Claret is the name used in English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France, along the valleys of the rivers Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne. People from many former colonies (including the USA) call it red Bordeaux or just Bordeaux (see : Bordeaux wine). The descriptor 'claret' is often used for sweeter red Bordeaux wines exported to the English world. More refined and balanced Bordeaux blends are called by other names, such as 'meritage'(when produced outside of France but while still using Bordeaux grape varietals) or simply 'Bordeaux'.

The Plantagenet kingdom, covering England and much of France from 1152 to 1453, encouraged wine trade and the development of English taste for this wine, adopting the French word clairet to describe it.

Claret is a protected name within the European Union for describing a red Bordeaux wine; it was accepted after the British wine trade demonstrated over 300 years' usage of the word. The name Claret is occasionally used in the United States as a semi-generic label for any red wine in a style similar to that of Bordeaux. However, the usual practice today is to label wines by the grape variety or varieties from which they are made.

Trivia

• Samuel Johnson commented:

Claret is the liquor for boys; port for men; but he who aspires to be a hero must drink brandy.

• Claret School is a private catholic all-boys school located in Quezon City, Philippines in the region of Diliman. There is also a Claret school in Mindanao, Philippines.

• Claret is also the color which resembles the red hue of this wine.

• Claret is also a slang word for blood. An old English expression for giving someone a bloody nose is "Tapping the Claret".

• Claret is frequently mispronounced in the United States as "cla-RAY," believing it to be a French word. Although it is originally from the French word "clairet" the word "claret" is an English invention and thus has an English pronunciation.

• Claret is also the name of several communes in France:
  • Claret, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département
  • Claret, in the Hérault département

See also

• French Wine
• Jacques Hemmer

French wines

Bordeaux (Weinbaugebiet) | Vignoble de Bordeaux | Bordeaux (vino) | Bordeaux (Wäibauregioun) | Bordeaux (wijnstreek) | ボルドーワイン | Bordeauxviner