n., pl. Bor·deaux (bôr-dō', -dōz').

A red or white wine produced in the region around Bordeaux, France.

[bohr-DOH] An area in southwest France considered by most wine enthusiasts to be the world's greatest wine-producing region, not only because of the superiority of the wines, but also because of the large annual production (500 to 750 million bottles). The wide popularity of Bordeaux wines in the United Kingdom (where they're called clarets) can be traced back to the period from 1152 to 1453 when the English owned this region-acquired through a royal marriage then lost in the 100 Years' War. The most celebrated of the Bordeaux wines are the reds, which make up more than 75 percent of the production. Nevertheless, the region's rich, sweet white wines from sauternes are world-renowned, and its dry white wines from Graves have a serious following. The five main Bordeaux districts with individual appellations are Pomerol, Saint-Emilion, Graves, Sauternes and the Médoc (which has many individual appellations including Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Estephe and Saint-Julien). The primary red grape varieties used in Bordeaux are cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot (with almost twice as much acreage as Cabernet Sauvignon), and occasionally Malbec and Petit Verdot. The primary white grapes are sauvignon blanc, sémillon and Muscadelle. Bordeaux winemakers typically blend grape varieties for their wines, as opposed to the prevailing practice in the United States of producing varietal wines. It should be noted, however, that American vintners are now making more blended wines, which are called meritage wines when approved Bordeaux grape varieties are used. In general, the vineyards of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol are planted more heavily in Merlot and thus produce softer, more supple wines. On the other hand, the vineyards of Medoc and Graves favor Cabernet varieties, which create more intense, tannic (see tannin) and long-lived wines. Some of the more famous châteaux in Bordeaux are Haut-Brion, Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Mouton Rothschild and Petrus.

Bordeaux, capital of the Guyenne in southwestern France, was part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine when she married Henry II of England in 1152. Consequently, Bordeaux and the Aquitaine were held as fief by the kings of England until 1451, near the end of the Hundred Years' War, when they were conquered by the French army and incorporated into the kingdom of France. Located on the Garonne River, Bordeaux was a port city and a key trading partner of England and Holland, both of which valued its fine wines, made from grapes grown in the premier vineyards of France. Bordeaux's commercial ties with the French West Indies and its role in the lucrative sugar and slave trade enhanced the city's economic and demographic importance in the eighteenth century. Between 1750 and 1790, Bordeaux's population nearly doubled, from 60,000 to around 111,000, making it the third largest city in France. Its wealth underwrote extensive urban renewal, especially under the Marquis of Tourny (intendant of the Guyenne, 1743–1758), and intensified local pride.

Bordeaux was home to one of the twelve prestigious parlements, or sovereign courts of France, and its magistrates, along with the great wholesale merchants, dominated the city's political and cultural life. The political history of the city was turbulent, as its parlement and municipal authorities sought to maintain Bordeaux's traditional privileges and liberties in the face of encroachment by royal authorities. In 1548, the city participated in the uprising against the salt tax (gabelle), a revolt that was savagely repressed. Bordeaux also suffered during the Wars of Religion (1561–1593), as the violence and instability interfered with the city's lively commercial activity, but it remained officially loyal to the king. However, Bordeaux was a center of fierce unrest during the Fronde (1648–1652), when members of the Bordelais bourgeoisie formed the Ormée and unsuccessfully demanded reforms.

During the French Revolution, the city of Bordeaux contributed eloquent and influential deputies to the National and Legislative assemblies. Their supporters were called "Girondins" after the département in which Bordeaux was now located. Twenty-two of them went to the guillotine during the Reign of Terror. The Revolution and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars were disastrous for Bordeaux's maritime and commercial economy, and the city never fully recovered the economic glory that it had enjoyed in the eighteenth century.

Bibliography

Doyle, William. The Parlement of Bordeaux and the End of the Old Regime, 1771–1790. New York, 1974.

Forrest, Alan. Society and Politics in Revolutionary Bordeaux. London and New York, 1975.

Higounet, Charles, ed. Histoire de Bordeaux. Toulouse, 1980.

Jullian, Camille Louis. Histoire de Bordeaux depuis ses origines jusqu'en 1895. Bordeaux, 1895.

