Bordeaux French wine appellation guide: location, history, wines, climate & soil
Bordeaux is the regional appellation of the world's most famous fine-wine region, covering reds, whites and rosés from across the Gironde and offering an accessible taste of classic Bordeaux style.
More info about Bordeaux
Geographic position
Southwestern France, in the Gironde department around the city of Bordeaux, along the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Gironde estuary, close to the Atlantic Ocean; the vineyard covers about 270,000 acres.
Origin & history
The Romans planted vines here in the 1st century. When Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet in 1152, Bordeaux came under English rule for three centuries, and its "claret" became England's favourite wine. The famous 1855 Classification ranked the Médoc and Sauternes châteaux. The Bordeaux AOC was created in 1936.
Wines & grape varieties
Mostly red, blending Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère. Expect blackcurrant, plum, cedar and supple tannins. Whites blend Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle; also rosé and clairet.
Climate & soil
Temperate oceanic climate moderated by the Atlantic, rivers and the Landes forest. Gravel on the Left Bank, clay and limestone on the Right Bank.
Wine region: Bordeaux
Grape varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Muscadelle, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon