Situated on the 45th parallel, exactly inbetween the North Pole and the Equator, the Bordeaux region is particularly well-suited to wine growing, so much so that vineyards cover the entire "département" (the French equivalent of a county or state) of Gironde. The area is essentially within a microclimate; the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde Estuary regulate the temperature while the warm ocean currents of the Gulf Stream sweeping along the coastline maintain the warmth in the region. The wines of the world-renowned Bordeaux vineyards are defined according to a system of classification, which ranks all the wines produced in the region, and includes all the great Bordeaux vintages, or "grands crus." These classifications rank wines within each sub-region and even each appellation. The current classification has been in place since 1855, and was subject to a partial review in 1973. The numerous criteria of classification are subjective, relating to the quality and the taste of the wine....
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