordeaux 2 
July 6 -July 11, 2009
(Sold out!)

The Grand Tour of
Bordeaux 3  
August 31 -Sept 5, 2009

The Bordeaux Harvest Tour
Sept 21– Sept 26, 2009

These Bordeaux Wine Tours are 6 days, 5 nights.
 

Avoid disappointment and reserve your place today!
(Click here!)

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Available in 2009:
The most complete Packages
in Bordeaux!

Best of Both Worlds
Three days, two nights private wine tour packages
(to Médoc or Saint Emilion)
(Click here!)

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The Bordeaux Wine Experience Gift Vouchers
An original gift idea is a Bordeaux Wine Experience Gift Voucher.

These gift vouchers can be used for:

• Wine Day Tours,
• Paris Wine Tours,
• Full week wine tours.

You tell us what you would like to offer and we will prepare a beautiful invitation card that will serve as gift voucher for the tour you would like to offer.

These invitation cards are much appreciated and are considered an original and elegant gift.

Click here for more information.

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Bordeaux:
Self catering accommodation at Chateau Coulon Laurensac
(Accommodation only available outside wine tour periods)

Chateau Chateau Coulon Laurensac is situated less than 10 minutes from the Bordeaux city center and offers two deluxe self catering gîtes for two persons and one self catering gîte for four persons.

Click here for more information.

The Bordeaux Wine Experience
Chateau Coulon Laurensac
1, chemin de Meydieu
33360 Latresne (BORDEAUX), France

Tel: +33 (0)556 20 64 12
Fax: +33(0)556 21 79 44

Email : info@BXWINEX.com
Web : www.BXWINEX.com
www.TheBordeauxWineBlog.com

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Copyright © 2009 by The Bordeaux Wine Experience. All rights reserved. The content, design and graphical elements of this newsletter are copyrighted. The Bordeaux Wine Experience is a Dutch company specializing in wine and culinary tours in the Bordeaux region for an English speaking international clientele.

Please note: For this issue of The Bordeaux Wine Experience Newsletter, you're welcome to use the content on the Internet or in hard copy provided you e-mail Ronald (Ronald@BXWINEX.com) to let him know and use this credit line at the top under the title (please make the link clickable if it's online):

Reprinted from The Bordeaux Wine Experience Free Bordeaux E-Newsletter with permission of The Bordeaux Wine Experience, the leading Bordeaux Wine Tour Company: www.BXWINEX.com