<P> In the seventeenth century , Dutch traders began to drain the marshland around the Médoc and encouraged the planting of vineyards . The Dutch would also open new distribution channels to the Bourgeosis which helped usher in a second era of prosperity . At the turn of the 18th century , the War of the Spanish Succession broke out which made navigation along the French coast line and the English channel very risky . Additionally , the tensions between English and French governments halted all `` official '' trade between Bordeaux and the London market . Despite the government sanction , bottles of prized Bordeaux wines began showing up in large quantities at auction houses in London , Bristol , and Plymouth as the captured bounty of privateers . Wine historian , Hugh Johnson , speculates that this was an arranged affair between the Bordeaux chateaux , the privateers and the London auction houses to get around the war time politics of the period . </P>
<P> In the seventeenth century , Dutch traders began to drain the marshland around the Médoc and encouraged the planting of vineyards . The Dutch would also open new distribution channels to the Bourgeosis which helped usher in a second era of prosperity . At the turn of the 18th century , the War of the Spanish Succession broke out which made navigation along the French coast line and the English channel very risky . Additionally , the tensions between English and French governments halted all `` official '' trade between Bordeaux and the London market . Despite the government sanction , bottles of prized Bordeaux wines began showing up in large quantities at auction houses in London , Bristol , and Plymouth as the captured bounty of privateers . Wine historian , Hugh Johnson , speculates that this was an arranged affair between the Bordeaux chateaux , the privateers and the London auction houses to get around the war time politics of the period . </P>
who drained the marshes of medoc in bordeaux france planting small vineyards
who drained the marshes of medoc in bordeaux france planting small vineyards
Dutch traders
Dutch traders