We all have heard how Bordeaux is to wines what Lucknow is to kebabs, and Hyderabad is to Biryanis. The region is always in the news, for good reasons or otherwise, and with every sip taken or spat, the popularity and notoriety of this region only grows.

I strongly believe that nothing builds a brand better than measured conspiracies and monitored rumours, and in that sense, the plethora of writers and reporters have unwittingly elevated Bordeaux, so much so that today, if you ask a teetotaller to name a wine-producing region, in all likelihood Bordeaux will be in the top two. The other, in case you are wondering, is Champagne.

I was recently in Bordeaux to attend what I can only term as the biggest gathering of the most prolific wine heads in the world. Yes, the question does beget itself, "What was I doing there, apart from trying to gain illegal entry?" I can't answer that yet, not until the local courts of the Gironde department clear me from all alleged charges first.

But random-head-taps-with-soft-toys aside, what I was really there for was a conference. And the people at this conference didn't just discuss wine.

They drank a whole lot of it. And it was a good thing that none of us were driving, although I am pretty sure that the local Bordelais is used to finding the oft wine-soaked tourist sitting in a car oddly parked halfway up a tree, unmoving,  and thinking silently, with his head resting on the wheel...

But that isn't what Bordeaux is all about. They have a whole lot of other fun things to do. Like food. And more food. And then, there is the Quai by the riverside which has a whole lot of shopping and, err, more food. Then of course, there's a lot more to drink. And did I mention food...

The best bit however would have to be the route of wines. To be able to visit the magnificent Chateaux (‘Chateau' is singular; the ‘x' is for plural) which date back to the last century (or sometimes, even before) is a joy unparalleled. To visit the underground cellars and taste wine there is a heightened sense of pleasure even if it partially clouds our judgement of the wine at hand. But you can't blame yourself really. When the guides start telling you about the little marriage that gave birth to the vineyard, when a random act of altruism showed the way to making some very fine wines, when a little decision turned up changing the way we see wines today - all that has an understandably strong play and effect on our emotional build-up. Consequently, we end up falling in love with the wine and the region again, and again, each time finding a different path of reasoning to get us there.

When I begun to study wine, defining wine was pretty easy. I always had a prepared answer, something that explained the technical as well as tactile qualities. Today, I find defining wine to be extremely tough. But, on the other hand, I find wine defining me and my moments of life only too well. Bordeaux can then be an entire chapter waiting to be written in the life of anyone who likes drinking wine.