Atlantique

Most of the wine production in the Bordeaux region is designated as appellations d’origine contrôlée (AOCs). As part of the establishment of production regions and the definition of a classification system for wines produced in large wine-growing areas, the Atlantic regional wines have emerged and now form the foundation of this new classification system. The first harvest took place in 2006. 

The geographical production area covers the entire departments of Charente, Charente-Maritime, Dordogne, and Gironde, as well as the western part of the Lot-et-Garonne department. The name of this Protected Geographical Indication is closely linked to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, which runs along the western edge of the geographical area for 250 kilometers. Bordered by major rivers—the Garonne, Dordogne, Charente, and Lot, along with their numerous tributaries—and bisected from west to east through its center by the wide Gironde estuary, this region has a temperate oceanic climate strongly influenced by the proximity of these bodies of water and by the warm Gulf Stream.There are three main types of soil that are highly suitable for vineyards: brown clay-limestone soils on a limestone substrate; leached Boulbène soils (sandy loam) formed from deposits of wind-blown silt overlying the “sands, clays, and gravels of the Périgord,” and alluvial soils composed of gravel, clay, sand, and silt in varying proportions corresponding to the ancient and recent terraces of the rivers.