Côtes-de-Bourg can trace its history back to the 2nd century and credits its existence to the Romans who, upon recognizing the richness of its diverse soil comprised of gravel, alluvium, limestone and clay, first planted there.  By the time of the Middle Ages, Bourg had evolved into a major port for wine, and the growth of vineyards followed suite. Residents of the area included fisherman, sailors and winemakers, with winemakers reaping the best of all worlds – a rich, fertile soil, a robust trade, and seafarers who made exportation possible.

The wines carrying the Côtes-de-Bourg appellation are predominantly red, made from blends of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.  A small amount of white wine is also produced, primarily from Ugni blanc and Colombard grapes. 

Situated between the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers is one of the largest sub-regions within Bordeaux: Entre-Deux-Mers, meaning, “between two tides.”  (Many mistake the translation for “between two seas,” as the French word for sea is “mer.”

But in fact, the name is derived from the word “marée,” meaning tide, and refers to its specific location between two tidal rivers.) But although it expands to 3,000 hectares, very little of the land is used for planting grapes.  At maximum, only 50% of the hectares are under vine, with production spread amongst approximately 250 growers.

Entre-Deux-Mers grows both red and white grapes; however, the name Entre-Deux-Mers only appears on a limited number of wines from the region. By law, the appellation is granted only to white wines produced from its Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Sémillon grapes which are know for their refreshing, bright, citrusy notes and generally pleasant presentation. The wines are usually enjoyed early on – even as early as one year within vintage – and feature a minimum 11.5% alcohol content.  Characteristically dry, they hold less than 4 grams of sugar per liter.

Ironically, despite its obvious preference for dry whites, Entre-Deux-Mers is responsible for the production of nearly 75% of the red wine sold under the generic Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérieur labels. Still, while they cannot carry the name, many growers traded prestige for profit when they began leaning towards growing red varietals in the mid-1900s.

Entre-Deux-Mers features ten appellations, among them, Entre-Deux-Mers, Graves de Vayres, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOC (now merged into Côtes-de-Bordeaux, Cadillac, Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Bordeaux-Haut-Benauge, Entre-Deux-Mers Haut Benauge, Côtes-de-Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire, and Sante-Foy-Bordeaux.