As producers, conoisseurs, investors and traders from every corner of the world converge on London this year, the talk of what lies in store for the wine market in 2012 could not be hotter. After some setbacks in 2011, Bordeaux is back in the saddle and the most knowledgeable investors are exploring new vintages and vineyards to discover the best buys of the season.
A unique trade-only event, which focuses heavily on the discovery of new wines and spirits, emerging countries and regions and new vintage releases, 20,000 wines from some 35 countries will be put on show, giving buyers and traders the opportunity to discover new wines and recent market trends.
The London International Wine Fair Conference will take place on Monday the 21st of May, followed the next three days day by the main fair. Excitement is mounting over the appearance of producers familiar and new, as they show off the best that their regions have to offer.
This year, Bordeaux will reassert itself as world leader, with its 116,160 hectares (287,000 acres) of vineyards, 57 appellations, 10,000 wine-producing châteaux and 13,000 grape growers. With an annual production of approximately 960 million bottles, Bordeaux produces some of the most exclusive wines in the world. Included are the area's five premier cru (first growth) red wines (four from Médoc and one, Château Haut-Brion, from Graves), established by the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
Red Bordeaux wines are generally made from a blend of grapes, and may be made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. White Bordeaux is made from Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Listrac-Médoc is one of 6 Haut-Médoc appelations, all of which boast exceptional terroir.
Family owned vineyards such as Fourcas Dupré have been operating since the eighteenth century, and today, under the ownership of the Pages family, it continues winemaking in the same tradition, with attention to detail, savoir-faire and passion.
