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With its reputation for fine wines dating back to medieval times, Bordeaux was for centuries the favorite of kings and queens -- and presidents. It was Thomas Jefferson himself who became a fan and made a personal visit to the area in the 18th century to stock his cellars in Virginia.

Today there is a whopping 700 million bottles of wine produced in Bordeaux each year, and there are those who would argue that it is not enough...

Bordeaux is one of the world's most recognized wine producing regions -- and one of the most popular wines in the world. It is a favorite with average wine drinkers as well as wine geeks and connoisseurs.

What makes Bordeaux so universally popular? Its size. With a total vineyard area of over 120,000 hectares, Bordeaux is the largest wine growing area in all of France which affords lots of diversity in style, flavor, and texture.

Because of the vast area it covers, the quality of its soils, its mix of climates and combinations of grape varieties, Bordeaux produces wines ranging from dry white, red, to rosé, clairet and sparkling wines -- to a Fine Bordeaux, a brandy made from distilled wine.

Among Bordeaux wines you can pick from popular, everyday table wines much beloved within France -- to "trophy" vintages much-sought after by international wine collectors.

On average, the most popular Bordeauxs (Chateau Leoville Poyferre and Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste, for example) hover in the $80 price range, but the the vast variety means that almost anyone can find a perfect match.

It also means that the Bordeaux classification system can be difficult to understand. A full 65% of vineyard owners bottle wines from their own grapes, encompassing 53 separate appellations, or wine regions. Three quarters of all the wine produced in this region comes from independent wineries. The remainder entrust the task to 53 cooperatives.

It may take years to decide which is your favorite. But what better way to spend a lifetime than to taste them all?

More information about Bordeaux wineries around the Web:

Bordeaux.com - Focusing on the sensuality of Bordeaux and what makes it distinctive, with how-to's on choosing a Bordeaux and reading the label, along with tasting guidelines, reviews and more, plus an interactive Bordeaux wine quiz to help boost your expertise.

About Bordeaux Wine Region - You'll find Bordeaux wine information, Bordeaux region information, a wine map, information on winemaking, Bordeaux wine history and classification of the wine. There is also a section on pairing Bordeaux wines and food and a shop to buy Bordeaux wines. More detail is added on individual pages for Médoc, Haut Médoc, Margaux, Saint Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint Julien, Listrac, Moulis, Graves, Pessac Léognan, Sauternes, Barsac, 1ères Cotes de Bordeaux, Bordeaux AOC/Bordeaux Supérieur, Entre Deux Mers, Saint Emilion, Cotes de Castillon, Cotes de Francs, Pomerol, Fronsac and Cotes de Bourg... You can also play the Grow Your Own Wine game....

Bordeaux Region and Classifications - Into Wine is the name of this site and the content verifies that. The region is described and a map is provided. The classifications are very complete. If you get confused with First Growths, Second Growths or Premiers Crus and Deuxièmes Crus, these may help clarify how the classifications are applied.