Slacker.
I am not going to claim any privy knowledge of what the expectations of the FGVB might be. But I really doubt they care at all if we US wine shlubs sample the long tail of Bordeaux producers that never get exported.
The pointy arrow of this thread is missing he target. Why are people so concerned that there are so many Bordeaux producers? The reality is that for wine lovers (and not pursuers of maximally efficient macro markets) the huge diversity of Bordeaux production (and just as true for every other region of Southern Europe) is a strength not a problem. Yes you have to go there to try these wines. And yes, many of them are not super high quality.
But: sit on the veranda of a little French restaurant on a back road/small town. Sip the unknown blend of something dark, red and potent from that vineyard just over there (imagine the Garcon pointing as he serves you a platter of foie gras). Relish a kind of pure, unpretentious moment that you can’t find almost anywhere in the US. And the bottle probably cost under $15.
Since there aren’t any serious Bordeaux retailers in the state of Washington, most Bordeaux enthusiasts keep to themselves and purchase out of state. There’s excitement, just not around the generic local trade.
Really a side issue but could someone clarify… I’m fairly sure that Chateau in general does not mean castle in the way we normally understand castle. More like “seat” perhaps or manor. I stayed as a kid at one which was more like a farmhouse, but admittedly it did have a rather grand, albeit rarely used, drawing room.
I think the important points have been made… Bordeaux is BIG in terms of overall production. French history and culture means that most vignerons do not dream of being a global brand. 95% of those producers are strictly local. I suspect the same could be said of other farmers (cheese, poultry, vegetables etcetc) Too bad if it offends the economists’ idea of efficiency. I’d also be curious to see how the production of the typical property in the bottom decile, say, compares to the median north American winery.
Not sure about red wine with foie gras but that vignette is the basic idea, local food and local wine.
Jeff Leve wrote: “Most of the wines made in Bordeaux are just not very good”
Hmmm. I thought you liked the wines produced here… And seeing that you have only had a fraction of them, isn’t that far too much of a sweeping statement? I think a little nuance is in order!
Rich wrote: “The reality is that for wine lovers (and not pursuers of maximally efficient macro markets) the huge diversity of Bordeaux production (and just as true for every other region of Southern Europe) is a strength not a problem”
Exactly!
Part of the Old World’s charm is the tremendous - and sometimes maddening, and sometimes frustrating - complexity of things - not just wine.
The variety makes consumers bewildered. Agreed. But if it’s a choice between monolithic brands and realtive chaos, I prefer to go down the less travelled road 
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Best regards,
Alex R.
Alex, how many of the 8944 producers have made wines you have tasted? If not half or more, how can you know whether Jeff Leve is correct?
Howard,
If you read my original post, I warned against generalizing.
Therefore, I am not likely to fall into the same trap myself!
I also think that if Jeff were to say what he wrote at a dinner in Bordeaux, it would go over like a lead balloon…
No on is saying that there are not a lot of so-so and even poor wines in Bordeaux.
This is inevitable with the sheer mass of wines and could apply to any region.
But, saying most of the wines are crap is irresponsible.
Best,
Alex R.
Jeff didn’t say they were crap - he said most of the wines are not very good. I’d think that statement would stand up about any region, especially when said among wine nuts. I’m sure France makes as much grocery store wine as America.
I guess my view is that most of the wines from every region of the world are crap. The key is finding the good, dedicated producers, which clearly is NOT the same as finding the most expensive wines. Wonderful “littler” wines are fabulous. But my guess is that at least 8000 of these Bordeaux producers make crap - and my guess is that this percentage is (1) generous and (2) about the same or worse in other regions.
By the way, are there really that many wines or how many of these wineries sell their wines to coops or big houses and produce nothing or very little under their own names.