Bordeaux Wine
A glass of Claret?
The vine was introduced to the region by the Romans 2 millennia ago and has flourished here ever since. Nowadays of course, Bordeaux Wine is world famous and much sought after - the region produces around 700 million bottles per year on 120,000 hectares by 8500 producers usually known as Châteaux
Most of the 57 Appellations are red (often called Claret in the UK) although there are a few sweet whites, a little rosé and some Crémant-de-Bordeaux sparkling wine.
All this is produced in the region around the city: For example in the Gironde (Left Bank) the Médoc and Margaux vineyards are located and south of the Garonne (also Left Bank) there are the Graves and Sauternes vineyards. Between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers there are the Entre-Deux-Mers vineyards and south of the Dordogne (Right Bank) those of Saint-Emilion and Pommerol. (See practical Information for a map)