🏛️ Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion
An old Bordeaux wine town with cellars cut into limestone; a UNESCO heritage site.
Saint-Émilion is an old wine town in Bordeaux, on the right bank of the Dordogne river. It lies on a limestone plateau. Wine has been made here for many centuries. In 1999 UNESCO added the "Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion" to the World Heritage List as a living wine-growing landscape.
The town is built of pale limestone. Beneath it lie old cellars cut straight into the rock. These cave cellars still store wine: they are cool and damp all year and the temperature is steady. Some of the caves were once quarries.
Around the town are vineyards and wine estates. Mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown. The wines of the area are named after the town and belong to the list of Bordeaux appellations.
Saint-Émilion shows that wine is not only a drink but also part of history, architecture and landscape. It became a place where wine, stone and medieval buildings come together.
How it connects to Wine
🏛️ Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion → kind of → 🏛️ UNESCO wine heritage → kind of → 🍷 History of wine → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Next step
- 🍷 Cave cellar
- Part of
- 🏛️ UNESCO wine heritage
Frequently asked questions
Why is Saint-Émilion on the UNESCO list?
Because it is a living wine landscape: a medieval town, vineyards and cellars in limestone.
Where is Saint-Émilion?
In Bordeaux, in southwestern France, on the right bank of the Dordogne.
Which grapes grow in Saint-Émilion?
Mostly Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
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