Archive
By month
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- December 202533
Appellations
Saint-Émilion 50Médoc 46Margaux 24Sauternes 23Pomerol 21Pauillac 18Pessac-Léognan 14Entre-deux-Mers 9- Bordeaux AOC8
Graves 8Saint-Estèphe 7Saint-Julien 7Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux 6Crémant de Bordeaux 6Haut-Médoc 6Barsac 5Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 5Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux 4Listrac-Médoc 4Bordeaux Supérieur 3Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 3Fronsac 3Lalande-de-Pomerol 3Canon-Fronsac 2Côtes de Bourg 2Moulis 2Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux 2Graves de Vayres 1Montagne-Saint-Émilion 1
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Bordeaux embraces fresher, earlier-drinking wines
Bordeaux producers are developing fresher, more fruit-forward wines that can be consumed sooner as climate change, changing consumer preferences and economic pressure reshape the region, while retaining traditional age-worthy blends. The 15th edition of Bordeaux Tasting will showcase this diversity on December 12 and 13.
This is a strategic expansion of Bordeaux’s identity. More approachable styles could help the region reach drinkers who do not want to wait years for tannins to soften.
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Cruse family sells
Médoc château after 130 yearsThe Cruse family sold
Château du Taillan in theHaut-Médoc to French businessman Laurent Marti after 130 years of ownership. Classified as Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, the château has 110 hectares, including 24 hectares of vineyards, and will retain its classification.Long-held château sales can signal changes in investment, vineyard management and market positioning. The buyer's plans will determine what this ownership change means for the property.
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The science behind Bordeaux’s smoke risk
Wildfires reached Bordeaux’s city limits in July 2026, putting the region’s wine at risk because smoke taint can remain hidden until the first sip, according to C&EN.
A scientific perspective can help distinguish visible smoke exposure from meaningful effects on grapes or wine. That distinction will shape how the 2026 vintage is discussed.
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Mouton Cadet tries a more approachable Bordeaux message
Mouton Cadet is promoting differences between Bordeaux’s Left and Right Bank with Les Deux Rives, a 2-wine range sold in European airports for around €30 per 75cl bottle, according to The Drinks Business. The brand also created an app to match consumers with Rive Gauche or Rive Droite.
A prominent label’s attempt to loosen Bordeaux’s formal image directly addresses the region’s struggle to attract and retain consumers.
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Ten affordable red Bordeaux to consider
Food & Wine selected 10 affordable red Bordeaux wines as quality options without luxury pricing.
Value remains one of Bordeaux’s clearest routes to new drinkers. Lists like this can redirect attention from the region’s most expensive labels to the broader market.
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Bordeaux’s crisis becomes a question of emotion
On September 28, 2026, Pierre Taïx, who heads 95 hectares of vines in the Libournais, argued that Bordeaux should emphasize the strengths and pleasure its wines can provide to overcome the sector’s difficulties, according to Sud Ouest.
The diagnosis goes beyond pricing or distribution. It asks whether Bordeaux’s market problem is also one of communication, identity and consumer attachment.
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Climate, tariffs and demand converge in Bordeaux
Guillaume Duluc, who farms 90 hectares north of Bordeaux, said extreme weather cut roughly half his crop as sales fell and farm supply costs doubled over the past 2 years, according to The Globe and Mail.
The report places vineyard adaptation and market pressure in the same frame. For many growers, the environmental and commercial challenges cannot be managed separately.
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What wildfire smoke could mean for Bordeaux 2026
Wildfire smoke could affect grapes and finished wine in Bordeaux’s 2026 vintage, according to Food & Wine.
Smoke exposure adds a specific quality risk to an already challenging vintage narrative. Producers, buyers and critics will need evidence before judging how widely the issue matters.
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How much longer will Bordeaux bashing persist?
Wine editor Hans-Martin Gesellmann spoke to Falstaff about criticism of Bordeaux and the region’s continuing reputation challenges.
The debate goes beyond individual wines. How critics and consumers frame Bordeaux affects the region’s standing at a moment when climate, pricing and hierarchy are all under scrutiny.
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The 2023 Bordeaux release reaches BC Liquor Stores
The 2023 Bordeaux wine release has reached BC Liquor Stores in British Columbia.
The release provides a direct view of how the latest bottled vintage is being presented to buyers in British Columbia, from availability to the wines selected for the market.
