Extending for approximately ninety kilometres around the southwestern French city of Bordeaux, the wine region of the same name is perhaps the world's most renowned and revered. Principally a region of reds, the traditional Bordeaux blend is a much imitated, rarely matched assemblage of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
The port city of Bordeaux, with its wealth of historical and cultural sights, has long been a magnet for tourists from all over the world. Offering some of Europe’s finest examples of eighteenth century architecture, as well as a vibrant arts scene, a reputation for serving up gastronomic delights and a location that places it at the centre of planet Earth’s most famous wine-making region, Bordeaux is a city of style, elegance and opulence - traits that it shares with the region's wines. Whilst no wine is produced within the city limits, the wider region has seen continuous viticultural activity since the Romans first introduced wine for local consumption half way through the first century. Today, the region’s 120,000 hectares under vine account for 15% of [France’s](/country/france) entire viticultural land. A patchwork of lush rolling countryside, pine forests, quaint hilltop villages and row after row of beautifully maintained vineyards planted with mathematical precision, the Bordeaux wine landscape is one of stark contrasts and dramatic beauty. Enjoying a temperate climate with long, warm summers, mild winters, excellent soil diversity and natural drainage, the terroir of the region lends itself to the cultivation of the [Merlot](/merlot) and [Cabernet Sauvignon](/cabernet-sauvignon) grapes that are synonymous with its most celebrated wines. Intense daytime sunshine in the growing season coupled with cooler night-time temperatures, and a mostly south / southeastern aspect, ensures optimal ripeness and provides the the grapes (and subsequently, the wines) with the unique character and complexity for which they are held in such high regard. Soil structure varies across the region with the left bank vines planted on predominantly gravel-based plots and the estates on the right being dominated by limestone and clay soils; hence the Châteaux of the Médoc (left bank) produce wines dominated by [Cabernet Sauvignon](/cabernet-sauvignon) (a later ripening variety which thrives in sandy gravel), and those of [Saint-Émilion](/appellation/saint-emilion-aoc) and [Pomerol](/appellation/pomerol-aoc) (on the right bank) produce principally [Merlot](/merlot)-led blends. Whilst the esteemed red Bordeaux blend is the region's most recognised export, it is supported by a number of high quality white wines which also have stellar international reputations, in particular the dry whites of [Pessac-Léognan](/appellation/pessac-leognan-aoc) and the celebrated sweet, botrytized wines of [Sauternes](/appellation/sauternes-aoc). [Sauvignon Blanc](/sauvignon-blanc), [Sémillon](/semillon) and [Muscadelle](/muscadelle) are the chief permissible varieties in the white Bordeaux blend, although it is common for the wines to be made entirely from the first two grapes, and rare - although not unheard of - for mono-varietals to be produced. In addition to the three principal grapes of [Cabernet Sauvignon](/cabernet-sauvignon) (nearly two thirds of plantings), [Merlot](/merlot) (almost one quarter) and [Cabernet Franc](/cabernet-franc) (roughly one tenth), the red grape vineyards of Bordeaux also contain smaller amounts of [Malbec](/malbec), [Petit Verdot](/petit-verdot) and [Carménère](/carmenere), which although permissible, are rarely used in an estate’s Grand Vin. In all, the region boasts over ten thousand individual producers and more than fifty AOCs, ranging from generic, catch all labels to the prestigious first growth châteaux of the [Haut-Médoc](/appellation/haut-medoc-aoc) on the left bank, and the renowned appellations of [Pomerol](/appellation/pomerol-aoc) and [Saint-Émilion](/appellation/saint-emilion-aoc) on the right. Production is varied, quality-focussed and copious. 2016 saw almost six-hundred million litres of wine produced in the region with everything from simple, everyday blends (sold under the [Bordeaux AOC](/appellation/bordeaux-aoc) label and purchasable for a few pounds) to, at the other end of the scale, some of the world’s most exclusive and expensive wines. Amongst a number of internationally renowned estates, the region is home to [Château Pétrus](/producer/chateau-petrus) ([Pomerol AOC](/appellation/pomerol-aoc)), [Château Cheval Blanc](/producer/chateau-cheval-blanc) ([Saint-Émilion](/appellation/saint-emilion-aoc)), [Château Latour](/producer/chateau-latour) and [Château Lafite-Rothschild](/producer/chateau-lafite-rothschild) (both [Pauillac AOC](/appellation/pauillac-aoc)).
