It typically takes 10 to 15 years of research, experimentation, and aggressive bureaucratic maneuvering to make any major changes to the way wine is grown or classified across Europe.
That’s why major recent changes in iconic regions like Bordeaux, Rioja, Germany, and Chianti Classico feel so momentous.
Bordeaux, arguably the most traditional wine region in the world, recently made headlines by introducing a new Claret classification, reviving an old style in a bid to attract young drinkers.
“The world of wine has not seen a ton of major changes in the last 30 years,” observes Kenny Koda, wine director of The National in Telluride, Colorado. “With younger drinkers drinking less or not at all, what Bordeaux and other regions are doing makes sense. So many classification systems never really took hold here because they didn’t make a lot of sense to U.S. consumers. Making things easier to understand will help.”
Bordeaux leans into freshness with Claret
In the face of declining global wine consumption, even the most storied wine regions have needed to implement changes.
Courting millennial drinkers has become a necessity. Drinkers in their 30s and 40s are consuming 31% of the wine sold in the U.S., according to the latest research from the Wine Market Council. They are gravitating towards fresh, fruit-forward styles, which is why Bordeaux is trying to revive an ancient form of wine: Claret.
The name “Claret” dates back to the 12th century, but the newly approved designation, available for the first time this year from the 2025 harvest, reflects current palate preferences.
“Younger or newer wine drinkers want clarity, freshness, and a stronger sense of place,” says Jen Saxby, senior sales and marketing manager at Napa’s Benchmark Wine Group, a leading source of rare and back-vintage wines. “Bordeaux Claret is a way to move beyond the traditional image of structured, cellar-driven reds and into a fresher, more approachable style designed to be enjoyed younger, even slightly chilled.”
Mark Johnson-Hill, CEO at Bordeaux’s Château Méaume, has mixed feelings about the shift. On the one hand, the new classification will offer a lighter side of Bordeaux—one that advocates say meets the taste and style needs of the moment.
“The ‘new’ Bordeaux Claret is lighter in body, lower in tannin, and primarily fruit-forward,” he says. “France is reclaiming a medieval word that originated in France but was repurposed by the English when they were consuming wine from Bordeaux by the barrel load.”
However, the term “Claret” can mean very different things to different members of the wine-consuming public, Johnson-Hill points out. In the United Kingdom, Claret is synonymous with dry, full-bodied red blends.
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