Côtes de Duras

Côtes de Duras is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) for red and white wines in South West France.

Côtes de Duras is located in the department of Lot-et-Garonne, and is located immediately adjacent to the Bordeaux wine region, which is restricted to the Gironde department, as an extension of Bordeaux immediately to the east of the departmental border.

After the Edict of Nantes had been revoked and local French Protestants had moved to the Low Countries, wine exports to ports around the North Sea suddenly expanded.

Wine from this appellation grows on tertiary fluvio-lacustrine sediments that occur in three different forms: This terroir lies on the right bank of the Dropt and is divided into two by the Dourdèze valley.

This wine-growing area is spread across 15 communes: Auriac-sur-Dropt, Baleyssagues, Duras, Esclottes, Loubes-Bernac, Moustier, Pardaillan, Saint-Astier, Sainte-Colombe-de-Duras, Saint-Jean-de-Duras, Saint-Sernin, La Sauvetat-du-Dropt, Savignac-de-Duras, Soumensac and Villeneuve-de-Duras.

18th century map of the area that includes several communes in the Côtes de Duras.
The Côtes de Duras (highlighted in red box) is almost equal distance between Bordeaux and Cahors and is just southwest of Bergerac.
Harvesting Sauvignon blanc grapes in the Côtes de Duras with a mechanical harvester.
Malbec.