🍷 Claret
Also known as: red Bordeaux, British claret
The British name for red wine from Bordeaux.
Claret is the old British name for red wine from Bordeaux. The word comes from the French clairet, meaning light or pale. In the Middle Ages Bordeaux wines were paler than today, almost pink, and the English named them after their colour.
From the 12th century Bordeaux belonged to the English crown, and wine travelled to England in barrels on ships. The link lasted: British merchants shaped the Bordeaux trade for centuries. That history explains the long British interest in Bordeaux wines, including the 1855 classification.
Today claret in Britain means any red Bordeaux, usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It is an informal word, not an official category, and it appears more often on menus and in shops than on labels. Do not confuse claret with clairet, a separate light, deep-pink Bordeaux style that is closer to those old wines.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Claret ← kind of ← 🍷 Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 → kind of → 🏷️ Wine classifications → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Barrels on ships
- Previous step
- 🍷 En primeur
- Part of
- 🍷 Red wine, 🍷 Barrels on ships
- Where it is made
- 🗺️ British wine, 🗺️ French wine
- Similar and different
- 🍷 Clairet, 📍 Bordeaux
Frequently asked questions
What do people in Britain mean by claret on a wine list?
Any red Bordeaux, usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
Is it true that claret is an official wine category?
No. It is an informal word, seen more on menus and in shops than on labels.
Why did Britain take such an interest in Bordeaux?
From the 12th century Bordeaux belonged to the English crown and wine travelled to England in barrels; British merchants shaped the trade for centuries, which also ties in with the 1855 classification.
What to read next
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 🍷 En primeur — En primeur is the sale of wine futures: a wine is reserved before it has been bottled.
- 🗺️ British wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
Similar
🍷 Black wine · 🍷 Clairet · 🍷 Bordeaux blend · 🍷 Saignée rosé · 🍷 Banyuls · 🍷 Maury
⚠️ Wine contains alcohol: adults only, drink in moderation. Wine usually contains sulphites; egg white or milk proteins are sometimes used for fining — important for allergies and for vegans.
What it includes
Sources
- OIV, International Code of Oenological Practices
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Wine
- Bordeaux Wine Council (CIVB)