The most important sort of wine produced in Bordeaux, quantitatively if not qualitatively, is that which qualifies for the simple appellation Bordeaux. About half of all the aoc wine produced in the region is on this lowest rung of the ladder of quality. Red Bordeaux AOC was produced from 53,938 ha/133,226 acres of vineyard in 2013. Such wine is typically produced outside the more specific commune or regional appellations, although a great deal of red Bordeaux AOC comes from the entre-deux-mers region, whose eponymous appellation applies only to white wine. (A counterpoint to this is the fact that the appellations of the Médoc apply only to red wines, so that even the Médoc’s smartest white wines, such as Pavillon Blanc du Ch margaux, are not allowed any appellation grander than Bordeaux AOC. Similarly, dry white wines made from grapes usually grown for sauternes qualify only for Bordeaux AOC.) The other area with the greatest concentration of vineyard dedicated to the production of Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur is that north of Libourne, where Merlot grapes predominate.
