Bordeaux has 57 wine appellations. Every wine appellation has its own unique history and characteristics.

Exploring them makes for a wonderful gustatory voyage. Below are just a few of the key appellations and their characteristics.

Located in the center of the Médoc, along the left bank of the Gironde estuary, the village of Pauillac is the world capital of Cabernet Sauvignon.

Three of the five first growths (Lafite, Latour and Mouton) and 1/3 of all classified growths are located here.

The appellation is 4 miles long and 2 miles wide.

The soil is famous for its layers of gravel offering excellent drainage.

1000 hectares of vineyards and 630,000 cases produced.

At the northern most edge of the Lafite vineyards is a stream - and on the other side of the stream lies the vineyards of Cos d’Estournel and the beginning of the Saint-Estèphe appellation.

The soil contains layers of gravel, often on a clay base. The soil drains less easily than the soil of Pauillac, giving Saint-Estèphe cool soils. Grapes ripen later and contain more acidity than vineyards to the south in the Médoc. These cool soils can be an advantage, however, during hot, dry vintages.

1200 hectares. Famous vineyards include Montrose, Cos d’Estournel, Calon Segur and Lafon Rochet.

Saint Julien is located just south of Pauillac. At the most southern edge of the Latour Vineyards is Chateau Leoville Lascases and the beginning of the Saint Julien appellation.

900 hectares. Gravel soils and subsoils.

3/4 of the production is classified growth. Here you’ll find five “super” second growths (Leoville Barton, Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Poyferre, Gruaud Larose, Ducru Beaucaillou); two excellent third growths (Langoa Barton and Lagrange); and four very reliable fourth growths (Beychevelle, Branaire Ducru, Talbot, St Pierre).

Margaux is the most southernly and extensive of the Médoc communal appellations.

1,300 hectares. 635,000 cases produced.

21 classified growths, including first growth Chateau Margaux as well as the famous Chateau Palmer.

The soil and topography varies a lot in the appellation. There is limestone, chalk, clay and sand, but the best wines comes from the outcrops where gravel predominates and the drainage is good.

Created in 1987 in the Graves area bordering the city limits to the south. This is where the first wine estates in Bordeaux were developed.

880 hectares for red wine production ; 250 hectares for white wine production.

It includes all of the properties named in the 1959 Classification of Graves. It also includes first growth Haut Brion as well as the renowned Pape Clement and La Mission Haut Brion.

Soils here are especially well-drained. They are made of layers of gravel from different eras.

White wines are grown on the sandier, lighter parts of the vineyard.

This appellation is within the Graves district and is devoted to making unfortified, sweet white wines.

Sauternes has a unique microclimate thanks its closeness to the Garonne and Ciron rivers. The morning mist in autumn brings botrytis or “noble rot,” which attacks mainly Semillon grapes, evaporating the water, concentrating their juices while preserving aromas.

All vines must be hand-picked in several sweeps through the vineyard when the grapes have reached a certain concentration in sugar, making the harvest last several weeks.

The wines were classified in 1855, and Chateau d’Yquem was granted superstar status as a first great growth.

2,200 hectares. 375,000 cases. Production is extremely limited: only 1-3 glasses of wine per vine.

Soils run the gamut of gravel, pebbly, clay, limestone, silica, and sand. Most estates are small and only have one soil type, making each Sauternes wine truly individual. A few estates, d’Yquem in particular, have such large acreage that they have most soil types, which adds complexity to their wine.

Pomerol is a small district that produces glamorous wines made primarily from Merlot. It does not have an official classification.

740 hectares on a plateau north east of Libourne.

About 150 estates. Yields are the lowest in the red wine production in Bordeaux. The estates are generally small, most producing just a few thousand cases a year.

Soil on the highest parts of the plateau is dominated by gravel interwoven with clay. The subsoil is an iron-rich clay or “crasse de fer.” 80% of the vines are Merlot.

Pomerol is home to such stars as Petrus, Trotanoy, Le Pin, Bon Pasteur, La Conseillante and Vieux-Chateau-Certan.

Saint Emilion is the district that spreads out around the picturesque Gallo Roman city of Saint Emilion. It has four satellite appellations.

5,400 hectares. 822 wine producers. Estates are generally small. There are an additional 3,000 hectares in the satellite appellations.

Merlot and Cabernet Franc dominate.

