Medoc (may-dock). This area lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde estuary and is home to some real biggies. The top four communes of Medoc are Pauillac, Saint-Estephe', Margaux and Saint-Julien. In 1855, a consortium of growers, shippers, merchants and brokers divided the vineyards of Medoc into five categories based on consistency and quality. Though this classification rewards a few that may not deserve a high ranking and underrates others, it is even today the best judge of relative quality of the wine produced. At the top of the tree are the premier crus (or the first growths).

Then come the deuxieme cru (duh-zhyem creu) or the second growths. Many are of superb quality and some like Cos d'Estournel or Chateau Pichon-Longueville, rival the first growths in value and prestige. Then follow the third, fourth and fifth growths all of which may include top quality wines. Often the premier cru vineyards will have sister chateaux which though not of the top classification may still produce great wines. For example Mouton Cadet, the most successful Bordeaux brand ever began as the Second wine of the premier cru Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. Similarly, Chateau Clerc-Milon while not a first growth benefits from all the processes and goodwill that its first growth sister (Mouton-Rothschild) possesses. Below the five classifications are the Cru Bourgeois, which does not mean that you have to be a nouveau-riche schmuck to drink it; its just the next step in the classification and contains some very respectable wines.