Wine Cultural Centre to launch in Bordeaux

There are plans to launch a new, exciting state of the art, International Wine Cultural Centre in Bordeaux City Centre.

Designed by Parisian architect X-TU (www.x-tu.com) and London based museum and exhibition design agency, Casson Mann Limited (www.cassonmann.co.uk), the new visitor attraction will sit on the banks of the River Garonne when it opens in 2014.

In harmony with the evocative river, the building's curved design is reminiscent of wine flowing through stemmed glasses and also draws comparisons to a decanter. Environmentally sound, the structure will be constructed form wood and glass, themselves materials used in wine.

The city of Bordeaux is inextricably linked to its wine. With prestigious terroirs and famous châteaux, as well as négociants, oenologists and winegrowers with centuries of tradition behind them, Bordeaux has spread the science and love of wine around the world.

The region's wine roads have been travelled by connoisseurs from every continent, Bordeaux’s listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognises the city’s historic unity, and celebrations such as the Bordeaux Fête le Vin prove that this wine region knows how to have fun. Bordeaux is truly a cultural capital of wine.

But in the past the city has -inexplicably- lacked an emblematic location to reflect this reality. Now Alain Juppé, Mayor of Bordeaux and Minister of Foreign Affairs in France, supported by the wine industry, is working towards creating this new visitor attraction.

Described as ambitious, surprising and innovative, the future Wine Cultural Centre will be a major facility of international stature. Designed to offer visitors an entertaining voyage of discovery, the centre will include exhibitions on the regions of Bordeaux, the great terroirs of Bordeaux, as well as the history, lifestyle in modern society and much more.

When the futuristic Centre opens in 2014, 400,000 visitors are expected to pass through its doors each year.

www.centreculturelduvin.com/en/index.php

Independent wine retailers and local restaurants invited to team up for Bordeaux wine promotion

In 2010 the inaugural Bordeaux Dinners initiative was a great success and the Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB) has launched plans for the 2011 promotion.

The proposal is very straightforward: independent wine retailers are invited to team up with a good local restaurant and host a Bordeaux Dinner. Together they promote Bordeaux Wines and receive a contribution of £250 towards the event as well as materials to publicise the evening.

They then create a special dinner menu matched with at least four Bordeaux wines listed by the independent and set a ticket price that will appeal to customers.

Douglas Morton of the CIVB points out: “For generations Bordeaux has been making food-friendly wines. The overall style, diversity and range of flavours produced in the region result in wines that complement rather than overpower food. So we have developed a promotion that helps to prove that 'Good Food Would Choose Bordeaux'.”

New for 2011, the Bordeaux Wine Council is working with Restaurant Magazine to organise Bordeaux Dinners directly with restaurants. The same rules apply as with the independent wine merchants. Also, the best performing 15 restaurants will have the chance to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Bordeaux. The winners will be selected by Restaurant Magazine and will be judged as having organised exceptional dinners.

For details please visit www.goodfoodwouldchoosebordeaux.com/bdxdinners