Château

The French term "château" (from the Latin castellum = fortress or castle) refers architecturally to a castle or manor house that is often connected to a country estate or vineyard. Originally, a château was inhabited by a nobleman or a wealthy family. In France, however, Château is also an extremely popular and frequently used part of a wine estate designation, which is usually placed in front of the name.

In Bordeaux alone, there are 3,000 wineries that use the term Château in the name of their winery, 15,000 throughout France and between 25,000 and 30,000 worldwide. This plays an important role in France for several reasons. Firstly, it is associated with a certain quality and tradition. Historically, many of these houses have owned vineyards, which implies a long history and often a high standard of wine production. Most importantly, these wineries actually have magnificent buildings worthy of the name.

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Château

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