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Jean Bernard named president of the Cité du Vin
Jean Bernard was elected unanimously as president of the Fondation de la Cité du Vin in Bordeaux in June 2026, after serving on its board since 2025.
The institution sits at the intersection of wine culture, tourism and public engagement. Its leadership helps shape how Bordeaux presents wine to visitors and the wider industry.
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Château Coutet makes a case for ancestral viticultureChâteau Coutet , a family-ownedSaint-Émilion estate, continues using longstanding vineyard methods, including mule-powered harvest transport, amid climate and economic pressure.Coutet provides a useful counterpoint to technology-led adaptation. Its approach asks whether soil protection, lighter vineyard traffic and generational continuity can deliver resilience without remaking the identity of the property.
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Bordeaux opens a laboratory for warmer-climate wine research
According to Vinetur, Bordeaux researchers opened Oenoledge, a joint laboratory in Villenave-d’Ornon near Bordeaux, on September 3 to study yeasts and other microorganisms that can reduce alcohol, restore acidity and preserve wine style during fermentation.
Following a record-early and exceptionally warm 2026 harvest, adaptation is moving from long-term theory to immediate operational need. Research into vine behavior, ripening and wine balance will increasingly shape planting and cellar decisions across the region.
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Sauternes 2023 confirms its balance in bottleSauternes andBarsac ’s 2023 classified growths are now bottled, showing richness, freshness, botrytis expression and immediate appeal, with acidity higher than in 2022.Sauternes needs vintages that combine classical concentration with freshness and accessibility. The first post-bottling view suggests 2023 could support a more contemporary, less ceremonious case for drinking sweet Bordeaux. -
Bordeaux records its hottest growing season in 133 years
According to Revista ADEGA, Bordeaux’s 2026 growing season was its hottest in 133 years. Temperatures exceeded 35°C on 1 in 3 days between May and July, while rainfall totaled 54 mm against a 141 mm average.
Heat alone does not determine quality, but its interaction with drought, vine age, soils and harvest timing will shape both alcohol levels and acid balance. The claim also raises the stakes for how the trade eventually describes 2026.
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Record earliness defines Bordeaux’s 2026 harvest
Consultants Romain Bocchio and Frédéric Massie assess a historically early 2026 harvest in Gironde after an exceptionally dry summer.
Picking dates will determine whether the 2026s retain freshness and aromatic definition or reflect the season primarily through concentration and warmth. Differences between water-retentive clay and faster-draining gravel could be especially revealing.
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Why Bordeaux’s second wines are called second
The 10th Foire aux Seconds Vins will take place on October 10, featuring wines assembled from lots excluded from a château’s grand vin.
Second wines make selection visible and often provide earlier-drinking access to classified estates. Their growing prominence also raises questions about pricing, vineyard sources and how clearly each label expresses the parent château.
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The most expensive Bordeaux wines of 2026
Wine-Searcher identifies the Bordeaux wines with the highest asking prices in 2026.
The top end offers a useful reading of scarcity, brand strength and collector preference, although advertised prices do not necessarily indicate transaction volume. The composition of the list can also show where mature vintages or rare formats carry the largest premiums.
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Premières Côtes de Bordeaux seeks a 3-colour futurePremières Côtes de Bordeaux has applied to INAO to expand beyond sweet white wine and authorize a broader range of styles under its name.Approval could give growers greater commercial flexibility while reconnecting the appellation name with the full potential of its terroir. The decision will test how far Bordeaux’s regulatory structure can adapt to changing demand.
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Michelin’s Bordeaux château ranking reaches new audiences
A Portuguese-language report introduces Michelin’s new grape-based selection of Bordeaux estates, framing it as an extension of the group’s hospitality ratings.
International coverage shows that the ranking is already influencing how Bordeaux estates are presented beyond traditional wine media. Its lasting importance will depend on whether consumers use it for visits, purchases or both.
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A 27-vintage vertical charts Giscours’ recovery
According to Jancis Robinson,
Château Giscours rebuilt its quality after a difficult period, based on an assessment of 27 vintages.Long verticals reveal whether an estate’s improvement is durable rather than vintage-dependent. For collectors, the exercise can also identify overlooked mature vintages from before market recognition fully caught up.
