- Bathed in the Garonne, the vineyards of Graves, Portets contains the largest concentration of castles of Graves appellation, vineyard which forms the bulk of his business. Recommended route between Bordeaux and Toulouse if you take the RD 1113 or if you cross the Garonne on the right bank to the left bank by the bridge Eiffel Langoiran. Ideally located just minutes from the vineyards to the prestigious appellations: Loupiac, Cadillac, Entre-Deux-Mers, Sauternes and Sainte Croix du Mont.
- History of Portets:
- "I was Port, vineyard I am" was the motto of Portets. At the bottom of the stairs of the castle of Portets from a fountain, the source of widening Lourme flowed into the Garonne. When the Romans arrived, they found a few individuals living near the source: the first Portésiens.
- "Port I was" In the early 18th century there was an old port which was called the Port-a tribute to Madame the wife of Antoine de Gascq, lord of the castle. The second port or port of Roy, in memory of a visit from Henry IV, was parallel to the first. The third port ran along the retaining wall of the terrace of the castle. These three ports were working together for the well-developed river trade at the time.
- "I remain Vineyard" The composition of rich soil, its exceptional location make Portets was chosen to test planting of vines and became the cradle of the vineyards of Graves: the oldest vineyards in the Bordeaux region, since it has more than 2000 years!
- The wines of Graves: The vast and beautiful country of Graves wine begins in the northern part of the "Jalle Blanquefort" north of Bordeaux, and ends shortly after Langon upstream of the Garonne. It borders the east along its entire length while to the west, the huge and beautiful forest of pine barrens and serves as border protection. In the Graves region, there are three designations of origin: The AOC Graves and Pessac-Leognan producing red wines and dry white Graves AOC and higher for sweet white wines. A ranking in 1953 and completed in 1959 singled out 16 classified growths in red and / or white.
- The oldest vineyard in Bordeaux: This area, near Bordeaux, the vineyard was established in Gironde. Recent archaeological excavations date the creation of the vineyards around the year 40 AD. However, the real boom began only wine Middle Ages. At that time, the first vines were planted in the heart of the city of Bordeaux and the surrounding area. The Golden Age of the 14th century opened on a craze for the English "claret." The 15th to the 18th century, formed a family of large estates attached to the production of quality wines, wines that were then under the name "wines of Graves," a name seen as the Bordeaux wine par excellence.
- Terroir: A unique combination of favorable factors: The wines of Graves are the only ones in France to carry the name of their soil, "weary of bourdeus grabs", literally "Graves from Bordeaux." The antiquity and originality of this designation recall the major role played by soil in the quality of the wines of Graves. These Graves, composed of gravel and pebbles by water, have a thickness varying from eight inches to 3 feet or more. They are witnesses to the ancient course of the Garonne, in place since the end of the Tertiary and during the Quaternary as and when passing the glacial episodes. Perfectly reflecting solar radiation, the heat gradually redistributes Grave of the clusters and thus contributes to a better ripening of the grapes.
- Fish of the Garonne: The Garonne and its estuary welcome eight species of migratory fish: allis shad, shad sham, eel, European sturgeon, the river lamprey, sea lamprey, Atlantic salmon and trout The sea is the major axis of migration for fish, linking the Atlantic to the Pyrenees. It is a nutrient medium but also a breeding ground, the gravel bed housing the eggs. Some human activities have harmed these fragile populations. The water pollution, dams and so on. disrupted ecosystems. But in recent years devices have been developed to preserve endangered fish species. As for example the prohibition of shad fishing.
- The plaice fishery: This fishery is carried out on the Atlantic coast, from the Gironde to the mouth of the Loire. The net is a net square with an area of few square meters stretched over a frame down flat and horizontally by means of a winch from a jetty which advances at sea and which is generally constructed shelter, even a small apartment. After a few minutes waiting for dissipation of the disturbance caused by the descent, the net is back up fairly quickly, in principle, trapping fish that were between him and the surface. Fishing is a highly regulated due to the construction of a jetty on the maritime domain. In addition, the squares are subject to the effects of the Garonne and the vagaries of weather. Thus, many flounder have been destroyed by two severe storms experienced by the South West over the past 10 years.
- The Bore: The bore is an exceptional phenomenon that occurs in some estuaries in times of high tides (we have identified about 60 sites worldwide). Currently, in France, there are only Aquitaine. Indeed, the work and development of other rivers in France, particularly those of the Seine have disrupted the conditions for its formation. This big bore dangerous to navigation has disappeared some 30 years ago. In very specific conditions (intensive tidal river high flow and low water level), the tide is held back by the waves of the river is a series of ridges that can reach 3 m high in best conditions. This set of waves (ten separated by a distance of ten meters) taking with him nearly half of the incoming tide up the estuary with a speed of from 15 to 30 km / h. It spreads well over 150 km away and disappears in areas where the tidal current is completely undermined.
