02/04/09 Claret

Welcome to vine to wine this is your host Linda Moran. Today we are going to describe the wine described as Claret. The word Claret is derived from the French word meaning clear. During the middle ages wine was France's most important export, and their most appreciative consumers were in Britain. During this period Claret was a wine that was light in color due mostly to the blending of red and white wines, more like a dark rose'. These wines were transported in cask from thr Bordeaux region of France by the British naval Fleet. The wine was meant to be drunk young as the glass bottle and closure were not yet perfected. The fact that the wines were light and bright made them visually attractive which was a characteristic that held them in high esteem. However, during one of the many disputes between the British and the French a series of embargoes and outrageous tariffs made the favored wine unavailable to most of Britain. This was when, due to those events, the wines of Portugal became the next possible alternative and Port wine became the beverage of choice for the Brits. This went on for decades until a peace treaty was finally signed in 1783. Today the red wines of Bordeaux are very different than they were in the middle centuries, but in Britain the word Claret remains synonymous with red wine from Bordeaux. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.