Located in South West France, Bordeaux is one of the World’s most important wine producing regions. The Gironde estuary and its two tributaries, the Garonne and Dordogne, splits the region into the ‘left bank’ and ‘right bank’. The left bank, on the west side of the Gironde, consists of the Médoc and Graves, while Pomerol and St. Emilion are located on the right bank. In between the Garonne and Dordogne is the Entre-Deaux-Mers region, French for 'between two seas'. From north to south the Médoc includes the famous classed growth chateaux in the communes of St. Estephe, Paulliac, St.Julien, and Margaux. The Graves and it’s enclave Pessac-Léognan make both red and white wine. While those of Pessac- Léognan’s are dry, Sauternes and Barsac make world-famous sweet whites. Although Bordeaux makes some of the world’s most expsenive wines, less expensive but good value alternatives come from Moulis and Listrac on the left and Bourg and Blaye on the right offer less expensive wines for earlier consumption.
Bordeaux Superieur wines are, as their name implies, a slightly "superior" form of standard Bordeaux AOC wines. The supérieur appellation is open to both red and white wines from anywhere in the Bordeaux region, which stretches 80 miles (130km) from Sainte-Foy in the east to the very north-western tip of the Medoc. Bordeaux Superieur wines are produced from the classic Bordeaux grape varieties. The reds rely heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc with smaller quantities of Malbec and Petit Verdot. Very occasionally, a splash of Bordeaux's long-lost Carmenere might also find its way into the blend, but only a handful of the region's vineyards are growing the variety. The white wines are produced mostly from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with smaller quantities of Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris.
Red wine is wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties. The color of red differs based on the grapes variety or varieties used.Interestingly, black grapes yield a juice that is greenish-white. The actual red color comes from anthocyan pigments (also called anthocyanins) from the skin of the grape (exceptions are the relatively uncommon teinturier varieties, which produce a red colored juice). Most of the production centers around the extraction of color and flavor from the grape skin.
