Bargain Bordeaux & Luxurious Dinners

Although Bordeaux produces some of the world’s most rarefied wines, it’s also home to reds that offer Old World elegance and intense flavor for a modest price—and are impressively food-friendly, too.

The following is a brief primer on the wines of Bordeaux’s three main subregions, paired with three great menus from F&W Test Kitchen Supervisor Marcia Kiesel.

Region: Right Bank

Menu:

• Bread Salad with Prosciutto
• Pot-Roasted Lamb Shanks with Cannellini Beans
• Chard with Orange and Bacon

Plus: 5 Right Bank Wine Values

Region: Left Bank

Menu:

• Silky Leek and Red Wine Soup
• Roast Duck with Citrus Pan Sauce
• Shiitake Sticky Rice

Plus: 5 Left Bank Wine Values

Region: Pessac-Léognan & Graves

Menu:

• Halibut with Parsley-Lemon Sauce
• Roasted Potato Skewers
• Dried Cherry Compote with Shortbread and Mascarpone

Plus: 5 Great Pessac-Léognan & Graves Wine Values

Published February 2008