Bordeaux is probably the most well-know wine region in France. Bordeaux counts for one third of the good quality french wine (AOC, crus bourgeois, crus classés). The wines are so good there that a Bordeaux ranking is needed to classify the best of the best. Some of them are universal: Margaux, Yquem, Pétrus, Cheval Blanc, Haut Brion and all the others. Bordeaux has about 7,000 chateaux!

The most basic information on the wine of Bordeaux are :

Location:  In the south west of France, near the Atlantic coast, around the city of Bordeaux

Bordeaux region information

Size: 10 725 km2 (size of the Gironde department)

Gironde - where Bordeaux is - is the biggest department in France

Size of the vineyards:120,000 hectares (300,000 acres)

Grapes in Bordeaux:   

Merlot (50% of Bordeaux wines)

Cabernet-Sauvignon (26%) Cabernet-Franc (10%) Sémillon (8%) Sauvignon (4%)

Production:850 million bottles

25% of all AOC in France

Bordeaux wine making

Type of Wine:   

Full-body red wine (pomerol)

Medium-body red wine (bordeaux aoc)

Dry white wine (entre deux mers)

Sweet white wine (barsac and sauternes)