Burgundy Red Wine
Burgundy red wine: is produced from one of the oldest wine producing regions in the
world dating back from when the Romans dominated the area. Burgundy is
located in Eastern France just southeast of Paris. Burgundy wines are
classified by the Appellation Controlee (AC)system. This gives the wine
bottle labels a slightly different appearance. This may tend to scare
off people from purchasing these wines but once you are familiar with
the rating system choosing fine wines from this area becomes a snap.
Burgundy red wines vary greatly depending on what region they originate. The primary red grapes of this area are: Pinot Noir and Gamay
Five major regions of Burgundy:
1)Chablis
- -this area strictly grows white wine grapes popular for its Chardonnay.
2)Cote d'Or
- this area is divided into 2 important red wine producing regions:
*Cote de Nuit
- this is where the Pinot Noir grape dominates. You will find some of
the best soil here to produce some of the finest red Burgundy wines.
This helps to produce
full bodied reds
with intense fruit flavors and complexity from oak
wine aging.
The wines of this area pair well with red meats.
*Cote de Beaune - although they do produce some fine reds this area is better known for their extraordinary whites.
3)Cote Chalonnaise
- the grapes grown in this region are similar to the ones grown in Cote
d'Or but due to the landscaping the grapes are not allowed to mature as
long and produce wines of lower quality and lower prices.
4)Maconnais - this area is dominated by the white Chardonnay grape variety.
5)Beaujolais
- the only grape to be permitted by law to produce the Beaujolais wines
is the gamay grape. It is the most lucrative wine produced in
Burgundy. The gamay grape growing region is very large encompassing 34
miles long and approximately 7 miles wide. It is considered one of
Frances' most beautiful wine producing regions.
The gamay
grape is fresh and fruity and can have heavy aromas. Beaujolais wines
are wonderful slightly chilled and are commonly consumed young.
The 3 Tiers of Beaujolais Wines:
1)Beaujolais - light bodied and fruity wine produced anywhere in the Beaujolais area.
2)Beaujolais-Villages - with more intense fruit flavors it tends to be more full bodied but still with very little to no detectable
tannins.
3)Beaujolais-Crus - in the Northern region there
are 10 Beaujolais Crus or villages. Each produces a wine with a style
of its own. Burgundy red wine from these villages are of higher
quality, fuller body and ultimately higher price.
