Sweet Wine From Bordeaux
One of my favorite wines in the world is the historic, yet always fashionable,
Sweet Wine From Bordeaux.
Sometimes called “Golden Bordeaux” this name describes both the color of this wine, as well as its “golden” stature in the world of fine wine.
Sweet wine from Bordeaux – or Golden Bordeaux – is used to describe a gold-colored wine from the region of Bordeaux, France.
Typically, you will find refreshing acidity, delicious aromas that can include fresh peach, apricot, and marmalade.Typically, you will find refreshing acidity, delicious aromas that can include fresh peach, apricot, and marmalade.
Sweet wine from Bordeaux can be enjoyed during the holidays and throughout the year.
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In France, for example, a chilled bottle of “Golden Bordeaux” wine is attractively displayed on ice and poured for guests as an aperitif as they arrive for a dinner party instead of the more commonplace Champagne. 3-star Michelin restaurants often pair “Golden Bordeaux” with main dishes such as sautéed scallops, as the high acidity, hint of sweetness, and exotic spices (caraway seeds, saffron) really marry with savory dishes.
Yet the fundamental reason people should enjoy “Golden Bordeaux” all year round is that it is an “affordable luxury.”
The delicious off-dry style of these wines and enticing aromas are enough to tempt wine-lovers, yet one can also appreciate the enormous amount of time, talent, and “luck” that goes into its production as the weather are crucial to its success.
Sweet Wine From Bordeaux – How Is It Made?
“Golden Bordeaux” is a wine from the Bordeaux region of France with vibrant refreshing acidity and varying amounts of residual sugar that render this wine “off-dry.”
The grapes are typically gathered in various “tries” to get the right amount of “noble rot,” and matured in French oak to give the wine luscious vanilla notes.
“Golden Bordeaux” wine has been highly prized for centuries, a nectar savored by kings, emperors, and tzars to celebrate special occasions. Historically, it had been completely out of reach for “common folk” because of its high price and limited production.
Though the production is still somewhat limited, the good news is that most “Golden Bordeaux” wine is affordable. No need to wait for a state dinner to indulge—just pop the cork and enjoy any time of the day.
“Golden Bordeaux” Pairs With Everything … but (mostly) not Dessert
Many people assume that they must wait for the end of meal to enjoy that much-deserved glass of “Golden Bordeaux.”Many people assume that they must wait for the end of meal to enjoy that much-deserved glass of “Golden Bordeaux.”
This off-dry style of wine is only rarely a brilliant match for dessert, especially if that dessert is sweet. It is much better to pair “Golden Bordeaux” alone as an apéritif, with a savory first course, or even a main course like turkey or fish.
You may be surprised to realize that before the 1920s “Golden Bordeaux” was never served with dessert at important dinners.
The wine meant to accompany dessert was reserved for Champagne! “Golden Bordeaux” was served with the fish dish, typically salmon, sole, brill, or turbot.
A classed-growth Bordeaux would follow that dish with the meat as the meal progressed.
Yet after the 1920s, culinary traditions changed drastically. Long dinners became a thing of the past. Formal meals had fewer courses, and “Golden Bordeaux” suddenly found itself inexplicably shifted to the end of the meal. By the 1980s, this trend of having “Golden Bordeaux” with dessert upset Madame Janin (wife of the then Chateau Climens estate manager) so much she refused to sell bottles of Climens to anyone who dared ask for it to pair with dessert.
Sweet Wine From Bordeaux – “Golden Bordeaux” Today
“Golden Bordeaux” can be found at a variety of price points and areas in the Bordeaux region including Sauternes and its villages, as well as Loupiac, Cadillac, Sainte Croix du Mont and more.
Easy Ways To Enjoy “Golden Bordeaux”
We can enjoy this wine as an apéritif, to accompany starters and first courses.
Or just to break open a bottle and share with a friend.
Though I’ve written many articles about Sauternes and the many ways it can pair with different entrees, an offer from Snooth intrigued me and the “Swaux” team to try pairing this off-dry wine with a variety of different savory snacks.
“Sweet Bordeaux” and snacks make sense.
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An amazing number of people don’t even bother with dinner anymore. After a long day at work, they really enjoy popping open a bottle of wine and enjoying the snack of their choice. And many of the suggested snacks (see list at end) can also be incorporated with whatever you have in the refrigerator to make a more complex meal. For example, the snack of Olli Calabrese Spicy Salami can be chopped up and used to power up what would have other been a plain omelet.
It was fun to try the various snacks with the different wines. I poured an ounce of each wine in a fresh glass (placing the bottle behind it) and put the snacks in the middle. Joining me was a friend, and we both had different “favorite” pairings. But what I can say is that there are no wrong choices. All the snacks were savory and had a hint of spice, which paired perfectly with all the wines.
2016 Chateau: Château Loupiac-Gaudiet
This wine went well with several assorted snacks, but I liked it best with “Guesto by Olli Calabrese Spicy Salami.” This is a superb wine and snack pairing to serve guests while waiting for the Turkey to finish cooking
2016 Chateau Lapinase
This delicious wine went very well with Sriracha cashes, as the vibrant acidity of the off-dry “Golden Bordeaux” was a perfect flavor match.
2016 Chateau Manos
I liked this wine alone, yet though it also paired well with the sweet potato crackers and the beet crackers. A good Thanksgiving idea is smash the crackers to sprinkle on the mashed potatoes. Serve this wine with the turkey and mashed potatoes.
2015 Chateau Filhot
This is a fabulous wine, with refreshing acidity and delicious spicy notes from aging in French oak. It would go great with the (hot!) Sriracha cashews.
2014 Chateau du Cros AOC Loupiac
This is a good match for the Jack Link Sweet & Hot Jerky. This can be a snack laid out for the holidays, or simply to enjoy with friends or family while watching a fun movie.
2011 Château Dauphine-Rondillon
This “Golden Bordeaux” wine would be great with Jalapeno Chicken Chips as a spicy pre-dinner snack.
2006 Castelnau de Suduiraut
This is the “2nd wine” of the distinguished Chateau Suduiraut. It has fresh acidity and would pair very well with Sriracha Cashews as a delicious snack.
2015 Château La Rame
This wine comes from Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. It is a brilliant match with sweet potato and beet crackers.
Final Thoughts
Anytime is the right time to enjoy “Golden Bordeaux” wine. The specific snacks for the pairing are below, yet “anything goes.”
The snacks included
– Sweet Potato Crackers
– Beet Crackers
– Sriracha Cashews
– Jalapeno Chicken Chips
– Gusto by Olli Calabrese Spicy Salami
– Jack Link Sweet & Hot Jerky
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