Be Bordô Wants To Be Le Answer

Bordeaux is undoubtedly one of the world's best regions for producing great red, white, and dessert wines. But it has long struggled with an elitist image — expensive to buy, difficult to understand, and snobby to become familiar — which has often kept new drinkers from discovering them until they are well into their thirties.

Stephane Quien, whose family has been in the French wine industry since 1788, is the latest Bordeaux producer trying to crack that code. His solution is the "Be Bordô" brand that features a very informative label, a quality product, and a very attractive price. For example, the brand name itself — Be Bordô — gives a memorable and phonetic pronunciation of the Bordeaux region. 

Underneath the brand on the front label is the name of the wine that also reflects its character — "Le Fruity Red," "Le Deep Red," and "Le Crisp White" — followed by the predominant grape variety: merlot, cabernet sauvignon, and sauvignon blanc, respectively. Finally, there is the name "Bordeaux" itself to wipe any possible doubt of origin. On the back of the bottle are tasting notes and pairing suggestions. Each of the three is priced at $11.99.

"We endeavored to bring a superior product to the market that delivers great Bordeaux taste," Quien says. Just as is the case with very expensive Bordeaux, the wines are all blends. Le Fruity Red is 85 percent merlot and 15 percent cabernet sauvignon, Le Deep Red has 85 percent cabernet and 15 percent merlot, while Le Crisp White has 85 percent sauvignon blanc and 15 percent semillon.

The three wines are being introduced this month in New York with a rollout across the country in the months ahead by Southern Wine & Spirits.