—CHRISTINE ADAMS

[bohr-DOH] An area in southwestern France considered by most wine enthusiasts as the world's greatest wine-producing region because of the large quantity (ranging from 700 million to 900 million bottles annually) and the high quality of the wines. This large region has about 280,000 vineyard acres and essentially covers the same territory as the département of gironde. At its center lies the seaport city of Bordeaux, which sits on the Garonne River upstream from the Gironde estuary, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The Bordeaux region's fame dates back some 2,000 years when Romans first sang the praises of its wines. The wide popularity of Bordeaux wines in the United Kingdom (where they're called clarets) can be traced back to the period from 1152 to 1453, when the English owned this region, which was acquired through a royal marriage and then lost in the 100 Years' War. Bordeaux gains most of its fame from its red wines, which generally make up over 75 percent of the production. Nevertheless, the region's rich, sweet white wines from sauternes are world renowned, and its dry white wines from graves have a serious following. Bordeaux's primary appellations (see also appellation d'origine contrôlée), which cover the entire region, are Bordeaux AC-for red, white, and rosé wines-and Bordeaux Supérieur AC-a designation for red and rosé wines that requires lower grape yields and slightly higher alcohol levels than basic Bordeaux. However, Bordeaux is broken up into many districts and contains numerous individual appellations. The five main districts that have individual appellations are pomerol, saint-émilion Graves, Sauternes, and, most important of them all, médoc. Within Médoc, there are many individual communes with specific appellations as well. Some of them, like margaux, pauillac, saint-estèphe and saint-julien are quite well known. Minor Bordeaux districts with appellations include blaye, bourg, entre-deux-mers and premières côtes de bordeaux. There are over fifty individual appellations in Bordeaux, and, generally, the smallest ACs produce the highest-quality wines. There are also thousands of individual châteaux-some are quite impressive, while others are simply tiny farmhouses. This number has resulted in attempts at classifying the better châteaux in addition to using appellations as a quality guide. At the top of the list sit the cru classé (classed growths) whose classifications are, for the most part, quite old and frequently raise questions regarding the accuracy of the rankings in today's environment. For example, the 1855 Official Classification of Bordeaux (see Official Wine Classifications of Bordeaux, page 636) divided the crus classés for the Médoc red wines into five subcategories-premier cru (first growth) through cinquième cru (fifth growth)-and the white wines of Sauternes into two subcategories-premier cru (first growth) and deuxièmes cru (second growth). The quality of the wines from châteaux ranked in the second through fifth growths has changed over the years, but there hasn't been any official classification change. However, the first growth châteaux-Haut-Brion, Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, and Mouton-Rothschild (added in 1973)-have continued to maintain their standards for high quality (and high prices). Over the years, additional cru classé classifications were declared for other areas like Graves and Saint-Émilion. Today there are fewer than 200 châteaux classified as crus classés, and the Pomerol district châteaux have never been classified. This has not deterred wine lovers from seeking out the higher-quality wines-Pomerol's Château Pétrus is consistently one of the most desired and expensive of all Bordeaux wines. Below the cru classé ranking is another grouping of classifications called cru bourgeois which ranks several hundred better Bordeaux châteaux not included in the cru classé. Below this are thousands of châteaux of lesser stature grouped together as petits château (the categories of cru artisan and CRU Paysan are no longer commonly used). The primary red-grape varieties used in Bordeaux are cabernet sauvignon cabernet franc merlot and occasionally malbec and petit verdot. In fact, it may surprise many American enophiles to learn that Merlot has almost twice as much acreage as Cabernet Sauvignon. sauvignon blanc sémillon and muscadelle are the primary white grapes. Bordeaux winemakers tend to blend grape varieties when making their wines, as opposed to the most common practice in the United States of making varietal wines. It should be noted that winemakers in the United States are now making more blended wines, coining the term meritage for those comprised of the approved Bordeaux grape varieties. In general, the vineyards of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol are planted more heavily in Merlot and thus produce softer more supple wines, whereas the vineyards of Médoc and Graves favor the Cabernet varieties and produce more intense, tannic and long-lived wines.

Dansk (Danish)
n. - Bordeaux

n. - Bordeaux, Bordeauxvin

Nederlands (Dutch)
bordeauxrood, bordeauxwijn

Français (French)
n. - Bordeaux

n. - (Géog) Bordeaux, Bordeaux (le vin)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Bordeaux, Bordeauxwein

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (κρασί του) Μπορντό

Italiano (Italian)
Bordeaux

Português (Portuguese)
n. - vinho (m) da região de Bordéus, bordô (m)

Русский (Russian)
бордо, вино местности Бордо (Франция)

Español (Spanish)
n. - Burdeos

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - Bordeaux

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
波尔多葡萄酒

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 波爾多, 波爾多葡萄酒

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 보드로(프랑스 서남부의 항구)[의 포도주], 보르도 지방산의 포도주

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ボルドーワイン, ボルドー

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) نبيذ فرنسي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮בורדו (יין), בורדו‬

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bordeaux	bordeaux rose
Bordeaux Glasses	Bordeaux Window Treatment