Ist possible?!? French wine trying to simplify matters? News that four Bordeaux appellations are going to join forces (see here) means that the region now has only 54 AOCs instead of 57. OK, it still means that it’s as confusing as anything to a normal person, but at least it’s a start. Would it be possible to get the list down even further? Here are some candidates for ‘rationalisation’…

RED
Bordeaux Supérieur – bin it, it’s not superior
Bordeaux Clairet – no one knows what this is, so put the wine as red or pink
Listrac-Médoc and Moulis en Médoc – combine them, or maybe stick them in Haut-Médoc
Blaye – put in the new Côtes de Bordeaux AOC
Côtes de Bourg – ditto
Sainte-Foy Bordeaux – ditto
Graves de Vayres – ditto
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru – the price lets people know the ambition of the wine, why the need for the extra words?
Fronsac and Canon Fronsac – combine them
Lalande-de-Pomerol, Lussac Saint-Emilion, Montagne Saint-Emilion, Puisseguin Saint-Emilion and Saint-Georges Saint-Emilion – combine them

DRY WHITE
Entre-Deux-Mers – bin it
Entre-Deux-Mers-Haut-Benauge – where? Bin it.
Bordeaux-Haut-Benauge – bin it
Graves de Vayres, Blaye, Premières Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, and Bordeaux-Côtes de Francs – combine them

SWEET WHITE
Bordeaux Supérieur – bin it, put as Bordeaux Moelleux
Cadillac, Cérons, Côtes de Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire, Loupiac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Sainte-Croix du Mont, Sainte-Foy Bordeaux – combine these.

Such butchery still leaves nearly 30 AOCs, but it’s a start.