Grand cru wines, what does grand cru mean?

Burgundy wine is in a class of its own. But it is also an art in itself. Whereas every wine region in the world has various wine estates with its own vineyards from which wine is made, the Burgundy wine region has vineyards cultivated by several wine estates: each estate makes its own wine from its share of the grapes. Thus, to know if a wine is potentially good, knowing the vineyard's appellation is not enough. The producer is just as important. In other words: a Grand Cru vineyard (Grand Cru vineyards are the best vineyards) can produce different qualities of wine.

White wine Bourgogne Chardonnay, why is it so popular?

Burgundy is renowned for its white and red wines and is among the best in the world. The white wines are made from the grape varieties Chardonnay and Aligote (to a very limited extent), the red wines are made from the grape varieties Pinot Noir and Gamay. The Chardonnay wines are among the best of their kind due to the terroir: the soil conditions combined with the perfect climate for the Chardonnay. The white Aligote wines are simpler because the grape produces less complex wines.

Major wine producers in Burgundy. What are negociants?

Some wine estates also make wine from grapes they buy from other owners. These so-called negociants can be very large: Louis Jadot and Joseph Drouhin are examples of this. They produce and sell many wines from different appellations and are among the most sold. Contrary to very small estates, such as Liger Belair and J.F. Mugnier.

What are the most expensive Burgundy wines?

Perhaps the most expensive wines in the world come from Burgundy. More than ten thousand euros is paid for a single bottle of Romanee Conti. For an old bottle from a famous year, especially in large format, the price already approaches a hundred thousand euros. The reason for this pricing is that the wine is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful wines in the world and only a few thousand bottles are made every year.

Burgundy has both red and white wines but hardly any rosé wines. Dessert wines from Burgundy are also rare. Organic wine cultivation, however, is very present.

Below is an overview of the most important wine regions in France. By clicking on an area, you can go to the best wines from our stock from that area.

Bordeaux

Burgundy

Alsace

Rhone

Provence

Loire

Champagne

French white wine is made from many different grape varieties. Each region has its own local grape varieties. But the most popular white wines are made from Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and, to a lesser extent, Viognier.

The following wineries can be seen as examples of highly renowned French white wine wineries:

Coche Dury

Arnaud Ente

Domaine Leflaive

Chateau D'yquem

Trimbach

Zind Humbrecht

Chateau Haut Brion Blanc

Champagne is made from the grape varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Champagne is a sparkling white wine, and Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are blue grapes: is that possible? Absolutely, the blue grapes are pressed immediately after the harvest so that the moisture that comes from the grape does not get the red colour. Most Champagnes are blends of the three grape varieties. A Champagne made only from Chardonnay is called Blanc de Blancs, a Champagne made from solely blue grapes is called Blanc de Noirs.

The following wineries can be seen as examples of makers of highly renowned Champagne:

Krug

Moët et Chandon

Bollinger

Selosse

Salon

Best of Wines has been selling French wine since 1907. We are often asked if we have any culinary suggestions, meaning if we have selected dishes with specific wines. And we certainly do, but it won't be a surprise. We also have culinary evenings, and pairing wine and food is very simple and very difficult at the same time.

You can easily find the most important rules on the internet. So, Cabernet Sauvignon goes well with a good piece of meat, Merlot for a more elegant piece of meat, Pinot Noir goes with poultry, Chardonnay fish and so on. But that is general because the strength of the dish, the spiciness and which ingredients are all used play just as big of a role. And that also applies to the wine. A wood-bearing Chardonnay suits a completely different dish than a non-wood-bearing one. And a Bordeaux is a blend of some grape varieties.

The most important rule is that wine and food must balance each other: one should not overpower the other. The 1 + 1 should not equal 2 but rather 3. They must reinforce each other. Best of Wines can always advise on wine: nearly without exception, we have drunk the wines we sell. So we know what impact the wine can have on a particular dish.