Some 20,000 bottles of chateaux Smith Lafite and de Cayx Bordeaux have set off on their journey to Montreal by sailing ship.

The 120-foot Bessie-Ellen, which is more than a century old, has been chosen by the producers to embark on a 21-day voyage which will see it bring wine to North America in a time-honoured fashion, the Independent reports.

After the first journey is completed, the route will be established permanently by chateaux Smith Ladite and de Cayx next year, while shorter routes have also been planned between Bordeaux and Plymouth.

The producers say they are using the ancient method of transport to reduce carbon emissions, while shipping company CMTV is to create an online tracker charting the ship's progress.

CMTV already runs a route from Bordeaux to Dublin and uses the Canal du Midi, a 17th-century World Heritage Site, to transport its client's goods to the fleet.