LeDomduVin: Bordeaux Map of the soils

 

Bordeaux Map of the soils by ©LeDomduVin 2022

Bordeaux Map of the soils

by ©LeDomduVin 2022

Still working on that same PowerPoint presentation as yesterday, for a "Wine Class" about Bordeaux, and, this time, I was looking for a map of the soils of Bordeaux, online. And, to my surprise, there are no real maps of Bordeaux soils "Per Se". 

All the maps I could find were, (again), either too detailed or too colorful or too monochrome and too difficult to read, or, too simple and lacking essential or specific details I needed. So, once again, like yesterday, I decided to do a "Map of the soils of Bordeaux" myself.  

So, I drew a rough map of the Bordeaux wine regions and went online to search the internet for clues and practical info. Unfortunately, much has been written on the soils of Bordeaux, but rare are the maps that are truly showing the various soils or are approachable enough without being too technical.  

Fortunately, years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life by buying a 1947 edition of "Le Vignoble Girondin", a very informative and essential book about the Gironde region and Bordeaux wines, written by Germain Lafforgue, an agricultural engineer and "Directeur Honoraire des Services Agricoles de la Gironde", (back then).   

If interest you can read my previous post introducing you to this book back in October 2017, here.  

This particular book includes 2 fantastically detailed maps: the first one is about Bordeaux wine regions, and the second one is about Bordeaux types of soils, which was exactly was I was looking for to complete my map and be able to use it for my presentation and share it with you on this blog.    

I tried to keep it as simple and readable as possible, yet, detailed enough to provide the reader with an informative experience easy to read and grab at first glance. 

So, what do you think? Not bad, isn't it? I'm pretty proud of it. Nicely done. 

Hope you will find it useful, or, at least, interesting. In the meantime, take good care of yourself and your loved ones. Peace.   

Cheers! Santé!

Thank you, 

Dom 

#ledomduvin #bordeaux #bordeauxmap #map #soils #soiltypes #mapofthesoils #lescreationsadom #lesmapsadom #lesillustrationsadom #mapwithappellations #bordeauxappellations #appellations #wine #vine #vino #wein #wineknowledge #wineeducation #wineclass #sommelier #winebuyer #sharingknowledge #sharingwineknowledge #sharing 

Unless stated otherwise, all right reserved ©LeDomduVin 2022 on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, drawings, illustrations, visuals, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).

LeDomduVin: "Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947

I just received this amazing book I bought online today, titled "Le Vignoble Girondin" by Germain Lafforgue. It's a 1st edition from 1947, numbered 295 out of the 910 copies published. I must say, it's in superb condition for a 1st edition from 1947.

I discovered this book while conducting some research online for my post titled "Bordeaux is not only two banks and not all Bordeaux wines taste the same...."  (read it here), where I mentioned the invaluable "Geologic Map of the Gironde Soils" contained in that book.

I cannot express or hide my joy and pleasure to possess such a treasure, especially for someone passionate about vineyard soils, subsoils, topography, and geology like me.

"Juste pour vous mettre le vin à la bouche" (the correct French expression is "vous mettre l'eau à la bouche, " meaning "to make your mouth water"), here are a few pictures essentially teasing you to discover this book and all the valuable information it contains. 

It is a magnificent book that every Bordeaux lover should have on their wine library shelf, especially for the foldable Geologic Map included with it, which is a true gem.  

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Introduction

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Table des Matières

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Table des Illustrations and Héliogravures

There is even the original letter from the editor.... amazing

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Original Editor's Letter

And of course, the treasure inside, the cherry on the cake, is the unfoldable map divided into two parts: the Gironde Vineyards Map and the Gironde Soils Geologic Map. Love it!

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Vineyards Map of the Gironde Region

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Geologic Map of the Gironde Region

It is a great book filled with invaluable facts and data known during the years 1946-1947 about the wines, vineyards, soils, subsoils, geology, and topography of the Gironde Region (Bordeaux)- information that remains relevant to this day for the most part. That's what makes this book invaluable, in my opinion. I may be wrong, but I find that reading the insights of the old and wise is always a source of enlightenment. The old and wise were not always right, but if that's the case, why do we continually turn to ancient methods and traditions (i.e., Organic and Biodynamic)?

A big thank you to Denis, the person who sold it to me, the bookseller of a library called "La Belle Page," located in Prades-Le-Lez (34730), a village situated north of Montpellier (Hérault), in Languedoc-Roussillon, France. He packed the book the old way, in newspaper, which I appreciated very much as it reminds me of my grandfather and how he used to pack all sorts of things back when I was a kid growing up surrounded by vineyards in the Côtes de Bourg.

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Packed like the old days with newspaper

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Packed like the old days with newspaper

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Packed like the old days with newspaper

"Le Vignoble Girondin" de Germain Lafforgue 1947 - ©LeDomduVin 2017
Just unpacked - Nearly pristine condition

Voilà! I hope you like it as much as I do. You know what's left for you to do if you are curious enough: go buy the book. It would definitely be worth it if you could find it.

Santé,

LeDomduVin a.k.a Dominique Noël 

@ledomduvin, #ledomduvin, #wine, #vin, #vino, #wein, #geologic, #geologicmap, #bordeaux, #bordeauxmap, #map, #geology, #topography, #germainlafforgue, #bordeauxvineyards, #soil, #soils, #vineyards, #levignoblegirondin

Unless stated otherwise, all rights reserved ©LeDomduVin 2017, on all the contents above including, but not limited to, photos, pictures, drawings, illustrations, collages, visuals, maps, memes, posts, texts, writings, quotes, notes, tasting notes, descriptions, wine descriptions, definitions, recipes, graphs, tables, and even music and video (when and where applicable).