Claret is the traditional British term for red wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. It refers to a dry, medium-bodied red blend, usually dominated by Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, featuring flavors of blackcurrant, plum, and cedar. While it denotes Bordeaux, it is primarily used for export to English-speaking markets.
Claret wines are usually made from a blend of grapes. These always include Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The wines have primary flavours of dark fruits such as blackcurrants, blackberries, plums, and black cherries.
The meaning of claret is just as different in these two countries as the lands are themselves. For English speakers, claret is connected with a geographical origin. It's red wine from the French region of Bordeaux. However, the French referr to all pale, light wines as claret, while avoiding the term clairet.
Similar to the light wine of the Middle Ages that was exported to England, also called "vinum clarum" and "vin clar" or "bin clar", the name is the source of the English term claret, although that term does not refer to a clairet but to a red wine. The wine is bottled under the AOC of Bordeaux clairet.
Claret is an old-fashioned term the Brits used for Bordeaux at least as far back as the 1700s. Today, it refers to a “Bordeaux blend:” deep, velvety reds most commonly made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
Many Australians used to refer to the Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon (or Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz) blend as Claret, but the Claret nomenclature was actually the name used in Bordeaux for any red table wine.
Meghan Markle's well-known favorite wine is Tignanello, a prestigious Italian "Super Tuscan" red wine that inspired the name of her former lifestyle blog, The Tig. She described it as her first "Tig moment"—when she understood wine's depth—and it's a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc grapes. More recently, she launched her own California rosé, As Ever, made in partnership with Kunde Family Winery.
The "5 Bordeaux wines" often refer to the prestigious First Growth (Premier Cru Classé) estates of the 1855 Classification: Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Mouton Rothschild. These iconic châteaux represent the pinnacle of Bordeaux winemaking, known for their exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon-based red wines from the Médoc and Graves regions.
The 20-minute wine rule is a guideline for serving wines at their optimal temperature: take red wines out of the fridge for 20 minutes to slightly warm them up, and put white wines in the fridge for 20 minutes to cool them down, allowing the intended flavors and aromas to shine by avoiding extremes that muddle taste or suppress scent. It's about finding that perfect middle ground, making reds less "hot" and whites less "closed down," so you experience the winemaker's vision.
Today, “claret” typically refers to red Bordeaux—or any red wine made in that classic Bordeaux style. The term evokes wines that are elegant rather than heavy, emphasizing balance, freshness, and refined tannins.
The 7 main types of wine, covering broad categories, are Red, White, Rosé, Sparkling, Fortified, Dessert, and sometimes Orange (or other unique styles), differing by grape, production (skin contact, fermentation), color, body (light to full), sweetness, and bubbles, offering diverse flavors from fruity to rich and complex.
The "75 rule" for wine in the U.S. means that if a wine label names a specific grape (like Chardonnay or Merlot), at least 75% of the wine must be made from that grape, with the remaining 25% being other complementary varieties, a standard set by the TTB (Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) to ensure transparency, though some regions like Oregon require 100% for varietals. It's part of a broader labeling guideline, including 85% for American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) and 95% for vintage years, often remembered as the 75/85/95 rules.
Castelneau Bordeaux 100% Merlot is a distinguished wine that showcases the essence of the Merlot grape variety. This exquisite wine exudes a rich bouquet of ripe black cherries, plums, and hints of dark chocolate.
The world's most expensive wine sold at auction is a Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) 1945, which fetched over $558,000 in 2018, due to its extreme rarity (only 600 bottles produced) and historical significance. While DRC Romanee-Conti Grand Cru is consistently among the priciest for average bottle price, other ultra-rare wines like Egon Müller's Rieslings, Domaine Leroy, and certain Bordeauxs also command astronomical prices, often in the tens or hundreds of thousands for exceptional vintages or large formats.
Claret is a representation of the average color of Bordeaux wine. Accordingly, another name for this color is Bordeaux. Bordeaux however is more widely used as a color name in European languages other than English, where claret has had longer history.
Beckham is an avowed fan of great French reds, especially Bordeaux. According to several media, he has a weakness for Château Margaux, Pétrus and Château Lafite Rothschild: elegant, complex and cult wines.
Meghan Markle revealed she was diagnosed with postpartum pre-eclampsia, a rare and serious condition involving high blood pressure after childbirth, calling it a "huge medical scare" she managed privately. She shared this on her "Confessions of a Female Founder" podcast, noting it occurred after giving birth to one of her children and highlighted the challenges of facing a life-threatening condition while managing new motherhood publicly.
Chef McGrady disclosed that, although Princess Diana “wasn't a big drinker,” she was partial to the occasional Chardonnay. She had a favorite brand. “Puligny Montrachet was the wine we served the most at Kensington Palace.”
