Discovering Bordeaux: So much more than the wine capital of the world • FRANCE 24 English

Welcome to Bordeaux. When you think of this southwestern port city, probably one thing comes to mind. Wine. But Bordeaux is about so much more than just that. It's filled with local delicacies linked to the history of the city and the region around it. So what can Bordeaux's foods, and especially wines, tell us about the area? Well, join us as we discover this beautiful region. If you ask people to name one wine in the world, chances are they'll probably say Bordeaux. Bordeaux wines are known for their elegance, complexity, and class. Some people say they're the best wines in the world, which is debatable, of course. They're certainly among the most prestigious. And in any case, there is no doubt that wine is the pride and joy of Bordeaux. It's been very beneficial to the local economy. Over the years, the city of Bordeaux has flourished, thanks in part to the wine trade. There's even an entire museum devoted to wine. It's called La Cité du Vin. Solène Jaboulay, you are the Director of Marketing and Communication here at the Cité du Vin, this one-of-a-kind museum that was inaugurated in 2016. Why did Bordeaux need a wine museum? Well, I guess you know that the history of Bordeaux has been closely linked to wine for ages, so it was just obvious that we needed a wine museum. But Cité du Vin is not really a wine museum, not a traditional museum, because the idea is to speak about wine all around the world as a cultural heritage, like gastronomy is a heritage, wine is also a heritage. The museum is run by the Foundation for the Culture and the Civilization of Wine. How has wine been important in the world's culture and the culture of France? Wine has been present in many civilizations, from the Greek to the Egyptian and up to now. And in France, you're right, we have a particular history with wine. First, the climate and the soil of many regions of France are very fit to cultivate vines and to grow vineyards. And then it's been part of the history, as gastronomy is very important in France, wine is also very important. And that's it, I would make wine so important in France. And when you think about a museum, you think about paintings or sculptures. What in the world do you find in a wine museum? Well, here you won't see pictures, you won't see objects. There are many screens and there are many interactive videos. Most of the things are digital. The idea was to use new technologies to explain in very simple ways and words what is wine, what is culture. We are accessible to anyone, mostly to those who don't know anything about wine, but also to experts and to people from around the world, because Cité du Vin has been visited in eight languages. And one of the cool things in this museum is that you can discover how wine affects your senses, including your sense of smell. Absolutely. We have a big buffet of various aromas that you can smell and try to guess what they are. Aromas you can find in white wines and in red wines. And the idea is to make you realize that by smelling wine and by tasting wine, you can find all these various aromas and you really use your senses. The world of wine can be a little bit intimidating at times. Are you trying to demystify the world of wine? Absolutely. The purpose of the Cité du Vin is to make wine accessible to anyone in very simple words, so that anyone can understand how you make wine, how to open a bottle, how to serve wine, the link between wine and art de vivre. So anything you could imagine about wine is present here in the Cité du Vin. When you visit this museum, one of the best parts is the end, where you get to taste wines from around the world. But coming back to Bordeaux, people tend to associate Bordeaux with red wine, but there's really something for everyone. There's white and sparkling. Here are some fun facts to know about the Bordeaux region. Known as the Pearl of Aquitaine, Bordeaux is the fifth most populated city in France, after Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Lille. It's also a beautiful and exciting tourist destination. The elegant city center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, behind the veneer of the hundreds of stunning historic sites and monuments is a sinister legacy. Bordeaux made part of its fortune from slavery. Between the 17th and 19th century, Bordeaux was France's second largest port of the African slave trade. Today, there are moves to grapple with the city's dark past, but traditionally, the historical spotlight has been put on the region's thriving wine trade. Vines were first introduced to the region in the first century by the Romans, but international trade really kicked off when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England in the 12th century. The export of Bordeaux wines to London started booming and has continued to the present day. Located on the Gironde estuary at the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, Bordeaux is the biggest fine wine-producing area in the world and France's largest AOC, Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, which means that in order to be labeled as a Bordeaux wine, it must come from this specific area of France. Within the region, there are over 50 different appellations, like Saint-Émilion, Margaux, and Pomme-Rolie. With some 7,000 winemakers, Bordeaux is France's undisputed wine capital. 20 bottles of Bordeaux wines are sold every second around the world. A common feature among Bordeaux wines are the beautiful domains where they're produced, like the Château de Malraie with its 17th-century castle. Tell us about the château and the wines you make here. We're in Bordeaux, in the region of Bordeaux. We're on the left bank of the Médoc River. We're on soils that are much more sandy and gravel-covered. We have about 55 hectares of vineyards here, and we produce about 150,000 to 200,000 bottles a year. The wines are very fruity, and the tannins are very supple and silky. You mentioned the soil. People often say that Bordeaux is the best wine in the world. Could the soil be the secret? The soil is of great importance, but so is the climate. We're in an oceanic zone, with alternating rains and sunsets, temperatures that are pleasant and that are very conducive to the production of wine. Bordeaux wines can sometimes have the reputation of being quite expensive. Are they a luxury product, or are they still somewhat accessible? In general, Bordeaux wines are not expensive at all. If you want to compare, they cost consumers between 10 and 20 euros. So it's quite affordable. Like in all the wine regions, there are stars that are sold at prices where there are three zeros behind the first number. There are a few stars, but in general, Bordeaux wines are very affordable. Many wine producers around France have talked about the challenges of climate change. Is that something that you've noticed here in the Bordeaux region too? I'm not a climatosceptic, but there is warming. It's undeniable. But we have periods with excesses, excesses of water, excesses of cold, excesses of heat. We've always had that for decades, for centuries. It has always existed. We have a whole range to deal with climate change. So hopefully, Bordeaux wines have a long future ahead of them. Thank you so much for being with us today. Merci de votre visite. And this being France, we have to remind you to drink responsibly. Bordeaux isn't just all about the wine, of course. There is a lot more to discover here as well. Well, a lot here revolves around the water. The city is built along the Garonne River and the Atlantic Ocean is not that far away. We're off to meet the last remaining professional fishermen here in Bordeaux. We're here with Jean-Marie Oshkorn. You are Le Fisheur de Bordeaux and you're out here on the river come rain, come shine. You fish according to the seasons. What are you looking for today? The Garonne River looks muddy because of the clay soil which is actually why the wine and the food are so great here at times. But actually, you were telling me the river itself is the cleanest in France. And what are the specialties of the Garonne River? We have a centuries-old tradition to fish and to consume the river and now we can find these shrimps in the best restaurants in Bordeaux and also in the markets. And if people want to try them, they come with me on the boat to discover how we catch them and then I make them grill the shrimps on the boat. It's quite nice. So you actually bring tourists out to discover the rich diversity of La Garonne. If you're interested, you can check out Le Pêcheur de Bordeaux. Thank you so much for being with us. You're welcome. If you've got a sweet tooth, you're going to love Bordeaux's signature pastry, the Canelé. The treat says a lot about Bordeaux's history. You can find them literally on every street corner and you can also make them at home. And it's interesting that there's vanilla and rum in the Canelés because they don't come at all from France. And then, in exchange, we get sugar and rum, cane sugar. That's how the Canelé appeared in Bordeaux because of the triangular trade. First, we break the eggs, put the sugar in the eggs, and mix them. Then we add the milk, we dilute the mixture, we add the vanilla pod, and we add the rum and melted butter to the mixture. We leave it for at least 24 to 48 hours in the fridge. And then we can put it in a brass pan, grease the pan, and we bake it for almost an hour to get the caramelized layer of the Canelé. So the Canelés have come out of the oven. How do you know when you've got a good Canelé? A Canelé should be crispy, so it should have a fairly thick layer of crispiness. And then it should have a very soft interior, almost melting with this alveolus. It's like good bread. We have this caramelized, crispy layer on the outside and a very soft interior. That looks delicious. Yes. Thank you very much, Luca. And a big thank you to Maëva. Now you can make them at home. Well, that's it for this special French Connections in Bordeaux. We'll leave you here at the Monument aux Girondins. But before we go, a big thank you to our team, Georges Yazbeck and Louise Morer. Is there another region of France that you'd love to discover? If so, why don't you reach out and we'll try and make it the next stop on our culinary Tour de France. And we'll see you soon for another episode of French Connections+. Versailles, Mont-Saint-Michel, the Louvre are well-known stars of French heritage. But French genius and France harbors many other hidden treasures. 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