Banks of the Gironde River, Bordeaux, FR

Traveling makes men wiser, but less happy.  When men of sober age travel, they gather knowledge which they may apply usefully for their country; but they are subject ever after to recollections mixed with regret. Their affectations are weakened by being extended over more objects; and they learn new habits which cannot be gratified when they return home.  – Thomas Jefferson, ca. 1788.

I think what President Jefferson was saying was that you are never quite the same after you travel – especially through France.  John Hailman’s meticulously researched and hugely entertaining biography of Jefferson the wine enthusiast, Jefferson on Wine (2006, University Press of Mississppi) notes that our Founding Father was transformed from his travels through Bordeaux while he was the American Minister to France in the mid-1780’s.  He discovered the gastronomic pleasures of Bordeaux wines and thereafter spent a good part of his life trying to replicate the successes of this wine growing region in America, alas, without much success during his lifetime. 

We just got back from Bordeaux last week. I would have blogged sooner, but I caught a bit of a bug when I got back which sidelined me for a few days.  Feeling better now, I wanted to first write about a wonderful surprise pairing I had within my first few hours of setting foot in Bordeaux. 

After checking into our hotel, my wife and I walked about six blocks to the banks of the Gironde River, its waters having carried centuries of history of the food and wine trade, to a cute little restaurant called Le Port de la Lune, which doubles on some nights as a local blues and jazz venue. 

Le Port De La Lune Bistro, Bordeau FR (Photo From Restaurant Website)

The lamb chops were very decent, and so was the goat cheese salad.  But what really made this dinner special was the plate of the dozen fresh, raw local oysters, the taste of the Atlantic Ocean coursing through each slurp going down our throats.  Not wanting to have too much booze hitting my jet lagged soul on my first night in town, my wife and I settled on just a half-bottle of 2003 Domaine de la Solitude, a red wine from a sub-region of Bordeaux called Pessac-Leognan.  This appellation, like its more famous neighbor Graves, specializes in deliciously earthy reds which are grown in primarily gravelly, rocky soil.  The grapes grown are primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, with some Cabernet Franc and Merlot.  This wine was comprised of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc.

The region also makes white wines with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle.

So how would a red wine taste with oysters?  It turns out surprisingly well.  I can tell you almost no wine pairing book you’ll read will recommend that you to match red wine with oysters.  Too often, the wine is too fruit forward or soft to match the often subtle flavors of an oyster.  In fact, the oysters we had were not garnished with anything.  We sprinkled some lemon juice on them and that was it.  The dry, mineral-like, almost sand pebble quality in our wine’s taste clearly matched well with the oysters which were rich in briny and earthy flavors.  I’m not sure if this combination would work with all oysters or all red wines.  I can think of the earthy Pinot Noirs of Oregon matching well with some oysters, but I wouldn’t want to risk too much in the event your dinner companion chooses a “fruit bomb” from Napa Valley as a wine for dinner.

Still, it was a wonderfully tasty surprise and a great way to start our trip.  Here are a few other photos of our first couple of days in Bordeaux for you to enjoy.

A Charcuterie Stand At a Bordeaux Flea Market

The Locals Enjoy Wines Which Have Never Been Imported Stateside

A Blend of Classic and Modern: Bordeaux Is A Beautiful City to Behold At Night

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