The History of Winemaking in Bordeaux

Winemaking in Bordeaux has a rich history that dates all the way back to Roman times. Although some wine production predates their arrival and occupation of France (then Gaul), the Romans recognised the potential of Bordeaux’s gravelly soils, moderate climate, and proximity to waterways (making it easy to ship wine back to Rome!), and vastly expanded vine cultivation and wine production across the region.

Further expansion was seen throughout the Middle Ages, most notably after the marriage between Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry Plantagenet. The English King encouraged merchants and traders to settle in the city, and the wines of Bordeaux became hugely sought-after in England, solidifying the region as a major power in the wine trade. As we well know, the strong relationship between the English and their love of claret continues to exist today.

A prominent year in the history of Bordeaux came in 1855 when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification of Bordeaux’s top wines ahead of the Exposition Universelle de Paris, an international fair where France’s best wines would be on display. The wines were ranked into five levels, or “growths” as they are known, based on the reputation and quality of the Chateaux at the time. It’s incredible to think that this list has remained largely unchanged for the last 150 years, but this classification still influences the Bordeaux wine market today. The wines of Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, all “first growths” 150 years ago, remain some of the most well-known and most expensive wines in the world. If you ever get the chance to try one of these wines – don’t pass it up!

Then came phylloxera. In the early 1870’s, the vineyard pest that sought to destroy European wine production made its way to the vineyards of Bordeaux. Thought to have travelled to France inadvertently amongst some American vine cuttings, phylloxera eventually made its devastating way through almost every vineyard in Europe. Luckily, one French botanist had the answer. Jules-Émile Planchon proposed the solution to the pest problem: graft European vines onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstocks. A controversial remedy that divided people on both sides of the Atlantic, but one that worked. Very few vineyards in the world today are free from phylloxera, meaning most vines must be grafted onto the very American rootstocks that the pest was brought over with in the first place.

After the devastation of a couple of World Wars and the Great Depression, by the mid-20^th century, vineyard management and winemaking techniques entered a period of modernisation and wine quality vastly improved as a result. By this time, several Bordeaux appellations had been created, including the Médoc, Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Graves, and Sauternes, each with its own set of rules and regulations over winemaking processes, grape varieties, and viticultural methods. Winemakers from all over the world travelled to Bordeaux to learn how to produce wine like the Bordelais, taking home with them everything they learnt. The influence of these learned experiences is still evident in the wines of the world today.

Despite quality wine popping up from all corners of the earth, Bordeaux still has a huge influence over the global wine market, and like the 1855 classification, that doesn’t look set to change anytime soon.

Want to restock your cellar with wines from Bordeaux?

Browse our Bordeaux collection. As well as everyday wines from Tuilerie du Puy, we also have a selection of fine wines in multiple vintages from the iconic Chateaux of Pontet Canet, Beychevelle, Canon, Clerc Milon, Giscours, Haut Brion, Montrose, Lynch Bages and many more.