Bordeaux

Bordeaux wine is synonymous for French wine in the hearts and minds of people all over the world. And this well-respected beverage comes from where else, but the Bordeaux region of France. This region is a tourists paradise with it's beautiful sandy beaches, Spectacular gardens and 700 year old villages to enjoy and explore, but it is the wine of the area which has made this region famous.

Bordeaux is the second largest wine region in the world and about 1/3 of the quality wine in France is produced in this region and it is big business in France. So, it shouldn't surprise you that there are 700 million bottles of wine that are produced in this region in the course of a single year. 89% of this wine is red wines, and Merlot is the most planted grape in the region. These wines range from inexpensive table wines to some of the most expensive wines in the world.

Many of the Bordeaux in this area is made from a combination of grapes including Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc.

Interestingly enough this region does not produce their wines in wineries, but rather wine "chateaux." 9000 such chateaux dot the Bordeaux countryside.

Anyone visiting the Bordeaux region would be struck first by the beautiful landscape of the area, the many exquisite gardens that fill the air with their rich perfume and the history of many of the buildings and entire small quaint villages that are scattered about the countryside. Taking a bicycle tour through one of these small villages is the best way to really get a feel for life in this area.

However, while many tourists do enjoy all the wonderful sites to behold that this area has to offer, a trip to this region would not be complete without visiting some of the chateaux and learning a little about how bordeaux is made and sampling some of this world famous wine. If you are planning a trip to the Bordeaux region of France and want a list of great chateaux to visit then merandowine.com can supply you with a list of a few of the more well-known chateaux.

While in the region you will also want to take the time, to really see the countryside and enjoy some of the local food that these wines are so well suited for. In fact, enjoying a fine meal with the right Bordeaux wine could well be the highlight of your trip to this area or all of France for that matter.

However, you don't have to make the trip across the ocean to enjoy a really fine Bordeaux that is made in this region for these wines are shipped all over the world. Bordeaux has 60 appellations (geographical identification to show where the grapes of the wine are grown.) which allows the connoisseur to pin point exactly where the grapes for a particular bottle of Bordeaux were grown. While this is not so important to the average person there are people who prefer a Bordeaux produced in one region over that produced in another.

Regardless of whether you are a connoisseur or someone just looking for a great tasting wine there is probably a Bordeaux to please everyone's individual palate.