Bordeaux boasts over 250,000 acres of vineyards, over 50 appellations, and 13,000 grape growers. With an annual production of approximately 850 million bottles, Bordeaux produces large quantities of everyday wine as well as some of the most expensive wines in the world. This wine counts for one third of the good quality French wine. Both red and white wines are produced in Bordeaux with the red Bordeaux known commonly in the UK as Claret.
There are four essential elements to the secret success of Bordeaux wine; unique soil, favourable climate, quality grapes and a distinctive know-how. In Garonne, very high-quality grapes are grown mainly due to the soil. This soil benefits from a mixture of gravels, clay and sand that have been carried for millions of years by the rivers who gain their sources in the mountains of the Pyrenees and the volcanoes of the Massif Central. Bordeaux is surrounded in nearly all directions by vineyards. To the North there is the Medoc and the communes of Margaux, Pauillac, St Julien and St Estephe, to the South is the Graves and Sauternes, and to the East St Emilion, Pomerol and Fronsac.
Personalized Bordeaux wine tours & day wine tasting tours are a popular trip and take place in St Emilion, Margaux, Pauillac, Medoc and most of Bordeaux’ commercial vineyards.