Bordeaux
France
“The undisputed capital of the wine world”
Climate
Oceanic (Cfb)
Area
120,000 ha
Altitude
0 – 80 m
Rainfall
~900 mm
About Bordeaux
Bordeaux is arguably the most important wine region on earth. Sitting at the confluence of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers in southwest France, it produces both the world's most collected red wines and the most celebrated sweet whites. The region's fame rests on its extraordinary diversity — from the gravelly, Cabernet-dominated Left Bank to the clay-limestone, Merlot heartland of the Right Bank.
🍇 Key Grape Varieties
Red varieties
White varieties
🗂️ Sub-Regions & Appellations
🌍 Geography & Soils
Bordeaux straddles the Gironde estuary, which moderates temperatures and protects vines from Atlantic frosts. The Left Bank (Médoc, Graves) is characterised by deep Quaternary gravel over clay-limestone subsoil — perfect for draining Cabernet Sauvignon. The Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion) has clay-limestone soils ideal for Merlot. The Sauternes sits on a special microclimate where morning mists encourage botrytis cinerea, the 'noble rot' that concentrates grape sugars into transcendent sweet wines.
Key soil types
🍽️ Traditional Food & Culture
💡 Fun Facts
Bordeaux has over 7,000 wine-producing châteaux.
The 1855 Classification has only ever been revised once, in 1973.
Bordeaux produces around 700 million bottles of wine per year.