With Burgundy and Champagne, the wines of Bordeaux form the "Holy Trinity" of French viticulture. Despite producing as many whites as reds, it is the latter – known as claret to the British – that have graced the tables of the discerning for centuries. The countryside that produces them encircles the city, enjoying near-perfect climatic conditions and soils ranging from limestone to sand and pebbles. It's the largest quality wine district in the world, turning out around 500 million bottles a year – over half the country's quality wine output and ten percent, by value, of the world's wine trade.The Gironde estuary, fed by the Garonne and the Dordogne, determines the lie of the land. The Médoc lies northwest of Bordeaux between the Atlantic coast and the River Gironde, with its vines deeply rooted in poor gravelly soil, producing good, full-bodied red wines; the region's eight appellations are Médoc, Haut Médoc, St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Moulis en Médoc, Listrac-Médoc and Margaux. Southwest of Bordeaux are the vast vineyards of Graves, producing the best of the region's dry white wines, along with some punchy reds, from some of the most prestigious communes in France – Pessac, Talence, Martillac and Villenave d'Ornon amongst them. They spread down to Langon and envelop the areas of Sauternes and Barsac, whose extremely sweet white dessert wines are considered among the world's best. On the east side of the Gironde estuary and the Dordogne, the Côtes de Blaye feature some good-quality white table wines, mostly dry, and a smaller quantity of reds. The Côtes de Bourg specialize in solid whites and reds, spreading down to the renowned St-Émilion area. Here, there are a dozen producers who have earned the accolade of Premiers Grands Crus Classés, and their output is a full, rich red wine that doesn't have to be kept as long as the Médoc wines. Lesser-known neighbouring areas include the vineyards of Pomerol, Lalande and Côtes de Francs, all producing reds similar to St-Émilion but at more affordable prices. Between Garonne and Dordogne is Entre-Deux-Mers, an area which yields large quantities of inexpensive, drinkable table whites, mainly from the Sauvignon grape. The less important sweet whites of Ste-Croix du Mont come out of the area south of Cadillac. Stretching along the north bank of the Garonne, the vineyards of the Côtes de Bordeaux feature fruity reds and a smaller number of dry and sweet whites. The classification of Bordeaux wines is an extremely complex affair. Apart from the usual appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) labelling – guaranteeing origin but not quality – the wines of the Médoc châteaux are graded into five crus, or growths. These were established as long ago as 1855, based on the prices the wines had fetched over the previous hundred years. Four were voted the best or Premiers Grands Crus Classés: Margaux, Lafitte, Latour and Haut-Brion. With the exception of Château Mouton-Rothschild, which moved up a class in 1973 to become the fifth Premier Grand Cru Classé, there have been no official changes, so divisions between the crus should not be taken too seriously. Since then, additional categories have been devised, for instance Crus Bourgeois, which has three categories of its own. The wines of Sauternes were also classified in 1855. If you're interested in buying wines, it's possible to find bargains at some of the châteaux. Advantages of buying at source include the opportunity to sample before purchasing and to receive expert advice about different vintages. In Bordeaux, the best place to go is La Vinotèque (Mon–Sat 9.15am–7.30pm), next to the tourist office. There's a growing fashion for organic methods and "green" wines, already available on many good labels. To visit the châteaux, Bordeaux's efficient Maison du Vin, just across the road from the tourist office (Mon–Fri 8.30am–5.30/6pm, late May to mid-Oct also Sat 9am–4.30pm), has various pamphlets detailing those châteaux which accept visitors. In addition, each wine-producing village has its own tourist office and Maison du Vin, which can provide the same service. Since getting to any of these places except St-Émilion without your own transport is hard work, the simplest thing is to take one of the Bordeaux tourist office's own half-day guided tours, covering a different area each day (May–Oct daily 1.30pm; Nov–April Wed & Sat 1.30pm; €24.39). Generally interesting and informative, the guide translates into English the wine-maker's commentary and answers any questions. Tastings are generous, and expert tuition on how to go about it is part of the deal.
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