Chateau Fonfroide

MANY OF US will be having spring lamb on Easter Sunday or in the coming weeks and few wines pair as well with it as red Bordeaux. It is the largest wine growing region in France with over 120,000 hectares and almost 9,000 producers making three quarters of a billion bottles of wine every year.

While the region produces the most expensive wines in the world it also produces some of the best value red and white table wines (and these are at their best at the dinner table). The small growers in the region are struggling at the moment, so prices at entry level are low and quality and consistency have never been higher.

Bordeaux has an unpredictable climate, so the weather can play a significant role, especially at the upper end of the market, so it is worth being aware of the better recent vintages. Such is the technology in Bordeaux these days even inexpensive wines have much less vintage variation.