Bordeaux

The most acclaimed wine making region located in southwest France, by the River Dordogne and Garonna that flow into the Bay of Biscay. There are over 7000 chateaus are spread over the area of 120,000 hectares. This is the region where 10% of French production is carried out and 26% of AOC wines. Rivers define three subregions: The Left Coast (of Garonna), Right Coast (of Dordogne) and the so-called ‘Intersea’ - Entre-Deux-Mers. The most characteristic features of the region’s geography are flat lands, moderately maritime climate, average annual rainfall of 900 mm and mild winters. These conditions are favourable for growing the greatest varieties of grapes: red varieties - cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, petit verdot; white varieties - semillon, sauvignon blanc, muscadelle.

Grape growing has been initiated in Bordeaux by the Romans in the 1st Century AD. An immense influence on the development of wine selling was exerted by Duchess Eleanor of Aquitaine; after she married the Duke of Normandy Henry Plantagenet, the future King of England, only the Hundred Years’ War and merging the region into France stopped the intensive export of this beverage. After two weaker centuries of the wine, Bordeaux was again discovered by the Dutch and hanseatic merchants.

When in 1855, Caesar Napoleon III organised the Universal Exhibition in Paris, he wished to show all the wine-growing regions of France. This was a splendid opportunity to prepare an appropriate classification of Bordeaux wines. This also applied to red wines from the Médoc Peninsula and white varieties from Sauternes. The evaluation criteria were fairly objective – commercial statistics and the price decided on the positioning of a given wine.

Wines were divided into 5 classes (from the first to the fifth cru). The Premier Cru title was assigned to the following estates: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux (all the ones from Médoc) and Château Haut-Brion (in Graves). Moreover, the famous Château d'Yquem in Sauternes was the only one to obtain the title of premier cru supérieur. In 1973, Château Mouton-Rothschild was also assigned the title of premier cru, as it is known not only for excellent wines but also for labels designed by famous artists. They were ordered to be created by such fames as Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso or Andy Warhol.

Wine production is restricted by stringent principles imposed by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée system, AOC or AC in short (appellation controlee means brand name). Only 35% of French wines can be marked by this designation). One level down there are wines designated by the abbreviation VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieur) - around 1%. The third quality step is taken by the so-called Vin de Pays (regional wines) which are  mostly produced In the Langvedocia-Rousillion region, formerly known as a "wine lake" thanks to the enormous amount of unlabeled wine produced there. The remaining wines fall into the category of Vin de Table (35%).

There are over 350 AOCs in France, 57 of which are in the Bordeaux region alone. AOC is an element of French classification that guarantees that a wine originates from a region of precisely defined borders. Its purpose is to ensure authenticity of wine yet it is not always a determinant of quality. The concept originated after Word War I, after 1935 was grounded in the form in which it exists today after 1935, and was also aimed to curb cheap imitations of great wines.