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Entre-Deux-Mers is a large wine sub-region of Bordeaux in south-western France. The name is also used in the appellation AOC Entre-Deux-Mers, which is applied to its dry white wines. This title is described separately below.
The name Entre-Deux-Mers translates as 'Between Two Seas'. The seas in question are the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, which form the area's southern and northern boundaries respectively. Entre-Deux-Mers occupies a substantial slice of the Bordeaux region, stretching from the edge of Bordeaux city in the west, to the farmland outside Bergerac in the east. The landscape is mostly fertile and green, rolling gently between 33 and 330ft (10–100m) above sea level. However, vineyards have replaced some of the green landscape, with large patches of land being rapidly devoted to viticulture. The soils of Entre-Deux-Mers are predominantly of alluvial type (sand and clay in varying proportions) – which is to be expected, given its name and location.
The Entre-Deux-Mers sub-region produces the majority of the wine labeled as Bordeaux AOC or Bordeaux Superieur. It encompasses several appellations, including the substantial Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux (now part of the Cotes de Bordeaux appellation formed in 2009). The others are the Entre-Deux-Mers title itself, Graves-de-Vayres, Cadillac, Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Haut-Benauge, Cotes-de-Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire and Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux.
Many wine-growers in the region uprooted their white grape varieties in the mid-20th century, replacing them with more popular (and commercially viable) red varieties, such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines produced here are generally increasing in quality, but do not match those from areas such as Pomerol or the Medoc.
The AOC Entre-Deux-Mers appellation applies specifically to dry white wines. Geographically, it is one of the largest in Bordeaux, producing a large quantity of dry white wine which varies widely in quality. The wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle and Ugni Blanc. The only appellation to produce a greater quantity of white wine is the generic, catch-all Bordeaux AC title.
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