Bordeaux is the largest fine wine district in the world. The whole deparment of Gironde is dedicated to wine growing and produces wines known as Bordeaux. Over 6 million hectoliters of wine is procuded every year, which makes more than 850 million bottles. 85% of all wines is red, 12% is white and 3% is rosé.

Bordeaux is split into two parts, so-called left bank and right bank. Left bank wines include Haut Médoc and Médoc on the north; Graves and Pessac-Léognan on the south. The right bank wines consist of Saint Emillion and Pomerol. The area between the two rivers is called Entre-Deux-Mers meaning between two seas, although there is no sea there. Smaller appelations in these regions are known with their own names, notably Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Estèphe, Listrac and Moulis.

The most renowned areas are capable of making some of the world's best wines and command some of the highest prices but one needs to remember that Bordeaux is a very big region and not all wines are great, some are barely mediocre. Wine critics (particularly Robert Parker) have an influence on setting prices on newly released Bordeaux wines.

The world's most well known blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are made in this region. As strange as it may sound, in its entirety, Cabernet Sauvignon is not the grape that dominates the region, it is Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon represents only 27% of the black grapes, while Merlot represents more than twice at 58%. The rest includes Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot among others. Specific regions have different characteristics:

Fine Bordeaux Wines - Click to enlarge

Fine Bordeaux wines are known for their aging potential. On the left you can see a photo of a selection of old Bordeaux wines: 1967 Château Palmer, 1975 Château Clos Rene, 1978 Château Haut Bailly, 1978 Château Pavie, 1982 Château Beauregard and 1983 Château Labégorce-Zédé.

Wine labels on Bordeaux bottles contain the name of the estate, its classification, the appeliation, whether it is bottled at the château, the vintage and the alcohol content.

Bordeaux is the home to most ambitious grading of agricultural products ever attempted. When Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines, wine brokers ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and price. At that time, these were thought to be directly related to the quality. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 that ranked the first, second, third, fourth and fifth growths or crus. This classification is provided in the table below. However, much has changed since 1855. Many châteaux sold their vineyards, others bought additional vineyards far away, and the original winemakers have been long dead. So according to influential wine critic Robert Parker, 1855 classifications "should be regarded by both the wine connoisseur and the novice as informational items of historical significance only."