This is what I am feeling right now. My soul has just left my body and drifted somewhere outside the bus window, flying listlessly into the air, along the northeastern highway from Bordeaux en route to the wine appellation of St. Emilion. Just another wine tour, I hissed. But in all honesty something that I am so looking forward to learn about eight or ten years or so.
Bordeaux is a city of myriad expectations. For one, it can be a place where artistry and beauty can be found in the most simplest of things. For another, it’s a place where one constantly is looking for happiness. And in doing so, one can always hope for the best the following year, simply shrugging one shoulders and moving on with life. And in my brief stay here in the city, I found out that Bordeaux has more to its reputation of a bottled-rich and soul-consuming wine region in the world.
The sound of our local guide disturbs my thoughts. She is so lovable and so passionate about wine. I could hear bits and pieces about the different wine appellations of Bordeaux. Her name is Brigitte. I smiled upon hearing Brigitte Margot. I heard that name before but my wine-enriched memory is having some lapses at the moment-especially if we are talking about names.
Interestingly, she said that wines in France are not labeled according to the name or variety of the grapes. Instead, wine is characterized and labeled by its origins, the chateau where the grape was harvested or simply the region where that particular vineyard belongs to. In the new world; like in the States, Australia perhaps or South Africa, wines are labeled according its grape varieties. Hence most of us would be looking for either Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, etc. Here in Bordeaux and France in general is different and almost all wines are classified and ranked according to its place of origin or simply put; appellation.
I love wine and coming from a country where wine is not culturally a part of the society, I don’t want to sound like a connoisseur. But it would be helpful for those who view wine as an expensive commodity and something that strips our confidence layer to know that wine is for everyone and not only for those select few. Truth be told, I am intimidated everytime I order wine. I don’t want to be judged as someone who wants to be different or simply someone that knows wine so much. Sometimes its just hard to explain that I simply love that reddish work of art, flowing down my throat and evoking immeasurable emotions. Of course, I choose red wine as example but doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy white wine or the rose color. Because when I say wine, I mean the encompassing wine. The reddish color, on the other hand, is in both ways unwelcoming and redolent. Ergo, a perfect example!
If you can follow my thoughts, you would soon notice the vast expanse of the Chateau La France, almost 90 hectares of vineyards that belong to Appellation Bordeaux, 20 kms away from the city. The green foliage dominate the horizon and what makes a vineyard appealing to the eyes is its beautiful symmetry in either horizontal and vertical manner. The main house, or in this instance called the ‘Chateau’ is built in the middle of the vineyards. That is just simply dramatic and often than not elicit warm feelings just by looking at it. Chateau La France produces almost 300,000 bottles of red wine, mostly merlot and cavernet sauvignon or a mixed of both.
“ Do you get grapes from other vineyards in case you need more?”, a gentleman from Michigan asked the cellar master yesterday while we were looking at hundreds of barrels stored in Chateau la France. Those barrels were from last year’s harvest. We visited this vineyard not only it was accessible fom Bordeaux but also for its vast area of vineyards. Of course, its one of the famous appellation in Bordeaux and highly rated one at that. The cellar master answered coyly that with their vineyards alone of almost 90 hectares, getting grapes from other vineyards was really beyond of their wildest imaginations. But he said with some note of seriousness that the French government is very strict when it comes to winemaking. Wine is strictly categorized thus getting more grapes from other vineyards is a no-no both in literal and figurative sense of the word. It’s illegal, to put it mildly.
As we continue driving along the northeastern highway en route to St Emilion, I notice an empty Mcdonalds on the side of the highway. The entrepreneur side of me asks why they built a highly commercialized commodity on a side of a street where the surrounding areas are vineyards. I felt sadness upon seeing the establishment. This is the third time I notice this franchise. That’s just wrong, I thought. Of course, my opinion is unwarranted but maybe I am only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Nevertheless, the wine region surrounding Bordeaux are far scattered and most of them facing some major corporate and family changes. As the cellar master said, having a vineyard takes so much of your life and maintaining one requires devotion and a strong heart.
The St Emilion appellation is one of the most famous wine prospect in the Bordeaux wine region. The town itself is seven hundred years old and it’s evident with the discovery of the monolothic church. The names comes from a hermit called Emilion that resides in one of the natural caves and only after his death that the town flourishes. As we’re getting closer to the town, I feel so excited and undeniably bubbly. I just couldn’t believe that I am travelling in this side of the world.