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Château Fourcas Dupré completed a 3-year transformation in June, following Gérard Jicquel’s 2019 acquisition of theListrac-Médoc estate.Substantial investment in
Listrac is significant when many Bordeaux properties face pressure on margins and demand. The project also tests how far capital, positioning and renewed facilities can elevate an appellation that remains relatively accessible. -
Michelin’s Bordeaux Ratings Draw Criticism
Michelin’s first Bordeaux grape selection, unveiled at the Cité du Vin, gives 3 grapes to 9 estates, 2 to 16 and 1 to 37, and lists 21 more without a grape. Wine experts have criticized its methods and its judgment of whole estates rather than vintages.
Any new hierarchy must contend with Bordeaux’s existing classifications, critical consensus and market pricing. The reaction will help determine whether Michelin’s grapes become a useful consumer signal or remain chiefly a tourism and publicity device.
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Bordeaux 2025 report highlights potential bargains
Blick tasted more than 300 wines on site from the 2025 vintage and identified bargains across Bordeaux’s regions. The publication called the vintage one of the most interesting in decades.
A value-led narrative could help 2025 gain traction with drinkers who have resisted recent Bordeaux release pricing.
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UK buyers deliver their verdict on new Bordeaux clarets
UK Bordeaux Claret importers debated the new Claret classification with the Bordeaux et
Bordeaux Supérieur Wine Union at an event hosted by The Buyer. The discussion addressed how to introduce the classification to the UK market while protecting existing Bordeaux Claret business.Buyer reactions reveal whether Bordeaux’s current mix of style, positioning and price is connecting with a crucial export market.
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Bordeaux négociants look beyond the region
The annual Beyond Bordeaux event showcases wines from outside the region that are being presented through Bordeaux’s merchant network.
Portfolio diversification gives négociants additional revenue streams and shows how La Place expertise is being applied beyond traditional Bordeaux releases.
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How Bordeaux is adapting to climate change
Climate change is altering Bordeaux and its wine, according to DW.
Adaptation choices in the vineyard will increasingly determine alcohol levels, freshness, harvest timing and the viability of individual sites.
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Bordeaux: One Region, Many Voices
A new generation of Bordeaux winemakers is producing fresher, lower-alcohol red wines with greater stylistic variety. Since 2023,
Entre-deux-Mers has been authorized to produce reds, with around 40 growers making roughly 1 million bottles at a target price of £10-15 a bottle.Bordeaux’s current story is increasingly fragmented. Harvest conditions, commercial pressure and consumer demand affect classified estates, family properties and peripheral appellations in markedly different ways.
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The Commanderie de Bordeaux in Focus
The Commanderie de Bordeaux promotes Bordeaux wines and culture.
Bordeaux’s international confréries remain useful channels for education, networking and market development, particularly beyond the region’s traditional European base.
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Bordeaux’s Second Wines Fair Marks 10 Years
Terre de Vins and Cash Vin will bring the tenth Foire aux seconds vins to Hangar 14 on October 11, combining estate tastings with direct purchases.
Second wines offer consumers a practical route into established château portfolios. The event’s longevity also suggests sustained demand for recognizable Bordeaux names at more accessible prices.
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Michelin names 9 top-tier Bordeaux estates
Nine Bordeaux châteaux received Michelin’s highest three-grape distinction in the guide’s first regional selection following Burgundy.
The system introduces a new, consumer-facing judgment of estate quality across the
Médoc ,Saint-Émilion and the wider region. Its influence will depend on whether collectors and visitors treat the grapes as a serious complement to Bordeaux’s established classifications. -
Ducru-Beaucaillou sets its fifth Harvest Festival
The
Saint-Julien estate will welcome the public on October 18 for masterclasses, carriage rides to the Gironde and a traditional harvest banquet.The festival gives consumers unusually broad access to a classified-growth estate at the close of the growing season. It also shows how leading châteaux are using hospitality to build relationships beyond allocations and formal tastings.
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The Cité du Vin opens its autumn cultural season
The programme runs through December with tastings, talks, music, sensory events and encounters focused on wine culture.
The new season follows a summer affected by major fires and arrives during the Cité du Vin’s tenth-anniversary year. Attendance will offer an early indication of how strongly Bordeaux’s cultural tourism can recover outside the summer peak.
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A guide to Bordeaux vintages ending in 6
Decanter surveys Bordeaux vintages whose years end in 6, comparing their character, quality and historical significance.
For collectors, the exercise is a useful warning against treating decades as coherent stylistic families. Growing conditions, appellation performance and bottle provenance matter far more than the final digit.
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Bordeaux Tasting returns in December
Bordeaux Tasting will return on 12 and December 13, 2026 for an anniversary edition, with ticket sales now open.
