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In 1549, Jean de Pontac set out to build what would become the first chateau in Bordeaux — Château Haut-Brion. In this sense, “chateau” doesn’t refer to the castles owned by French aristocrats. Those had already existed for quite some time. In de Pontac’s case, “chateau” means a vineyard that doubles as a residence.

In 16th-century France, the wealthy preferred for their chateaus to be built on high land to flaunt their haute société status. But de Pontac had other priorities: He wanted his vines to be planted at the property’s highest points so his grapes could be at the pinnacle of his estate — both physically and figuratively. In turn, de Pontac’s chateau would be at the foot of the sandy, gravelly hill on which Haut-Brion sits.

Today on “Wine 101,” Keith dives into this crucial moment in Bordeaux history and how de Pontac’s choices were key to the survival and success of Château Haut-Brion.

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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

*Image retrieved from Château Haut-Brion

This Episode of “Wine 101” is brought to you by Meiomi Wines.

The article Wine 101: Haut Brion Part II: Wine, War, and Religion appeared first on VinePair.