Wise or not? The Bordeaux appellation Blaye AOC wants to change its name to Blavia. It does sound a bit strange, at least until you get used to it. It is, some say, the nuclear power station in Blaye that haunts the wine district that wants to avoid sharing a name with it.
The same thing happened a few years ago when Coteaux de Tricastin in the Rhône Valley changed its name to Grignan-lès-Adhemar, for the same reason. Blavia is at least easier to remember.
But this is just one of a number of changes that are hoped will instil a new dynamism in this rather unknown appellation. More malbec will also be allowed in the blend. Previously, there was a limit of 15%, now it will be 50% (incidentally, one of the few appellations in Bordeaux that stipulates a % on the blend). It is the big, and now internationally famous grape from Mendoza (Argentina), which is now having a small renaissance in Bordeaux. A number of other quality-enhancing changes are also planned.
The change has not yet been approved by all authorities, but everything indicates that it will be so.
But it’s important to pay attention to the details: It’s the small appellation Blaye AOC that’s changing its name, not the much larger (and according to some, less prestigious) Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux AOC. So it is perhaps a good thing, Blavia, to avoid confusion in the future. On the other hand, one is unlikely to run into it very often. The appellation has less than 50 hectares.
Read more: Vitisphere.
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