This was a wine growing region long before the Medoc or the Graves regions— in fact, its history dates back to the Romans. Its wines were not known on the influential English and American export markets until the 20th century, because they were sold by the Libourne merchants, who shipped them inland and to Northern Europe. The Bordeaux merchants controlled the port of Bordeaux and concentrated on the Medoc estates.

Saint Emilion has its own classification system. It was established in 1955 and is revised every 10 years.

This appellation is known for the diversity of its soils that leads to a remarkable diversity in the resulting wines. The best wines comes from the clay-limestone plateau and its steep hillside or the gravel-clay section of the plateau that borders Pomerol. Other sections are noted for gravel, sand and alluvian soils.

This appellation is a continuation of the plateau and hillside extending from its more famous neighbor, Saint Emilion.

3,000 hectares.

Diverse soil types that are similar to Saint Emilion. Clay and limestone on the hillsides and plateau. Silty clay at the base of the hillsides. Sand and gravel on the lower areas.

Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Historically, the Entre Deux Mers is a white wine growing region first developed by the Romans, followed by the Benedictine monks in the Middle Ages, then the Dutch in the 18th century. Red and rosé wines are now also abundantly produced in this green, lush region.

Wines sold under the appellation of Entre-Deux-Mers, however, are only dry, white wines. Red wines produced in this area have the Bordeaux Rouge, Bordeaux Superieur, or Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux appellation.

After Bordeaux AOC, this is the biggest dry, white wine appellation in Bordeaux, producing more than 1.44 million cases per year.

This region is just south of Blaye, along the east bank of the Gironde estuary. It has a particularly sunny microclimate. 13,875 hectares in production, only 25 hectares for white wine production.

The best terroir is found on the hillside which has a strong, clay limestone base. Sandy gravel deposits are found covered with brown and red marl, perfect for Merlot.

Merlot dominates in this region. Winemakers rely on Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec to complete their blends.

These vineyards are planted on the hills and valleys of the Blaye [bli] region, separated from the Medoc by the Gironde estuary. This location guarantees well-ventilated vineyards and healthy crops.

120 hectares in Cotes de Blaye; 4,750 hectares in Premieres Cotes de Blaye.

Merlot dominates in this region, followed by Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc and Malbec are also found in small quantities.

The soil is predominantly clay and limestone, ideal for Merlot.

The appellations Bordeaux (Red, White and Rose) and Bordeaux Superieur are general designations that do not refer to a specific location or region (unlike Pauillac or Pomerol, which refers to a specific growing location). They are the only AOC wines from Bordeaux that do not have a specific growing location.

Any producer in any appellation of Bordeaux has the right to use the term AOC Bordeaux. Chateau Lafite obviously prefers to use the more prestigious appellation AOC Pauillac rather than AOC Bordeaux.

AOC Bordeaux is the lowest appellation of the Bordeaux appellation system. These wines have the least strict production norms: alcohol content between 10-13% and production no more than 55 hl/hectare. Such wines are aged no more than 4-6 months prior to bottling, made to be consumed young, and easy to drink. AOC Bordeaux reds are produced on 44,000 hectares and have yearly production of 2.5 million hl.

AOC Bordeaux Supérieur wines have stricter production norms and are generally superior in quality (more complexity, concentration and aging potential) to those wines that carry the denomination AOC Bordeaux. Bordeaux Supérieur wines are generally made from the best parcels of an estate, have smaller production yields (no more than 50 hl/hectare) and the producer must age the wines a minimum of 12 months before selling them. Often they are aged in oak barrels to increase their power and aromatic complexity. The declared surface of Bordeaux Supérieur is 10,000 hectares and annual production is 530,000 hectoliters.

Bordeaux Supérieur is a very interesting appellation for the consumer. These wines are often from prestigious growing areas, such as the Medoc or St. Emilion, and neighbor the prestigious classified growths. Many classified growths from prestigious appellations, such as Margaux or St. Estephe, may even have certain parts of their vineyards classified as Bordeaux Superieur, with the possibility of these plots becoming classified over time. Nonetheless, Bordeaux Supérieur wines may often share the taste profile and characteristics as its more prestigious neighbors, and benefit from similar viticultural and vinification treatment.

Bordeaux Red, Bordeaux Rose and Bordeaux Superieur wines are generally made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc.

Bordeaux White wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillion and sometimes Muscadelle.

The soil will vary depending on the region that the grapes are grown.