We skipped August. Not a lot going on and I needed a break. Harvest has begun in Bordeaux with a slow start due to this year’s cool and rainy weather. Low yields due to mildew are anticipated. With the hail early in the season and rain, it’s going to be an interesting vintage.
Harvest begins but not without challenges: Low yield, high costs, and a lot of fruit sorting. Harvest has begun in Bordeaux. The latest from Vinetur.
New USDA Nutrition Guidelines: Meanwhile, the debate continues in the US about the government’s recommendations about how much wine to drink. While not directly related to Bordeaux, these recommendations trickle down into surprisingly interesting parts of life and many doctors may rethink what they consider safe alcohol consumption to be. There are a lot of articles floating around. This one features a study that may link wine to higher rates of death in older adults.
Bordeaux working to reinvent itself: This year’s tough vintage is another challenge facing the region along with overproduction, high prices, and changes in global buying. All of these meant the CIVB has launched its first new marketing campaign for Bordeaux in 10 years encouraging wine lovers to “Join the Bordeaux Crew.”
Something new and different: Chateau Issan is making waves with their experiments with a new white wine. “The new wine, which will be made from the 2024 vintage, uses four ‘very interesting’ varieties, Roussanne, Marsan, Viognier and Vermentino. However, it will be labelled as a Vin de France, as the varieties are not approved under the Bordeaux AOC or Bordeaux Supérieure.” Issan is leading the way with winemakers believing that innovation will move Bordeaux into a new age. From The Drinks Business.
The Olympics and Chateau Lafite: While we were taking a break over the summer, everyone was fascinated with the Olympics in Paris! Did you see that opening ceremony?! Of course, the symbolic hot air balloon (first launched in France in the 1780s) served as the cauldron. And, as Jane Anson notes, it’s a symbol of modernity – and added to the Chateau Lafite label in 2018.
Planning a trip to Bordeaux? Many CdB leaders will be in Bordeaux in September, so this could be a timely list. As travelers make plans, it’s always useful to have the latest list of great restaurants and wine bars. This one is the latest from Saint-Emilion.
Bordeaux news of note: The mayor of Bordeaux on his new initiative to ban cruise ships from Bordeaux.
Connecting. Creating. 
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