It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Bordeaux wine. (Discuss) Proposed since April 2012.

Bordeaux wine.

Claret ( /ˈklærɨt/ KLARR-ət)^[1] is a name primarily used in British English for the red wine from the region surrounding Bordeaux in France; outside the UK this is usually referred to as Bordeaux wine or simply Bordeaux.

Usage[link]

Claret derives from the French clairet,^[2] a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century. It is a protected name within the European Union, describing a red Bordeaux wine, accepted after the British wine trade demonstrated over 300 years' usage of the term.^[2]

Claret is occasionally used in the United States as a semi-generic label for red wine in the style of the Bordeaux, ideally of varietals authentic to the region. The French themselves do not use the term, except for export purposes.

The colour "claret" resembles the red hue of Bordeaux wine. It has become a slang term for blood, as in "tapping the claret" meaning giving someone a bloody nose.^[3]

History[link]

The standard style of Bordeaux wine has not always been deep red. It used to be closer to a rosé, hence the French clairet, meaning pale. The Plantagenet kingdom, covering England and much of France from 1152 to 1453, encouraged wine trade between the regions.^{[citation needed]} This trade relationship was encouraged by both of the kings following the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152.^{[citation needed]} As the taste for clairet developed in England, the word was adopted and gradually anglicised to "claret".

In the Late Middle Ages, a claret meant a spiced wine-based drink produced by pouring heated wine, usually a red, over a bag containing a mix of spices.^{[citation needed]} It was similar, and often identical, to hypocras.^{[citation needed]} Spices that were specific to medieval clarets include anise, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon and fennel.^{[citation needed]} The term now more frequently applies to unspiced red Bordeaux wine.

The meaning of "claret" has changed over time to refer to a dry, dark red Bordeaux.^[2] It has remained a term associated with the English upper class, and consequently appears on bottles of generic red Bordeaux in an effort to raise its status in the market.^[4]

In November 2011, the president of the Union des Maisons de Négoce de Bordeaux, announced an intention to use the term Claret de Bordeaux for wines that are ‘light and fruity, easy to drink, in the same style as the original claret when it was prized by the English in former centuries’.^[5]

References[link]

Chantal Goldstrom Claret
Chantal Claret
Background information
Born	(1982-02-21) February 21, 1982 (age 30) Berkeley, California, U.S.
Origin	New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres	Indie rock, Power pop, Soul
Occupations	Singer-songwriter, actress
Years active	2004–present
Labels	Capitol Records MTV Networks The End Records
Associated acts	Morningwood

Chantal Claret (born February 21, 1982) is an American singer/songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer for the rock and power pop band Morningwood.^[1]

Early life[link]

Chantal Goldstrom was born on February 21, 1982 in Berkeley, California,^[2] the daughter of art collectors, Foster Goldstrom and his Romanian-born wife Monique (1947–2004).^[3] She has spent most of her life in New York City, but has also lived in Texas. As a teenager, Claret was a promoter for several clubs in New York.^[4]

Music career[link]

Prior to meeting Pedro Yanowitz and starting Morningwood with him, Claret says she was attending film school with an eye on directing music videos.^[5] She directed the Morningwood music video for "Take Off Your Clothes" & "Snobby Little Elf", as well as claymation video for "Little Hard On's" by The Left Rights . In 2002 Claret appeared in the short film, American Mod.^[6] She is featured on the song "Wait (The Nexus)" by Mike Relm.^[7] Morningwood completed their final tour March 3rd through March 11th opening for Mindless Self Indulgence with their FINAL SHOW at Irving Plaza in New York, NY on March 11, 2012.

On March 5th, 2012 Vevo featured Chantal's debut video "Pop Pop Bang Bang directed by David Yarovesky for her solo Ep "The Pleasure Seeker" was released on The End Records on April 3rd, 2012. ^[8] Her debut solo record The Only, The Only... is set to be released June 19th, 2012 ^[9]

Vocals[link]

Claret performing in Orlando in 2006

Her singing style while in Morningwood has been compared to singers such as Chrissie Hynde, Christina Amphlett, Debbie Harry, Shirley Manson, and Beth Ditto.^[10][11]

Personal life[link]

Claret, along with Thrice drummer Riley Breckenridge, wrote a monthly advice column called "Battle of the Sexes" in Alternative Press magazine for nearly 3 years, which was discontinued in the Winter of 2007.^[12]

On January 18, 2008 she married Jimmy Urine (James Euringer), lead singer of Mindless Self Indulgence.^[13][14] The couple founded a clothing company together called 'Tour Crush' ^[15]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Morningwood website
• Chantal Claret at the Internet Movie Database
• Chantal Claret on Twitter