Union des Maisons de Bordeaux
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Union des Maisons de Bordeaux is made up of firms from the Bordeaux region specializing in the wine and spirits trade. The companies within our association are major exporters that account for nearly 70% of all the wines produced in Bordeaux's 57 appellations.
The mission of Union des Maisons de Bordeaux is to "defend, represent, and promote the professional interests of member firms selling wines, spirits, liqueurs, fruit juices, and syrups both in France and abroad"
To accomplish this mission, Union des Maisons de Bordeaux facilitates the sourcing, production and marketing of brand wines from the regional vineyards within Bordeaux.
A brand wine is a wine that is made, bottled, and packaged by a négociant who places his label, name and brand on the bottle.
Brand wines are to Bordeaux wine firms what "châteaux" are to winegrowers: the expression of a specific, personal identity.
Brand wines are made by first sourcing the best possible wines made by conscientious winegrowers from within the same appellation; in the case of Bordeaux, from wines produced by one of the 57 appellations within Bordeaux.
These source wines are carefully selected not merely to ensure high quality, but also to match the specific style the négociant is seeking; with an eye toward the predominance of a particular grape variety, fruity or less fruity wine, tannic or less tannic wine, etc.).
By artfully blending wines from diverse vineyards, négociants can produce brand wines that match the demands of their clientele.
Négociants can, for instance, select the quantity and quality of wine they need every year, while still emphasizing the characteristics of each vintage.
Such an accomplishment is much more difficult for single estates, which operate on a far smaller scale, such that their production capacity is inevitably small and much more susceptible to the adversities of the weather and other conditions.