EXPORTS OF THE MOST ACCLAIMED FRENCH TERROIRS, BORDEAUX IN THE LEAD, SOAR IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF 2011, BUT THE BRITISH MAGAZINE “DECANTER” SAYS THE BEST WINE FROM A BORDEAUX BLEND IS CHINESE

Oddities in the wine world. The news that exports of the most acclaimed terroirs of France, Bordeaux in the lead, in 2011 are increasing in volume and value, refers to a consolidated status quo. The fact that the British magazine “Decanter” in its “Decanter Wine Awards 2011” should crown a wine produced in China as the best “Bordeaux blend” in the world, suggests that traditional positions are no longer so certain.

In the first 6 months of 2011, exports of French wine have increased 5% in volume and 15% in value compared to 2010, exceeding 3 billion euros, according to Ubifrance. Bordeaux, symbol of the French wine making regions, “leads” (+26% sales value and +34% volume), while Burgundy, Champagne and the Rhone Valley are all on a positive trend. The downside is Alsace, Languedoc and the Loire Valley, which have decreased their exports in both volume and value.

But the best wine from a Bordeaux blend is Chinese, the “Bei Jia Lan 2009” from the He Qing Lan Xue winery that produces it in the region of Ningxia. It won the “International Trophy” category in the Decanter magazine contest (WineNews published the Italian awards on May 18, 2011), beating Bordeaux blend products around the world, from Argentina to the U.S.A., from Australia to Bordeaux. Like it or not, this news gives pause for reflection.