Wine has been grown in the Bordeaux region of France for thousands of years, since the introduction of vines by the Roman Empire.

The modern cultivars and styles of wine produced in Bordeaux today are vastly different from those in the past but the area remains the benchmark for wine internationally. The producers of Bordeaux have been established names for centuries with a track record of consistency that results in some of the highest prices paid for wine anywhere in the world. The legendary status of these wines can in part be attributed to the political and economic powers of Western Europe, but the reason that Kings and Emperors prized it so highly was the magical combined influence of soil, weather and man on the grapes that grow there.