Large consumer tastings remain an important point of contact between estates and drinkers, particularly as Bordeaux works to broaden engagement beyond traditional trade channels.
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Sainsbury’s launches a £5.45 Bordeaux
Sainsbury’s launched CH Pierre Bordeaux at £5.45 on September 11, 2026. Made from grapes from
Entre-deux-Mers , the wine blends 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc.At this price, the story is less about fine wine than Bordeaux’s competitiveness in mass retail. It tests whether regional identity can still carry weight in a highly price-sensitive category.
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Cheval Blanc calls 2026 a vintage of records
Director Pierre Olivier Clouet says the 2026 vintage looks highly promising despite exceptional heat. The Saint Émilion estate is navigating an intense harvest with experienced local picking teams.
Cheval Blanc offers an important early reading of conditions on the Right Bank, particularly for Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It remains one estate's assessment, but its harvest decisions and eventual balance will influence the wider 2026 narrative.
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Bordeaux and California face off in Manila
A Manila tasting is marking 50 years since the Judgment of Paris by placing Bordeaux and California wines in direct comparison.
Comparative tastings remain a powerful way to test Bordeaux's reputation with international collectors. They also show how California has moved from challenger to established peer in many global markets.
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The
Médoc Marathon brings wine country to the courseCostumed runners in the
Médoc Marathon stop for local wine, oysters and regional food as they run through Bordeaux’s wine country.The marathon gives
Médoc estates direct visibility beyond traditional tastings and château visits. That kind of cultural reach matters as Bordeaux seeks deeper relationships with consumers rather than relying solely on established trade channels. -
Bordeaux Wine Tourism Extends the Season
Bordeaux estates and appellations are expanding their wine tourism offerings to extend the visitor season beyond summer, following a climatically difficult summer for the region.
Direct visits increasingly support estate visibility, cellar-door sales and consumer loyalty, particularly for properties without extensive international distribution. Extending the season can also make tourism a steadier commercial channel rather than a short summer supplement.
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Pessac-Léognan Questions Its AssumptionsEstates across
Pessac-Léognan are reconsidering drainage, planting density, harvest decisions and aging practices. The objective is adaptation without losing the appellation's recognisable Bordeaux identity.These choices affect water availability, fruit maturity, alcohol levels and the balance between extraction and freshness.
Pessac-Léognan offers an important test of how established Bordeaux appellations can adapt without defaulting to a completely new stylistic model. -
Falstaff Profiles 2025 B de Bastor-Lamontagne
Falstaff profiled the 2025 B de Bastor-Lamontagne Bordeaux.
Individual reviews help merchants and drinkers track wines that sit outside Bordeaux's most heavily covered labels. They also provide an early indication of how the broader 2025 offer is being presented to international readers.
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2025
Château Bonnet Blanc enters focusFalstaff profiled
Château Bonnet Blanc 2025, a new release fromEntre-deux-Mers .Entre-deux-Mers remains one of Bordeaux's most useful sources of accessible dry white wine. Early reviews will help establish how the 2025 vintage balances ripeness, freshness and immediate drinkability. -
2024 Confidence de Bastor-Lamontagne reviewed
Falstaff reviewed 2024 Confidence de Bastor-Lamontagne, a wine associated with
Château Bastor-Lamontagne in theSauternes area.The profile adds another data point for a difficult and closely scrutinized 2024 vintage. It also keeps attention on the wider range of wines emerging from the
Sauternes sector, beyond the region's headline classified sweet wines. -
Michelin's Bordeaux selection expands to 83 estates
Michelin unveiled its first Bordeaux wine selection at the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, distinguishing 83 estates: 9 with 3 grapes, 16 with 2 grapes and 37 with 1 grape, plus 21 recommended estates.
A new external hierarchy can redirect attention toward estates outside Bordeaux's established classifications. The next test is whether recognition produces measurable gains in restaurant listings, visitor demand and international distribution.
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Michelin’s Bordeaux List Draws a Different Bordeaux Hierarchy
Vino Joy reads the Michelin selection of Bordeaux estates against the classifications and finds a different order underneath it:
Margaux , Mouton Rothschild and Haut-Brion are not at the top of the selection, Latour is not on it at all, and the counts published for it do not agree with each other. -
France’s wine harvest devastated by heatwaves as Champagne production halves
France is projected to produce 33.9 million hectolitres of wine in 2026, 6% below 2025 and 17% below its 2021 to 2025 average, after its hottest summer yet. Champagne output is expected to fall 49%, while Bordeaux is forecast to rebound 10% from 2025.
