Bordeaux is kicking off its red slippers and showing us what it’s really about. Synonym of “expensive”, “red” and “store in cellar for X years”, the agency promoting Bordeaux wines has decided to roll out its Apero Vintage events to Belgium this autumn to dispel the myth that the most famous appellation in the world, only dresses in red …

Rather than aiming at it’s already loyal, more mature wine drinkers, Apero Vintage events target the most rapidly growing segment of the market, the young professional wine sippers. Each week, one of the city’s hippest hang-outs hosts the coolest place to be on a Wednesday night – Apero Vintage and from 6 – 9pm (or at least until the stocks run dry) bar goers are served a selection of red, white, rose’ and sparkling Bordeaux wines at special prices starting at 4 euro a glass… Each week the selection of wine changes to rotate the 74 wines which were chosen by a panel of Belgian wine experts as “coups de coeur”.

To add to the ambiance, each hang-out puts on live music, staff (who are trained by experts before thirsty drinkers descend on the place) sport Apero Vintage shirts and drinks are served in branded stemless glasses – with the prices so good, no-one’s going to be holding the same glass for long. Drinkers get a neat pocket-sized booklet with details of the wines, the panelists who chose them, as well as details of where to purchase them later. A film crew mingle through the crowds to capture the evening on photo and film which is then posted on Facebook (Facebook: Vins de Bordeaux for the French speakers and Bordeaux Wijnen for the dutch speakers)..

As a wine events organiser specialised in Italian wines – where consortium’s cannot risk upsetting their members when certain wines haven’t been chosen by the panelists – I love the freshness of the approach – and until we have something like this to get Belgian’s slurping vino italiano, this autumn I’ll be making my way to Apero Vintage every Wednesday night..

Future dates: 26/10/2011 – Bar du Matin, Brussels - 9/11/2011 – Cafe vertigo, Antwerp - 16/11/2011 – Vitrin Cafe, Antwerp - 23/11/2011 – Cafe Mombasa, Antwerp

For further details see the Facebook pages..