The part of France that wine-lovers know as Bordeaux covers a large area of different countryside, different weather patterns, different soils and differently styled wines. The Medoc, to the north of Bordeaux city, is home to the famous parishes of the very grand clarets; Margaux, St. Estephe, St. Julien and Pauillac are all there. It's a long spit of land with the Atlantic to the west and the river Gironde to the east, running northwards from Bordeaux city. The city makes a convenient break, because almost all the area known as Graves is to the south of the city.

Bordeaux city itself is almost at the confluence of two rivers, the Garonne and the Dordogne, which combine into one very large estuary just north of the city. The estuary is called the Gironde, and it flows almost northwards for about sixty kilometres until it finds the Atlantic, passing many great vineyards on its way. The boat with the sail on the label of Beychevelle is a recognition of that chateau's place of dominance on the Gironde, guarding a set of islands in the Gironde. Passing ships had to lower their sails 'baisse les voiles' as a mark of respect.

Directly across the Gironde from Beychevelle are the Cotes de Blaye and Bourg. This has traditionally been an area that produces much of the lower end of the Bordeaux market. Not much else happens on this side of the Dordogne until you travel another twenty-five kilometres or so upstream, when you come to the other great names of fine clarets; Pomerol and St. Emilion. Being a long way from much of the Medoc, these two parishes often get different weather, so good years in the Medoc are not necessarily good years in the Pomerol. Both Pomerol and St' Emilion have their own classification.

As the Garonne and the Dordogne diverge upstream, a large piece of land is formed bounded on both sides by rivers, running almost due east. This is the area that the Bordelaise call 'entre deux mers' - between the seas or rivers. This was the area for carafe wines, a place where traditionally mellow, soft and sweetish wines were made. These were never wines of distinction like many of their neighbours, but they were the stuff of a working man's lunch. These days it's home to some state-of-the-art wineries and the traditional style of its white wines is changing to reflect modern tastes and demands.

Wine of the Week

Gamage, Entre-Deux-Mers, 2002

A good example of the changing style of this region. It's fresh and fruity with a crisp, clean taste that would go nicely with sea-food and shell-fish in particular. As we hopefully move into that drier time of year that we call summer, sometimes you need a wine just for sipping in the sunshine that needs no great concentration to drink. This wine fits that bill like a glove. Drink it cold, and if you're in the sun, keep it cold.

Available Molloy's Off-Licenses, €7.95