Barsac is a key appellation in Bordeaux's small but legendary sweet wine scene. Although often overshadowed by the global fame of neighbouring Sauternes, it is home to some ou...
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The generic, regional level appellation Bordeaux AOC, can be used for both red and white wines produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Since there are a number of prestigious enclaved...
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Established in 1973, Cadillac is a French wine appellation within the region of Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOC. It takes its name from the small, fortified town, thirty kilometres south of
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Canon Fronsac is a Merlot dominant red wine appellation on Bordeaux's right bank.
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Established in 1936, Cérons is a French wine appellation in the Bordeaux region, around thirty kilometres southeast of the city. The label is reserved for sweet white wines and includes...
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Côtes de Bordeaux AOC is a large appellation on the right bank of the Gironde and Dordogne in Bordeaux and covers red, white and rose wines. It was created in 2009 when amalgamating the appellations of Blaye, Cadill...
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An appellation for wine in the area known as the right bank of the Bordeaux region, Côtes de Bourg’s four-thousand hectares of vine are dominated by dark skinned grapes. Red wines here are generally rounded, fruit...
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Entre-Deux-Mers is a French wine region and appellation d’origine contrôlée in the southwest of the country. The AOC is reserved for dry white wines only, with red wines produced in the same area sold under the ge...
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Fronsac AOC is a red wine appellation in the Bordeaux region of France. Somewhat overshadowed by the internationally acclaimed Châteaux of Saint...
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Graves AOC is a district level wine appellation in the Bordeaux region of France. Named for the gravelly alluvial soil which characterises its terroir, the Graves label covers both the r...
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Somewhat confusingly given the literal translation of its name, Haut-Médoc refers to the southern part of the greater Médoc peninsula - a viticultural area of approximately four-thousand-six-hundred hectares ...
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Located just to the north of of the prestigious Pomerol appellation, the larger Lalande-de-Pomerol offers good value red blends produced from Merlot and Caberne...
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Listrac-Médoc AOC is perhaps the least important of all the Médoc appellations, mainly due to its high limestone content and lack of gravels in the soils. Merlot is used frequently to so...
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Lussac-Saint-Émilion AOC - the northernmost of the four so called Saint-Émilion satellites - is an appellation for red wines in the Bordeaux region of
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A red wine appellation in the Haut-Médoc sub-region of Bordeaux, Margaux is home to a greater number of Cru Classé estates than any other AOC on the left bank. It is also n...
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Médoc AOC is a wine appellation in the Bordeaux region of France. Whilst by definition the label can be applied to wines produced anywhere in the Médoc district, in practice it only re...
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Montagne-Saint-Émilion is an appellation for red wines in the Bordeaux region of France. The label can be applied to all wines which comply with the AOCs production rules, and are produ...
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The village of Moulis lends its name to this appellation for red wines in the Haut-Médoc region of Bordeaux. Established in 1938, the AOCs wines are similar in style to the ...
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Home to three of the five Premier Cru estates of the Médoc, Pauillac AOC ranks amongst the world’s most prestigious appellations. Its internationally acclaimed wines are known for their power, complexity and structure, as well as their ability ...
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Pessac-Léognan is one of the most respected appellations in Bordeaux. Just south of the city, it boasts sixteen chateaux that were rated as Grand Cru Classé de Graves in 1953.
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Pomerol is a red wine appellation in the Bordeaux region of France. Distinguished from neighbouring Saint-Émilion in 1923, it gained AOC sta...
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One of four Saint-Émilion satellites located northeast of the town, Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion AOC is an appellation for red wines in the Bordeaux region of
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Half an hour east of the city of Bordeaux lies Saint-Émilion, the charming medieval village from which the famous wine appellation takes its name. The complex geological make-up and superb microclimate of the Saint-Émilion area delivers some of ...
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Saint-Estèphe AOC is a world famous left bank Bordeaux appellation for Cabernet-Merlot wines.
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The charming village of Saint-Georges, in the Libournais sub-zone of Bordeaux, gives its name to the smallest of the Saint-Émilion satellite appellations. Its wines are t...
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Sauternes is one of the world's great appellations for botrytis influenced sweet wines. Produced from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
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