Bordeaux in the mid-first century, to provide wine for local consumption, and wine production has been continuous in the region since. Bordeaux now has about of vineyards, 57 appellations, 10,000 wine-producing châteaux and 13,000 grape growers. With an annual production of approximately 960 million bottles, Bordeaux produces large quantities of everyday wine as well as some of the most expensive wines in the world. Included among the latter are the area's five "premier cru" (first growth) red wines (four from Médoc and one, Château Haut-Brion, from Graves), established by the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855: The first growths are: Both
Investment wine premier wines that are worth considering as a financial investment. It is also estimated that about 90 percent of the world's investment grade wine is produced in the Bordeaux region of France, which explains why the region is the main target for investment wine fraudsters. Vintage ports historically have made up much of the rest of the market inventory, but now more and more varied and global selections of wines are finding their way into the investor market. Outstanding vintages from the best vineyards may sell for thousands of dollars per bottle, though the broader term ""fine wine"" covers bottles