As the Gironde river flows out to the sea past the city of Bordeaux, it meets another river, the Dordogne, and forms a tidal estuary known as the Garonne. The strip of land between the estuary and the Atlantic is known as the Médoc.

Within the Médoc, the Haut-Médoc in the southern portion is home to dozens of famous chateaux estates that produce some of the greatest red wines in the world. Wines labeled merely as Médoc are much better values, as they are not as famous or do they tend to be quite as long-lived; However, these wines, made primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, are classically structured wines with impressive depth of fruit, medium-weight tannins and pronounced perfumes. These red wines are meant for the dinner table - especially with elegant red meats - or in one's cellar for up to a decade. The red wines from the Médoc are examples of Bordeaux that are crafted more for everyday consumption by the typical consumer.