Entre-Deux-Mers is a French region, well known as a Bordeaux wine growing region. The geographical area is situated between the rivers

Garonne The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – a ...

and

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...

, and is bounded in the east by the border of the

Gironde Gironde ( US usually, , ; oc, Gironda, ) is the largest department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of Southwestern France. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,62 ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

and in the west by the , the confluence of the Garonne and the Dordogne. At , it is the largest sub-region of Bordeaux, although, as there are large areas of forest, only half the land is used for growing grapes. The total area under vine is about , with about 250 growers making wine there.

Name

The name of the region is derived, not from the French word "'" ("sea"), but from "'" ("tide"). Thus, it means "between two tides", a reference to its location between two tidal rivers.

Wine region and Appellation

Although both red and white wine is produced in Entre-Deux-Mers, only the dry white carries the

appellation d'origine contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

(AOC) "Entre-Deux-Mers". The red is sold as

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...

or Bordeaux Supérieur. Many growers switched from the white grape varieties to the more profitable red ones in the mid-20th century. Syrupy and sweet white wines are also produced in the south of the geographical region :

Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...

, Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont.

Characteristics

The Entre-Deux-Mers appellation has the following characteristics: * Dry white wine: less than 4 grams / litre of residual sugar; * Blend of three grape varieties:

Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

(primarily),

Sémillon Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, mostly in France and Australia. Its thin skin and susceptibility to botrytis make it dominate the sweet wine region Sauternes AOC and Barsac AOC. History The Sémill ...

and

Muscadelle Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated. DNA analysis has indicated that Muscadelle is a cross between Gouais blanc and an unid ...

; * Minimum alcoholic content of 11.5%. The wine is typically enjoyed young – within one year of vintage – but has some aging potential, owing to the Sémillon.

Name

Wine region and Appellation

Characteristics

References

See also