Burgundy is the name of a wine region in France; nevertheless, most of us are acquainted with the word since it is what we call the famed red and white wine produced by the area. These wines are regarded as the finest money can buy, which is why they are among the most costly in the world. But, before we get into why so many people feel this way, let’s first define red and white Burgundy.
Red Burgundy is a wine produced in the eastern French region of Burgundy from 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Yes, red Burgundy is just Pinot Noir. White Burgundy is also produced in Burgundy, but since wine is white, it is made entirely of Chardonnay grapes. That’s all. Isn’t it straightforward?
Burgundy has long been considered as the greatest region in the world for producing both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
So, now that we’ve established that red Burgundy, such as domaine ramonet and white Burgundy are merely different names for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, let’s look at what makes these wines more desirable than Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from other regions of the globe.
What distinguishes both Burgundian wines is that Burgundy, more than any other wine area in the world, is entirely impacted by its terroir. Terroir is a feeling of place, which implies that when you drink a wine, you can taste the whole area where it was created. Terroir is the idea that the land from where the grapes are cultivated provides a distinct character that is unique to that particular vineyard.
Burgundy has been regarded over the years as the greatest area in the world for producing both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and it is for this reason that Burgundy wines have garnered such recognition. In fact, the quality of the land is seen to be so vital to the formation of red and white Burgundy that french wines vineyards within the Burgundy area are classed into four tiers, depending on how remarkable one’s piece of land is for producing grapes. When purchasing a bottle of Burgundy, it will be branded with one of these four classifications:
Grand Cru – This designation is only given to the top vineyards. Only roughly 2% of all vineyards in Burgundy have this designation. Wines with this rating command the highest prices and are actively sought after by wine collectors.
Premier Cru – These wines are made from vineyards that are still regarded to be of exceptional quality, but are only a step below Grand Cru. These vineyards account for around 12% of all vines in Burgundy and may yield premium wines.
Village Wines – These are Burgundies made from grapes taken from numerous vineyards in one of Burgundy’s 42 villages. The name of the village where the grapes were gathered will be labeled on the bottle, indicating that it is a Village wine. These wines account for 36% of total Burgundy production. Vineyards producing Village wines may be located adjacent to vineyards classed as Premier or Grand Cru, but for whatever reason, they are not designated as such. As a result, Village wines provide outstanding value for money.
Regional Wines – Finally, Regional wines are the lowest level of categorization. These are wines made from vines from a number of villages in Burgundy, as opposed to a single village, as are Village wines. As a result, wines of this classification will simply be designated as Bourgone wines. These wines account for half of all wines made in Burgundy, and they include superb wines to be consumed right away.
With all of these categories, we must remember that even at the most basic Regional level, they are all wines produced in one of the world’s top wine areas. Both red and white Burgundies are the wines that made Pinot Noir and Chardonnay renowned, and they are worth drinking at any level.