36/38.- Bordeaux, vineyard

A 'Chateau' in the Bordeaux wine producing region is a property of a regulated size that has wine making and storage facilities. There are almost 10,000 'Chateaux' in the Bordeaux region, they vary in size.

The poor quality of the lands that surround the city of Bordeaux are one of the key ingredients of its famous wines. Other ingredients that affect the quality of the grapes are the weather, the age of the vines and the harvesting methods. Producing a quality wine is part art and part science. The first you need is a first quality grape. The hours of sun, the clouds, the rainfalls, the winds and the moisture affect the grape. There is no exact rule, each of this elements must visit the vineyards at the right moment. If it rains too early, or too late, the grape will be of poorer quality. Once mother nature makes its work, human beings must do theirs. It is impossible to produce a good wine with a bad grape, but it is possible to make a poor wine from a first quality grape.

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