Working in wine in Bordeaux isn’t exactly the most stressful job in the world. There are many tougher lines of work out there, and tougher parts of the world in which to do them. One clear occupational hazard for the humble wine industry professional here, however, is the busman’s holiday, where friends or family come to…
Author: Charlie Geoghegan
Château Panet: Developing wine tourism in Saint Emilion
Saint Emilion is a significant sub-region on the right bank of Bordeaux. Some of the world’s most famous châteaux are here, producing some of the richest, most luscious red wine in the world. Top-tier properties like Château Cheval Blanc and Château Ausone are nothing short of legendary, and their three- to four-figure price tags put them firmly…
3 Bordeaux wine jobs (that aren’t sommelier or winemaker)
Bordeaux is a dream destination for wine tourists, but what’s it like for wine jobs? Finding a wine job in Bordeaux is equal parts frustrating and exciting, but it’s worth taking some time first to understand the Bordeaux wine jobs market a little. Back in 2015, my job hunt in Bordeaux had a particular focus….
How to find a wine job in Bordeaux
Looking for a wine job in Bordeaux? Good for you. There’s a variety of wine business, hospitality, and technical schools, and each tasks its students with getting out there and finding work. It’s also a pretty city surrounded by some of the world’s best vineyards, so it attracts working wine industry professionals from home and…
Strategic marketing in white Bordeaux wine
Château Fourcas Hosten is one of the leading wine producers in Listrac-Médoc, a small appellation on the left bank of Bordeaux. Some friends and I visited the estate earlier this summer when I was a little surprised to find that they have launched a white Bordeaux wine. The Médoc is firmly red wine country, after…
Marketing Petit Verdot in Bordeaux: Listrac-Médoc
Bordeaux is not the first place I look to for innovation in wine marketing, and Petit Verdot is not exactly my go-to grape variety. The region has strong links to the past, to say the least, and most of its stakeholders have at least some interest in maintaining the status quo. Encountering new product development…
Listrac-Médoc: Bordeaux, off the beaten track
Some friends and I recently spent a few days exploring Bordeaux wine country. Having spent the morning at the well-known and much-loved Léoville Barton in Saint Julien, we had planned a slightly lower-key afternoon in the little, little-known commune of Listrac-Médoc. Though not exactly Bordeaux’s most glamorous spot, Listrac is not without its charms. I…
Château Léoville Barton: From Ireland to Bordeaux
I became vaguely aware of Château Léoville Barton soon after starting my first wine job in 2012. Knowing nothing about wine and somehow caring even less, I was a natural fit for my new post managing a supermarket wine department in a fairly well-to-do north Dublin suburb. During a routine stocktake, I happened across a distinctive…