In between these two rivers lies the Entre-deux-mers white wine region. The Left Bank opens up to the appellations of Medoc and then consecutively St Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien, Listrac Médoc and Moulis en Medóc futher inland, and Margaux – with Haut Medoc extending along half of the peninsula.Īt Margaux, the Gironde divides into two rivers: the Garonne flows south past the appellations of Pessac Leognan, Cadillac, Graves, Cérons, Barsac, Loupiac, St Croix du Mont and Sauternes while the Dordogne heads west through Côtes de Bourg, Fronsac, Pomerol, St Emilion and its ‘satellites’.
The Bordeaux wine region extends 60 miles around the city along three rivers – the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne – of Europe’s largest estuary to create an ideal setting for wine making that is complemented by a temperate climate with a short winter and high levels of humidity courtesy of the nearby Atlantic Ocean.įollowing the Gironde on the map of Bordeaux wine regions, it flows southwards from the Atlantic at Pointe de Grave towards the city.
In terms of the Bordeaux wine region map, Cabernet Sauvignon is generally featured more heavily in blends on the Left Bank of the Gironde river, while the opposite Right Bank tends to carry a preference for Merlot – there are 57 appellations across both, playing host to 7,000 wine producing chateaux and 13,000 growers. You'll also hear the term referred to in reference to food, and the cuisine of Périgord, characterized by truffles, foie gras, and other goose and duck products, is world renowned.As a map of Bordeaux wine regions attests, the region is exceptionally well developed for wine tourism, whether for beginners or connoisseurs, with almost 7,500 producers and close to 10,000 different Bordeaux wines accompanied by stunning chateaux and wineries that line the countryside.Īlthough Bordeaux was originally revered for its sweet white wines from the sub-region of Sauternes, over 90% of Bordeaux wines are now red – the red Bordeaux blend is one of the most imitated around the world and includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec (with small amounts of Carménère). Périgueux, the administrative center of the Dordogne département, is in the Périgord Blanc. Périgord BlancĪnd the central Périgord Blanc, or White Périgord, is named for the abundance of white limestone in the area. The Périgord Vert, or Green Périgord, is the northwestern part of Périgord, known for its lush green fields and valleys and beautiful gardens. The Périgord Pourpre ( Purple Périgord), so named because of the abundant wine from the area, is centered on Bergerac-et-Cazenac. The Périgord Noir ( Black Périgord) is where most places of touristic interest are, including Sarlat-la-Canéda, the prehistoric caves of Lascaux, the medieval town of Domme, and other towns on the Dordogne and Vézère Rivers. Périgord/the Dordogne is/are also part of the région of France known as Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which also includes Bordeaux.Īnd to make things more complicated, the Périgord has been further divided into four "colorful" regions: Although the département has been known as the Dordogne for years, many people still use the term Périgord.
What we commonly refer to as the Dordogne region is also referred to as Périgord, the historic name of the area-dating back centuries. It can get confusing trying to keep the various régions of France straight, especially when some are known by more than one name.