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10 Winemakers Crafting Bordeaux's Finest Wines
10 winemakers are crafting Bordeaux’s finest wines.
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Second Bordeaux Cellars fraudster sentenced
Stephen Burton was sentenced to 6 years in prison on September 3, 2026, for his role in the Bordeaux Cellars wine investment scam, which involved more than 140 victims and almost US$100 million in losses.
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Bordeaux wine: How does hand harvesting work at a
Saint-Émilion classified growth?How hand harvesting is carried out at a classified growth in
Saint-Émilion , seen from inside the vineyard during the harvest. -
Bordeaux opens the 2026 harvest with Merlot already being picked
Bordeaux opened its 2026 harvest with Merlot already being picked on September 4, 2026, while Cabernet Sauvignon was maturing more slowly after rain altered berry weight, juice volume and malic acid in some parcels, according to ISVV.
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Does dealcoholisation erase terroir?
Grands Chais de France began researching alcohol-free wine in the 2000s, released its first cuvées in 2015 and has operated dealcoholisation units in Bordeaux since 2021. The group says alcohol-free wine could eventually represent 10% of sales.
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Peter Dean on 32 new wines that offer a fresh look at Bordeaux
Peter Dean selected 32 modern Bordeaux wines spanning different colors, styles and appellations, with value and drinkability as priorities.
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Looking back at the first Odyssey of the Two Banks
Vignobles de l’Estuaire held its first Odyssée des deux rives tasting on Île de Patiras for local wine influencers and trade prescribers. Around forty growers presented red and white wines from
Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux ,Côtes de Bourg ,Médoc andHaut-Médoc . -
The New Faces of the Bordeaux Reds
According to Foodepedia, Bordeaux reds are being made in fresher, brighter and more versatile styles, including fruit-forward, single-varietal, organic, biodynamic and lighter wines.
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Fires in Gironde scorched 42,000 hectares by July 30, while producers and trade associations indicated that the impact on Bordeaux's 2026 vintage was less grave than widely suggested, according to The Drinks Business.
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Emirates Elevates Onboard Experience With Exceptional Wines and Champagnes in 2026
Emirates is refreshing its 2026 onboard wine program across its global network, featuring prestigious Champagnes and wines. First Class will include
Château Mouton Rothschild 2003 alongside Dom Pérignon Vintage 2017. -
Cabernet Sauvignon Day: 15 top-scoring wines to seek out
Decanter highlighted 15 top-scoring wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2026 Decanter World Wine Awards for International Cabernet Sauvignon Day.
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What summer 2026 is permanently changing in the Bordeaux vineyard as the harvest advances
Bordeaux began its earliest harvest on record on August 6, 2026, when the first grapes for crémant were picked nearly 1 month ahead of the usual schedule after summer heat pushed ripening forward.
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A Tour Along Bordeaux's Riverbanks and Its Great Wines
A tour follows Bordeaux's riverbanks and its great wines.
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How wildfires are scorching France’s wine industry
Wildfires burned at least 465,000 hectares in France since the start of 2026, including areas of Gironde near Bordeaux, as the wine industry faced heatwaves and lower sales, according to Al Jazeera.
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Red Bordeaux posted a 19% export value slump in early 2026
Red Bordeaux export value fell 19% and export volume dropped 8% from January through April 2026, according to Nomisma Wine Monitor data reported by Wine-Searcher. The average value earned per unit shipped declined by about 12%.
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Château La Tour Figeac : An estate among illustrious companyChâteau La Tour Figeac in St-Emilion was created from land sold byChâteau Figeac in 1879 and divided again in 1881; despite its name, the estate has no tower, according to decanter.com. -
Hailstorm shortly before the grape harvest in Gironde
A hailstorm swept across Gironde's right bank on August 26, shortly before harvest, with hail reaching 20 centimeters in vineyards and severely affecting
Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux , according to Blick. -
Saint-Émilion invites you to the Harvest FestivalSaint-Émilion ’s Grands Crus Classés will open 45 châteaux for the fourth Fête des Vendanges on October 10 to 11, 2026. The public event includes vineyard walks, workshops, winery visits and shared winemaker meals marking the end of the 2026 harvest. -
“What was exceptional has become the norm”: early harvests, with highly uncertain volumes
Harvests are starting earlier while production volumes remain highly uncertain, according to Les Echos.
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