South West France (wine region) the grapes to be harvested earlier and the wines to be of a stronger alcohol level. Many Bordeaux wine merchants saw the wines of the "High Country" as a threat to their economic interest and during the 13th & 14th century a set of codes, known as the "police des vins", were established which regulated the use of the port of Bordeaux for wine trading. The "police des vins" stated that no wine could be traded out of Bordeaux until the majority of Bordelais wine had already been sold. This had a devastating effect on the wine industry of the
Bordeaux wine regions Pays de l'Atlantique was introduced in 2006, as a complement to the existing range of Bordeaux appellations, and covers grape varieties not permitted in classic Bordeaux, notably Chardonnay for white wines and Syrah for red wines. Nearly 4 million litres of wine is produced under this appellation, 62% of it red. The wine regions of the Left bank of the Gironde estuary are bordered by large coniferous forest land that have a tempering effect on the maritime climate of the area. The region spans the left bank of the Gironde from the mouth of the river to the city of