The History of Bordeaux Wine

Bordeaux’s reputation for fine wine is unsurpassed. Its principles and methods of wine production are the benchmark for other wine regions of the world.

Bordeaux is renowned for some of the world’s most famous red and sweet white wines. For hundreds of years, it has had an unparalleled reputation for excellence.

Wine production in Bordeaux dates back to when the Romans settled in St. Emilion. They grew vineyards to produce wine for the soldiers. However, it was in the period between 1152 and 1453 when the Bordeaux owed allegiance to the English crown that its reputation in the wine trade developed. The British soon developed a taste for ‘Claret’.

The word ‘Claret’ is derived from the French word ‘Clairet’. Clairet distinguished the lighter red Bordeaux’s from the more powerful red wine from Portugal or Spain. Claret is still applied to red Bordeaux wines but Clairet is now the name given to rosé wine from the region.

The left and right banks of the Gironde estuary host the main wine producing areas and extend along its tributaries. The famous white wine producing district is called Entre-Deux-Mers.  Entre-Deux-Mers is situated between the Garonne and the Dordogne, hence the name.  

Below we have plotted a timeline of significant events in the history of Bordeaux.

The first winegrowers of Bordeaux

Vines were planted in Bordeaux in the 1st Century A.D. A tribe of Celts planted vines of a new variety which is more resistant to cold. This Biturica vine is the ancestor of today’s widely planted Cabernet.

The English influence on Bordeaux’s wine trade

In 1152, Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet, the future King of England. Trading starts with the English importing the wines of Bordeaux whilst exporting other commodities to the region. The wine is named ‘Claret’. The sea is the preferred mode of transport via the Gironde estuary. This helps establish Bordeaux as a major port.  The wines are shipped in ‘tonneaux’ (900 litres). As a result the ‘tonneau’ becomes known internationally as the unit of volume for shipping.

The Dutch play a part

The 17th Century sees the appearance Dutch. They buy large quantities of wine to distil in their own warehouses. Bordeaux begins to produce dry and sweet white wines in addition to the traditional ‘Claret’.

Enter the Americas

In the 18th Century, the islands of the Americas (Santo Domingo and the Lesser Antilles) consolidate Bordeaux’s wine export trade. Bordeaux enjoys a period of great prosperity up to the point of the French Revolution. The English, whilst now only importing about 10% of Bordeaux’s total wine exports, buy wine of the highest quality as London’s ‘high society’ get a taste for the product. Also during this period bottles are first sealed with cork.

A rollercoaster ride

In the mid-19th Century disaster strikes and the vineyards are attacked by a terrible fungal disease. However in 1857 it is discovered that treatment with sulphur can stop or prevent the fungus. A return to normality is the start of an era of great prosperity for Bordeaux. This is testified by the famous classification of 1855, which lists the great growths of the Médoc, Sauternes and Chateau Haut Brion in the Graves. The Industrial Revolution and greater freedom of trade between negociants and the wine producers makes a significant contribution to the prosperity of Bordeaux. In particular between 1865 and 1887 when there is increased production and a rise in exports to many European countries.

Regulation

Towards the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, Bordeaux is faced with a new dilemma. Fraudulent practice and falling prices are a major concern.  This eventually leads to the creation of the ‘Institut National des Appellations d’Origine’ or A.O.C. in 1936. With it come decrees outlining the conditions of production in each appellation. These regulate the geographical area, grape variety, yield, amount of alcohol and also the method by which wine is produced.