Wine Regions: Bordeaux

Bordeaux is the world's largest fine wine region, and, for red wines, certainly the most familiar outside France. Following Henry II's marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, three centuries of courtly commerce with Great Britain ensured that claret was served at the finest foreign tables. In the 19th century, canny merchants capitalized on this fame and brought fantastic financial prosperity to the region, and with it, the famous 1855 Classification of the Medoc, a league table of chateaux that is still very much in force today.

Wines Regions ~ The great wine-producing areas of Bordeaux straddle two great rivers; the land between the rivers ("Entre-Deux-Mers") produces lesser, mainly white wines. The rivers, and the river port of Bordeaux itself, have been crucial to the trade in Bordeaux wines; some of the prettiest chateaux line the river banks, enabling easy transportation.

One of many wine-producing properties in the St-Emilion district

Location and Climate ~ Climatic conditions may vary not only from one year to anther, but also within the region itself. The soils tend to be gravelly in the Medoc and Graves, and clayey on the right bank.

Good Vintages(red) ~ 1990, 1989, 1988, 1986, 1985

Grape Varieties ~ The five main red grape varieties are the Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, with Cabernet the dominant grape on the west side of the Gironde, Merlot to the east. Most Bordeaux reds are, however, a blend of grapes. Savignon Blanc and Semillon are grown and often blended for both dry and sweet whites.