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Discover the Charm of France: Top 6 Fascinating Fun Facts About Bordeaux You Need to Know

illustration of bordeaux
Dive into the world of Bordeaux by exploring these fascinating fun facts that will leave you swirling with curiosity like a fine glass of wine.

1. Caviar Central

Bordeaux: a place where fish eggs are all the rage, and they're not just for breakfast! In fact, this French utopia is where caviar dreams are turned into a delectable reality: Six out of eight French caviar producers call Bordeaux their home, joining forces to produce over 24 million tons of caviar each year and dominating the French caviar market. So if sampling exquisite fish-induced delight sounds like your idea of a day well spent, consider adding Bordeaux to your bucket list of destinations.
Source => thebordeauxconcierge.com

2. Jefferson's Wine Adventures

Before he drafted the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was busy drafting his ultimate wine collection - seems like he knew how to wine-d down in style: As an ambassador to France, Jefferson indulged his love for wines by visiting the vineyards of Bordeaux and Burgundy, amassing an impressive collection that included a 1787 Chateau Lafite, a 1775 Sherry, and the priciest white wine ever sold, the 1787 Chateau d'Yquem, although none of these wines can be enjoyed today, as their age has rendered them undrinkable.
Source => forbes.com

3. Architectural Wonderland

Who needs Paris when you have its charming, vine-loving cousin down south? Behold the mighty Bordeaux: boasting over 350 listed historical monuments, this French city secures second place in the nation for protected architectural treasures. Restorations in the 80s and 90s revived the glamour of its 5,000 18th-century buildings, and in 2007, UNESCO crowned Bordeaux's Old Town – snuggling along the River Garonne like a cozy croissant – a World Heritage site under the poetic moniker of Port de la Lune.
Source => frenchmoments.eu

4. 65 Shades of Bordeaux Wine

Imagine France threw a wine-tasting party, and the Bordeaux region, like the life of the soirée, showed up fashionably late with a whopping 65 bottles: That's right, Bordeaux boasts 65 distinctive appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOCs) wines! From the enticing dry reds of Médoc and Graves to the seductive sweetness of Sauternes, there's a flavor-packed adventure awaiting every wine enthusiast's taste buds.
Source => daily.sevenfifty.com

Bordeaux's Epic Wine Festival

5. Bordeaux's Epic Wine Festival

The grapes have spoken, and they have decreed an annual bacchanalia of epic proportions with Dionysus himself raising a toast: Bordeaux Wine Festival returns from June 22nd to 25th, 2023, along with Avant-Première events from June 12th to 15th, allowing wine enthusiasts to indulge in 11 tastings and other perks with the purchase of a Tasting Pass.
Source => bordeaux-wine-festival.com

6. Titanic of Doorbells

In a corkscrew twist of fate: the Titanic of all doorbells resides in Bordeaux, oddly not called the Great Bell, but rather residing in the Grosse Cloche, a hulking medieval city gate from yore. This peal deal once chimed for grape harvests and frantic fire announcements, but not without the assistance of its stately sidekicks – two black helmeted turrets sporting a posh golden lion atop their pyramidal lower part. Today, it rings a resounding six times annually, astonishing tourists and Bordeauxans alike with its decibels and dazzling history served on a platter of stone walls and arched entryways.
Source => tripadvisor.com

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