My love affair with wine started almost 8 years ago when I went for a three month scholarship to Italy. We were introduced to the Sicilian wine and was served almost every night in the table. I am smiling while writing this as I just remember how cautious I was back then. It was an awkward feeling holding a particular wine glass and observing my colleagues drink their wines. Slowly, I got accustomed to it and got so wasted just by drinking wine one night with the Filipino community. My initial reaction the next morning was shock and blurted out “ that was a strong wine and never thought I’ll ever get drunk”. Of course, as time goes by I got to attend seminars and discussions about wine, holding a glass and so forth.
Moving forward a bit in the early part of 2006, I came home from Chile with 4 bottles of award-winning wines. How did I know? Because it was written on the label and Chile is so famous for its red wines. They were so expensive that I just force the memory into oblivion on how much I paid at that time. But what made me look back was the fact that I never got the chance to taste those wines. My mom and my sister just decided to have a wine night and called me the next morning that they consumed those bottles. I was just beyond words upon hearing it that the surrounding Taal Volcano fade slowly from the distance. I was about to ask if they had a good time but my mom interrupted me by saying how much she loved it. From then on, she was always looking forward to buying at least one bottle per month. It was out of the budget really but somehow she managed to squeeze it.
A smile appears while this memory keeps on playing on my mind. I guess, this love affair with wine has been genetically passed by my wine-loving mother. The thought of bringing back wine from this appellation is so strong and I could just imagine the happiness on her face. Just to let you know that again I’ll be paying a fortune but what the heck, happiness comes to those who search for it.
The Chateau Couspaude belongs to the famous Appellation St Emilion Grand Cru. It is beautifully located just outside the old town of St Emilion. This is smaller from Chateau La France and only produces thirty thousand bottles a year. I notice right away the presence of roses in the beginning of the symmetrically arranged vineyard. The owner gladly responded that roses are very good indicators of pests and vine diseases. If the rose plant is being afflicted with certain kind of pests, then the vines would follow in a matter of days. That of course will give the cellar master some time to prevent that from happening. I was just impressed how roses play an important role here and not just a colorful piece of decoration.
But what struck a chord in my heart is how the vine grows and give so much love to its fruits. The cellar master is a bit emotional on this part while he gives us an overview of growing grapes. This is the reason why I started writing this article on my mind. Amidst the different wine seminars that I had attended in the past, this one gives us the heart to understanding wines.
Wine is a living product according to him. The vine is a generous plant like mothers or parents in general. They grow easily and even survive in the most direst of situations. The vine roots dig deeper into the soil, almost two or three meters deep only to find nutrients for its fruits. The vine has to suffer for the grapes to be better. Its no wonder to see almost a dying vine with few leaves but a fruit so rich in minerals and other characteristics. This is the best grapes that will give you the best wine. Of course, other factors come to play like temperature, humidity and the type of soil for the vines to grow. But the mere idea on how much struggle the plant has to do in order for its roots to search for food is mind-blowing.
This has been running back and forth in my mind as I continue exploring the barrels of wine in the underground cavern. St Emilion is famous for its wine caverns, an ancient way of storing wine back in the middle ages that said to be a perfect place in keeping the barrels’ humidity and temperature. A vine in addition does not have to bear so much grapes. In fact, it should only bear grapes enough for a bottle of wine. It’s the quality that matters and not the quantity. It’s how rich the grapes that matters the most.
To sum everything up, I come to appreciate life even better. It’s kinda funny to think that I have to suffer just so my life will be better. But it’s true. I have to work hard and even harder to find something good in this life. I can only be good in one thing and I do intend to be best of it. As I am taking a photo of the vineyards, the cellar master’s voice reverberates in my mind. “ It’s not enough that this kind of vine produces good grapes in three locations. You should find only one perfect location among the three. For the best wine doesn’t depend so much on the grape varieties but more so on that one perfect location where that particular grape will perform the most. And when you find it, then you have to plant it, monitor it, check the weather, find the best time to harvest it and pour your heart into it”.
I inhaled the rich smell of the Grand Cru Classe of St Emilion. Against a white cloth you’ll see a semi deep red in color, almost like ruby. You shake the glass a bit before the deep, rich liquid touches your lips. You can taste the wood, others more about the grape. They say that wine is a bottled poetry. For only wine elicits such myriads of sensations from one person to another. And after that, you’ll check the label. Ahhh, it was 1998. Only then you’ll realize how a good year that was!
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