A little history...
The Bergerac and Duras winegrowing area came into being under the Romans around year 281. The first variety of grapes used was called "biturica", and is an ancestor of cabernet.
The first documents showing the importance of the area for wine and its location date to the 12th century. The development of wines here is closely linked to the history of the area, such as in 1255 when Henry III of England granted a right to ship Bergerac wines unhindered to the mouth of the Gironde. This enabled the area's winemaking reputation to grow, until 1865, when the Phylloxera vastatrix insect put an end to winegrowing in the area until 1890. The area cultivated for wine fell from 10,700 to 2180 hectares, a truly catastrophic event!
11 Septembre 1936 is a major date for Bergerac and Duras wines, as it marks the publication of the decree recognising their appellations d’origine contrôlées labels
The winegrowing area is constantly evolving and, in 2001, another decree was published recognising the appellation d’origine contrôlée Montravel Rouge.
Key figures
- 7 terroirs: Bergerac, Pécharmant, Rosette, Montravel, Monbazillac, Saussignac, Duras
- 5 colors: red, rosé, dry white, sweet white, dessert white
- 10 appellations (AOP), covering 17 wines (some AOP labels cover several colours)
- 1000 winegrowers
- 150 wine merchants
- 5 cooperative wine cellars
- 2.8% of cultivated land in France
- 9000 hectares of vines
- Production: 530,000 hectolitres
- Average estate area: 15 hectares
- Monbazillac: the world's biggest dessert wine label