Words by Aidy Smith
Bordeaux and Cocktails. At first glance your mind is probably a little boggled at how could these two words have anything in common? Well, there’s a very obvious link – and it’s not the Bordeaux’s top shelf reds. Bordeaux has large a production of white, sparkling and, most importantly for cocktails, sweet wine.
Sweet Bordeaux has become side-lined over the years as a ‘seasonal trend’, appearing mainly around Christmas and other celebratory dates but it doesn’t have to be. This baffles the locals who drink their sweet wines as aperitifs, with main courses and as everyday tipples. To its producers, the moniker ‘dessert wine’ is akin to uttering the word Voldemort in Harry Potter (that’s not a good thing).
While the older generation winemakers have tended to treat the notion of ‘Sweet Bordeaux Cocktails’ with dismay - it has been left to the younger generation winemakers to push for innovation, strive for change and educate the world on Sweet Bordeaux Cocktails.
Why does it work?
The keyword here is balance – that strike between acidity and sweetness. The wine acts as a perfect base in a cocktail, allowing a variety of spirits whether sweet, acidic, bitter or spicy to harmonise in the glass.
They also work really well when used as the base in sparkling cocktails (especially with champagne and English sparkling wine) as the acidity equalises incredibly well.
Sweet Bordeaux comes in different prices and quality tiers. Starting with entry level, Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux wines, which you can expect to display typical aromas of grapefruit and citrus with a distinct sweetness that balances well alongside acidity.
As you move to the mid-tier, sweet Bordeaux wines from Loupiac, Cadillac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont offer a more structured profile, perfect for more sophisticated and complex cocktails. Here you can expect more abundant tropical notes to act as the base of a cocktail, such as dried mango, pineapple, apricot and even banana.
Finally you have the top tier choices from the likes of Barsac and Sauternes, which range from the mid-£20’s to £100’s based on the notoriety of the Chateau or brand. Highly complex in nature with candied fruits, honey and orange peel being the staple notes, these are ideal for the high-end cocktail.
What are they doing to encourage the use of sweet wines in cocktails?
The Sweet Bordeaux group as well as a handful of producers are spending an increasing amount of time with bartending and mixology schools. While producers such as Cartron and Bastor Lamontagne have emerged as pioneers of the movement, others are following in suit and there are even examples of some SB brands being created specifically with cocktails in mind. A good example of this would be SO Sauternes and their infamous Sojito cocktail (a mix up of the Mojito with Sauternes).
Sweet Bordeaux cocktails have also made more appearances at global trade tastings as the group continues to emphasise their wines can be enjoyed as more than just a food pairing and aperitif.
Given that Sweet Bordeaux has been around in the UK for centuries, why is the breakthrough happening now?
As the snobbery barriers of the wine industry continue to diminish and technology makes exploring and understanding wines easier (i.e. look at the sheer impact of apps such as Vivino), younger generation drink enthusiasts are beginning to pay a lot more attention to wines.
Pair this newfound awareness and thirst to discover with a UK drinks industry renowned for world class mixology innovation and it’s not difficult to see why this new form of cocktail is beginning to show its face.
What makes SB better than other sweet wines in the market?
The Sweet Bordeaux group has carried out research that shows wines produced from botrytised grapes and affected by noble rot are much more flavoursome and intense than wines created from other production methods (port, sweet sherry, Muscat, Madeira etc).
An exceptionally wide range of aromas and tasting descriptors are Sweet Bordeaux’s USP, encompassing everything from ripe and tropical fruits to flowers, honey, orange peel and even spices. As a result, this allows sweet Bordeaux to become a solid choice for Mixologist’s wishing to add distinctive character within their drinks.
If there were ever a time to get involved and showcase some true innovation within the Sweet Bordeaux cocktail space, now would be it. Santé!
Aidy Recommends: The Sauternes French Martini
Ingredients
20ml Grand Marnier
30ml Rabaud Promis Sauternes
Lemon twist
Method
Add all ingredients to a shaker, add ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a glass and garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy!
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Tesco Finest Sauternes Half Bottle
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