Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11
Bordeaux Diners Shun Local Wine in Casual Restaurants as Natural Bottles Crowd Tables
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11

Bordeaux Diners Shun Local Wine in Casual Restaurants as Natural Bottles Crowd Tables

2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11

Summary

  • Casual restaurants in Bordeaux are serving a striking local anomaly: patrons are often drinking Loire Valley, Burgundy and especially natural wines instead of Bordeaux.
  • Spring visits found Bordeaux largely missing from both tables and many wine lists in the city’s everyday dining spots, even though wine remains the default drink with meals.
  • That pattern breaks with most French wine regions, where local bottles usually dominate outside the highest-end restaurants.
  • Michelin-starred venues in Bordeaux and restaurants out in vineyard areas still offer plenty of Bordeaux, underscoring a split between the city’s casual scene and its traditional wine identity.

Insights

Is Bordeaux's local identity crisis a warning sign for other traditional wine regions worldwide?
As Bordeaux's wine empire falters at home, will this crisis finally make its coveted bottles more affordable?