Definition: Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux

Created in 1973, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux brings together classified and unclassified wines from only the most prestigious appellations in Gironde, Médoc, Graves and Pessac Léognan, Sauternes and Barsac, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.

Its objectives are to unite energies and produce great wines - to share knowledge and raise awareness.

As savvy communicators, the members of the Union know that producing a great wine goes hand in hand with the need to promote it. The size and diversity of the Gironde vineyards therefore require owners to raise their profile. With more than 10,000 châteaux and 57 appellations, the Bordeaux vineyards are larger than the Australian vineyards and cover the same area as the Côtes du Rhône, Alsace and Loire (Muscadet, Anjou and Saumur) combined. Such diversity makes it essential for owners to contribute to the training and information of opinion leaders, especially the younger ones.
This requirement is all the more important given that the marketing of most Grands Crus is specific and unique. It is carried out exclusively through the négociants of the Place de Bordeaux. This system offers a great advantage to wine estates, which generally do not have a large sales department. However, it also deprives the owner of important information about the marketing of their wines (selling price, distribution, etc.).
Hence the interest for the estate manager in increasing the number of meetings with distributors during tastings.

Keys to success:
The interest generated by the activities of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux is quite exceptional. The Union does not seem to be affected by the collective nature of its tastings (all the wines are presented in the same way and no commercial data is provided to visitors). There is no doubt that the quality of the wines presented is a major factor in this success, but three other factors also contribute to the appeal of the events organised by the Union.
The pursuit of a clear objective, which is to help professionals from around the world, the press and distributors to become more familiar with the great wines and the winegrowers who create them. The Union therefore focuses its resources solely on public relations targeting distributors and the press (organisation of tastings);
A strict rule of conduct that requires the owner or one of his close associates to be present with his wine at all tastings organised by the Union, regardless of the market visited. As a result, one member of the Union who participated in all of last year's events travelled more than 65,000 kilometres by plane. He met with nearly 13,000 professionals from the press and distribution sectors!
A clear desire to meet every year with operators from the seven main markets for fine wines, which are:
in Europe:
Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and Italy;
in America:
the United States and Canada;
in Asia:
Japan, Korea and Hong Kong.

Note 1: Unlike the rest of the Bordeaux range, over 60% of which is sold on the domestic market, Grands Crus are mainly distributed abroad, which accounts for nearly 80% of Grands Crus sales.
Note 2: Annual events organised in each of the major markets for the marketing of Bordeaux Grands Crus have created opportunities to meet with distribution professionals and the press, who schedule these tastings well in advance.
In addition to this programme of visits to major export customers, the Union regularly tests new markets to assess their potential. China, Korea, Russia and Italy are among the markets currently being tested.

The quality of the terroir and climate, production tools, winemaking techniques, bottling at the château, and a tradition of hospitality and reception bring together 123 châteaux committed to defending, promoting and sharing their values, in accordance with the Charter that unites them.
A grouping of key economic players, the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux represents more than 5,000 hectares of vineyards in the best terroirs of the Bordeaux region, 2,500 permanent employees and up to 7,000 temporary workers, an average annual production of 236,000 hectolitres and a total turnover exceeding €300 million.
Leaders in their region and sector, the Grands Crus of Bordeaux are the product of nature and human endeavour. Combining ancestral know-how and high technology, they constitute the heritage of a society and the testimony of a civilisation.

The charter of the Union des Grands Crus:
A Grand Cru of the Union is located on a specific, limited and original terroir, capable of producing a highly personalised fine wine, combining great finesse with exceptional ageing potential.
Attached to this terroir are vat rooms and cellars for traditional vinification and ageing of the wines under the responsibility of the estate manager.
A Grand Cru of the Union must have sufficient facilities to respect the traditions of reception and hospitality associated with the concept of a Bordeaux wine estate.
The name of the cru has been consecrated by history and cannot be dissociated from its terroir; it is guaranteed by the marks and stamps appearing on the cases, corks, capsules and labels.
Only perfectly selected wine from vines cultivated according to ancient and consistent local practices may bear this name.
This wine, aged naturally for around two years in oak barrels, periodically racked and fined, must be bottled entirely at the château.
A Grand Cru wine is therefore essentially a reflection of its terroir, the harmony of its grape varieties and the love and care taken by the master winemaker in selecting his vintages.
As the climatic conditions of each year give the wine its own characteristics that make up the personality of a vintage, a Grand Cru de l'Union must respect these natural factors by specifying the vintage corresponding to each harvest on the labels.
The Grand Cru de l'Union quality label thus guarantees wine lovers an authentic work of art.
The interest generated by the actions of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux is quite exceptional. The Union does not seem to be affected by the collective nature of its tastings (all wines are presented equally and no commercial information is given to visitors). There is no doubt that the quality of the wines presented is a major factor in this success, but three other factors also contribute to the appeal of the events organised by the Union:

• The pursuit of a clear objective, which is to help professionals from around the world, the press and distributors to become more familiar with fine wines and the winegrowers who produce them.
• A strict code of conduct requiring the owner or one of their close associates to be present with their wine at all tastings organised by the Union, regardless of the market visited.
• A firm commitment to meet each year with operators from the seven main markets for fine wines, which are:

in Europe: Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Switzerland and Italy;
in America: the United States and Canada;
in Asia: Japan, Korea and Hong Kong.

WGA events in 2009
The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux is organising the 4th edition of the Week-end des Grands Amateurs. Take part in a weekend dedicated to lovers of Grands Crus, in the heart of the world capital of wine and savoir-vivre, combining an exceptional tasting of over 100 Grands Crus, dinners in the heart of the châteaux in the presence of the owners and a day of wine tourism in the vineyards of Bordeaux.
The members of the Union, numbering 132 in 2008, are aware of the driving role played by Grands Crus, whose undisputed quality and reputation are the best asset for developing the renown and market of all Bordeaux wines.

List of members and other information on websites: