Main Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 25th Anniversary Edition

Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 25th Anniversary Edition

Let’s pop a cork and drink a toast to America’s very best, most popular wine course! Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is celebrating its silver anniversary, and this classic volume now has new, updated material that wine lovers will savor.

For this new edition, Kevin traveled to eighty wine regions in twenty countries, tasting more than 4,000 wines and meeting 500 winemaking professionals. To assure that he had all the latest wine-producing news, he recently visited vineyards in Austria, Hungary, Greece, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Argentina. Plus, he has updated Wine-Buying Strategies, best vintages, wine lists, and labels. As always, the book includes Wine Basics, Tasting Wine, Matching Wine and Food, Frequently Asked Questions About Wine, and a Selected Glossary. Zraly goes region-by-region, with the wines organized from simple to complex. By following Kevin’s order, readers will experience the best wines and a wide diversity of tastes, styles, regions, and countries.

It’s not only a comprehensive and bargain-priced hands-on wine education, and a superb catalog from which to start a wine cellar or find the right bottle, it’s also an inexpensive way to get the knowledge Kevin imparts in his outstanding course. This is clearly the wine guide against which all others are judged.


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Complete Wine Course



Complete Wine Course

Kevin Zraly


This 2010 edition is dedicated to Robert Mondavi who not only led Napa Valley and California on the road to great wines but also had a tremendous influence on wine and winemaking throughout the world. Without his vision there probably would not have been a need for this kind of wine book. His energy, passion, commitment, and foresight, not only in winemaking but in combining wine with food, music, and art, paved the way for Americans to enjoy wine.

A special thanks to Robin Kelley O’Connor who traveled around the world with me in 2008 and 2009. His wine knowledge, tasting skills, and driving (car) stamina made this 25th anniversary book complete.

The signatures on the endpapers represent some of the owners of wineries, vineyardists, winemakers, and marketing and public relations professionals whose help was invaluable to me.

I welcome questions and comments. Please visit my Web site,, for updates and wine news.


10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016

© 2009 by Kevin Zraly

All rights reserved

STERLING ISBN 13: 978-1-4027-9040-9

STERLING eBook ISBN: 978-1-4027-9040-9



Vineyard near Beaune, Burgundy © Charles O’Rear/Corbis

Insets: Wine tasting © Owen Franken/Corbis;

Vineyard near Savigny-les- Beaune, Burgundy © G. Bowater/Corbis;

Château Beycheville, Bordeaux © Adam Woolfitt/Corbis

Grapes on the vine in Napa, California © Morton Beebe/Corbis

Vineyards and fields in Chablis © Owen Franken/Corbis

Napa Valley vineyards © Charles O’Re; ar/Corbis

Braune Kupp vineyard, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany © Charles O’Rear/ Corbis

Vineyard at Volnay, Côte de Beaune, Burgundy © Charles O’Rear/ Corbis

Cellar at Château Mouton-Rothschild © Charles O’Rear/Corbis

Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard, Napa Valley © Jim Sugar/Corbis

Vineyards, Barolo, Piedmont © John Heseltine/Corbis

Barrels of Port, Dow & Co. warehouse, Oporto, Portugal © Charles O’Rear/Corbis

Grapes, Avignonesi Winery, Tuscany © Bob Krist/Corbis

Red wine and cheese at fireplace, © Ina Peters/istock

How Do We Smell?, illustration adapted by permission from Tim Jacob,

In 2010, I am celebrating my 34th anniversary teaching the Windows on the World Wine School. It all started in 1976 when Windows on the World, the restaurant on top of One World Trade Center, opened. We were a private lunch club, and I was asked to put together a six-week wine course as a club activity. We started off with only twenty people, and I taught the first class and the last class; the other four classes were taught by prominent wine writers. To this day, I have vivid memories of the great wines that we poured for that first class and the “happy” response of the students.

In fact, the club members were so happy with the wine school that they started asking if they could bring friends. By 1979 there were more friends than club members attending the class. The growing interest in wine was becoming obvious. In 1980 we opened our first classes for consumers. To date, more than nineteen thousand people have graduated from the Windows on the World Wine School. Many of my students have found their passion with wine—opening retail stores, restaurants, and wine bars. Some have started importing wine and a few have even started their own wineries.

Since my teenage years, wine has been my passion. In 1970, as a nineteen-year-old college student, I got a job as a waiter at a restaurant to pick up some “beer money.” The restaurant received a four-star rating from The New York Times restaurant critic Craig Claiborne and the owner asked me to take over the bartending duties. (Luckily for me, back then the legal age to drink was eighteen in New York State.) I started studying about beer, distilled spirits, and wine, learning as much as I could. Within six months my interest in wine became an obsession. I quickly switched from Budweiser to Bordeaux. I read every book on wine I could find, and I visited all the wineries in New York. (I couldn’t yet go to California—the drinking age there was twenty-one!)

A local college contacted the restaurant, suggesting a wine-and-cheese course for their adult-education program. So in 1971, at twenty years of age, I taught my first wine class. I continued to teach this class throughout college, and I was beginning to sense that wine appreciation was going to become a major area of interest in America.

I eventually graduated with an education degree and, combining that with my passion for wine, the Wine School for me has become the best of both worlds. After thirty-nine years of teaching about wine I am still fascinated by the subject, intrigued by its complexities, and “thirsty” to learn more with every new vintage. I would like to thank all of my graduates for supporting my passion.

This book is dedicated to everyone who has a passion for wine, from the grape growers to the winemakers, from the buyers and the sellers to, most important, the wine consumers.

May your glass always be more full than empty.




White Grapes of the World

Red Grapes of the World
























The Physiology of Tasting Wine

Matching Wine and Food with Andrea Robinson

Wine-Buying Strategies for Your Wine Cellar

Frequently Asked Questions About Wine

Windows on the World

A Personal History


Looking Back, with Gratitude

Selected Glossary


This picture was taken from the 107th floor of

One World Trade Center overlooking the East

River and the Brooklyn Bridge.

THIS IS THE TWENTY-FIFTH anniversary of my book, and what a ride it has been! This book has been updated annually since its release in 1985 as I’ve strived to make this a “complete” wine course. I can honestly say, with this twenty-fifth edition, we have achieved just that. From the very beginning this book has been a work in progress and, just like a winery or a vineyard, every year I’ve introduced something new. This year I’ve added information on six new countries—Austria, Hungary, Canada, New Zealand, Greece, and South Africa—as well as updating all countries and elaborating on the material about Spain, Italy, Argentina, Chile, and American wine regions.

Even though the current book is much larger than the original edition, the core of the Windows on the Wine School, the eight main classes, have remained consistent in their simplicity. There is always a tendency to add more when writing a book, especially for it to be “complete.” My friend Peter Sichel, himself a wine author, said it in the original foreword perfectly, “If I had more time I would have written a shorter book.”

The origin of this book goes back to 1976, when the Windows on the World Restaurant opened on the 107th floor of One World Trade Center. I had just turned twenty-five and had accepted the position of cellar master, which meant that I was in charge of selecting, ordering, and selling all of the restaurant’s wine. There I was, a kid in a candy store with carte blanche open-to-buy and only one mandate: Create the biggest and best wine list New York had ever seen. And so I did. Within five years of its opening, Windows on the World became the number one dollar-volume restaurant with the highest dollar wine sales of any restaurant in the world.

Windows on the World also hosted a private lunch club, and I was asked to put together a six-week wine course for members. I searched everywhere for a simple and straightforward wine guide to use as a textbook, but nothing I found was quite right. Every book I looked at was either too encyclopedic or too scientific.

That’s why I began developing my own course material, which I kept simple, trying to give my students only the basic information they would need to understand and enjoy wine. I gave students photocopied labels, lists, and other information that could be used for home study and future reference. This proved so popular that, in 1981, five years after I had begun working at Windows on the World, I sat down to write this book. A lot of my teaching involved answering questions from the students in my classes, so the book quite naturally evolved with a question-and-answer format.

That format continues to work well for my students and readers. The layout of the book has also more or less stayed the same for twenty-five years. I have always loved memorizing statistics, so I added sidebars with anecdotes, facts and figures, personal commentary, and quotes to reinforce the text. To emphasize a specific point, I would add a boxed block of text to supplement the information in the chapter. I tried everything I could think of to make learning about and enjoying wine easier and more fun.

Full of naive enthusiasm, I researched publishers, looking for the best and the ones most likely to snap up the rights to my book. I quickly discovered that although I thought my idea for an easy-to-understand wine book was brilliant, finding a publisher who agreed with me was an entirely different matter. At least five of the largest publishers in the business turned down my book, telling me that a simple guide to wine would never sell. Rejection became all too familiar.

Eventually I was introduced to Sterling Publishing, a company I like to call the “little engine that could.” Back then Sterling was a small, family-owned, “niche marketing” publisher known for its beautiful craft books. (Or, more accurately, unknown: Sterling was probably the most successful small publisher you’d never hear of!) About eight years ago, the “little” company was purchased by Barnes & Noble, and I am proud to say that today Windows on the World Complete Wine Course, with more than three million copies sold, is the best-selling wine book in the United States.

Annual supplements have really been what has kept this book new and fresh for me. Wine-Buying Strategies is a great section that I enjoy updating because I’m always trying to find a twenty-dollar bottle of wine that tastes like a fifty-dollar bottle. The Physiology of Tasting Wine was one of the most fascinating supplements to write. For the 2008 edition, we added the tasting notes for each class, which has added to the “course.” To help you assess your own wine knowledge, tests were placed at the end of each chapter in 2009.

I’ve spent the last two years working on this twenty-fifth anniversary edition. In 2008 and 2009, I toured over eighty wine regions throughout the world in order to add new regions, as well as update all of the original wine regions covered in this book.

Over these last two year, traveling around the world tasting over 5,000 wines, I’ve realized that we truly are living in the golden age of winemaking. The quality and diversity of wine produced in the countries and regions I’ve updated has exploded over the last twenty-five years. Great wines are being made in every country featured in this book, and even their ordinary wines taste better than ever before. I study wine full-time and I can barely keep up with all of the new regions, wines, vintages, and mergers and acquisitions; it must be overwhelming for new students of wine. In keeping with my original philosophy, I’ve tried to make learning about this great world of wine as fun and as simple as possible.

Finally, I have come to the conclusion that with this new edition I can honestly say that Windows on the World Complete Wine Course is just that: complete. And the best work I have ever done. I hope you agree.


CHANGES (1985–2010)

So much has changed since this book was first published; where to begin? But I’ll try to give you the highlights of twenty-five years of astonishing and spectacular growth.

Wine is now grown, traded, and consumed in increasingly large quantities worldwide.P.5, P.1, P.6 Twenty-five years ago, I didn’t include countries such as New Zealand and South Africa because their wines were not particularly remarkable and weren’t widely available.P.3 Today, both countries produce delicious wines that can be purchased at many well-stocked stores throughout the world. In this edition I’ve included countries that I have never before written about, and I’ve expanded the information on many other countries and regions to keep up with the huge growth in quality and availability. Wine has become a truly global commodity.P.38, P.39

Other significant wine industry developments are the growing and making of wine, the business of wine, and wine consumption.

Winemaking and Viticulture

Overall wine quality has improved significantly over the last two and a half decades. Vast strides have been made in the science and technology of winemaking, growers have readapted back-to-the-earth farming techniques, and there has been widespread planting of international grapes. These three reasons alone are responsible for much of the improvement in quality, which has led to its rise in popularity.

Here are some of the specific changes in wine-making and viticulture over the last twenty-five years:

• More attention is paid to the individual vineyards, clonal selection, and trellis systems

• More care is taken to match grape varieties with specific sites

• There is far less filtering of wine, leading to a fuller, more complex, and natural taste

• Oak is used far more judiciously

• Wine alcohol levels have reached historic highs

• Sustainability has become the international buzz word in viticulture: Wine growers are becoming more organic and are using fewer herbicides and pesticides. While there are still very few producers of biodynamic wines, elite wineries such as Benziger, Chapoutier, Domaine Leflaive, Zind Humbrecht, Domaine Leroy, and Araujo are practicing biodynamic techniques.

• The number of vines planted per acre (vine density) has increased dramatically.P.10 This has allowed the viticulturalist more freedom to produce better grapes.

• Screw-caps are gradually replacing corks on more than just inexpensive wines: screw-caps seal 75 percent of Australian and 93 percent of New Zealand wines

• Global warming may be real: Between 1960 and 1969, grape harvesting in Burgundy, France, on average began September 27. From 2000 to 2004, grape harvesting began closer to the first week of September. To help offset the effects of a shorter growing season, some viticulturists have begun planting grapes vertically rather than horizontally to avoid excess sun.

• Chaptalization is now rarely used

• Winemakers increasingly are using natural rather than laboratory yeasts

• The European Union has standardized basic wine labeling rules for member nations, and countries exporting to the EU (and worldwide) are following their regulations. For example, one new law states that if a grape is on the label, the wine must contain a minimum of 85% of that grape.

The Business of Wine

Besides the tremendous growth in wine quality, the business of wine has also benefited greatly from the global planting of Vitis vinifera grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, and other familiar grapes are now grown throughout the world, making it easier for consumers to buy unfamiliar wines with the expectation that they will be getting a wine that is familiar in style and of a fairly consistent quality.

Here are a few of the most significant advancements in the business of wine:

• In the year I first wrote this book (1985), Europe was by far the number one producer of wine in the world, with 78 percent of the total. In 2009, Europe has dropped to 68 percent and the United States has increased from 16 percent to 18.5 percent of worldwide wine production.

• Wine has enjoyed the largest growth rate of all alcoholic beverages since 2001

• The United States has become the largest wine market in the world, with retail sales in excess of $30 billion

• American wine names are becoming more creative, for example: Red Truck, Pinot Evil, Killer Juice, Dog Juice, Fat Bastard, Marilyn Merlot, Kick Ass Red, and Mad Housewife

• In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court approved the interstate shipping of wine directly to consumers, causing most states to rewrite their wine laws

• The quality of American wine lists has never been better, with some restaurants creating “monster” lists for promotional purposes (and intimidating “new” wine drinkers), while others list only the best wines in each category. You can now find wine lists in diners all across America!

• Costco sells annually over $750 million in wine, making it the largest retailer of wine in the United States

• Consolidation has reduced the number of U.S. wine wholesalers by 50 percent: two companies, Southern Wine & Spirits and the Charmer Sunbelt Group, control 38 percent of U.S. liquor and wine distribution

• Celebrity branding is big, from baseball stars (Tom Seaver) to racecar drivers (Jeff Gordon) to musicians (Bob Dylan). Celebrity wine sales exceeded $50 million in 2009.

• Thanks to Wine 2.0—wine blogs—now everyone can become a wine critic or ask the critics questions on, Wine Spectator’s Blog Index,, or Wine Enthusiast’s unreserved, to name just a few

• Wine in a box is becoming more popular, especially among California jug wine producers, to reduce greenhouse emissions and lower carbon footprints

• Exports of American wine have gone from $27.6 million in 1985 to over $1 billion in 2009!

• 2008 marked the 75th anniversary of the end of prohibition and the year Gallo started making their wine

• Imported-wine statistics have not changed much: in 1985, 29 percent of wines consumed in the United States were imported; in 2008, it was 28 percent

Wine Consumers

Combining better quality, familiar varietals, and expert marketing has given consumers worldwide some of the best wines ever produced at some of the most reasonable prices. Consumers today have a better selection of wine at all price points than ever before. And it promises to get even better in the future!

Here are my picks for the wine consumer highlights of the last twenty-five years:

• Consumers are reaching for reds more often than whites

• Americans are drinking more and better wine than ever before. Wine consumption in the United States reached a record 745 million gallons—an increase of over 165 million gallons since 1985. In 2007, the United States overtook Italy to become the number two consumer of wine. Next stop, France! Within the next five years, the United States will be the world’s biggest wine consumer.

• 2008 was the sixteenth consecutive year of growth in U.S. wine consumption, with total wine sales reaching over 300 million cases

• The millennial generation (ages 21–30) has shown the largest percentage increase in wine consumption over generation X (ages 31–42) and the baby boomers (ages 43–61)

• U.S. wine events proliferate, and almost all donate some proceeds to charity. In 2008, Auction Napa Valley raised $10.35 million, and in 2008, the Naples, Florida, wine festival raised $14 million.

• Wine lovers turn increasingly to auctions: worldwide auction sales totaled $276 million in 2008, compared to $33 million in 1994. 2008 U.S. auction sales were over $164 million, and Internet auction sales exceeded $32 million.

• Fraudulent wines have become more prevalent

• The best chateaux of Bordeaux have been priced out of reach for the average consumer. Some 2005 Bordeaux sell at over $5,000 a bottle!

• French wine consumption has dropped more than 50 percent since 1985

• Rose wines are back in fashion

• American wine critic Robert Parker has become an international icon with his 100-point scoring method

• Super Wines

• California superpremium wines, such as Opus One and Harlan Estate, are born

• “Super Tuscans,” such as Sassicaia and Ornellaia, have become collector’s items

• “Super Everywhere” wines priced over $100 are now available from Australia, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa


to Wine



The Basics

YOU’RE IN A WINE SHOP looking for that “special” wine to serve at a dinner party. Before you walked in, you had at least an idea of what you wanted, but now, as you scan the shelves, you’re overwhelmed. “There are so many wines,” you think, “and so many prices.” You take a deep breath, boldly pick up a bottle that looks impressive, and buy it. Then you hope your guests will like your selection.

Does this sound a little farfetched? For some of you, yes. Yet the truth is, this is a very common occurrence for the wine beginner, and even someone with intermediate wine knowledge, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Wine should be an enjoyable experience.P.68 By the time you finish this book, you’ll be able to buy with confidence from a retailer or even look in the eyes of a wine steward and ask with no hesitation for the selection of your choice. But first let’s start with the basics—the foundation of your wine knowledge. Read carefully, because you’ll find this section invaluable as you relate it to the chapters that follow. You may even want to refer back to it occasionally to reinforce what you learn.

For the purpose of this book, wineP.4, P.9 is the fermented juice of grapes.P.35, P.36

What’s fermentation?

Fermentation is the process by which the grape juice turns into wine. The simple formula for fermentation is:

Sugar + Yeast = Alcohol + Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

The fermentation process begins when the grapes are crushed and ends when all of the sugar has been converted to alcohol or the alcohol levelP.7, P.8 has reached around 15 percent, the point at which the alcohol kills off the yeast. Sugar is naturally present in the ripe grape through photosynthesis. Yeast also occurs naturally as the white bloom on the grape skin. However, this natural yeast is not always used in today’s winemaking. Laboratory strains of pure yeast have been isolated and may be used in many situations, each strain contributing something unique to the style of the wine. The carbon dioxide dissipates into the air, except in Champagne and other sparkling wines, in which this gas is retained through a special process which we will discuss in Class Eight.

What are the three major types of wine?

Table wine: approximately 8 to 15 percent alcohol

Sparkling wine: approximately 8 to 12 percent alcohol + CO2

Fortified wine: 17 to 22 percent alcohol

All wine fits into at least one of these categories.

Why do the world’s fine wines come only from certain areas?

A combination of factors is at work. The areasP.11, P.15 with a reputation for fine wines have the right soil and favorable weather conditions, of course. In addition, these areas look at winemaking as an important part of their history and culture.

Is all wine made from the same kind of grape?

No. The major wine grapesP.13 come from the species Vitis vinifera.P.14 In fact, European, North American, Australian, and South American winemakers use the Vitis vinifera, which includes many different varieties of grapes—both red and white. However, there are other grapes used for winemaking. The most important native grape species in America is Vitis labrusca, which is grown widely in New York State as well as other East Coast and Midwest states.

Hybrids, which are also used in modern winemaking, are a cross between Vitis vinifera and native American grape species, such as Vitis labrusca.

Does it matter where grapes are planted?

Yes, it does. Grapes are agricultural products that require specific growing conditions.P.16 Just as you wouldn’t try to grow oranges in Maine, you wouldn’t try to grow grapes at the North Pole. There are limitations on where vines can be grown. Some of these limitations are: the growing season, the number of days of sunlight, angle of the sun, average temperature, and rainfall. Soil is of primary concern, and adequate drainage is a requisite. The right amount of sun ripens the grapes properly to give them the sugar/acid balance that makes the difference between fair, good, and great wine.P.17

Where are the best locations to plant grapes?

Traditionally, many grape varieties produce better wines when planted in certain locations. For example, most red grapes need a longer growing season than do white grapes, so red grapes are usually plantedP.18, P.20 in warmer locations. In colder northern regions—in Germany and northern France, for instance— most vineyards are planted with white grapes. In the warmer regions of Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and in California’s Napa Valley, the red grape thrives.

When is the harvest?

Grapes are picked when they reach the proper sugar/acid ratioP.22 for the style of wine the vintner wants to produce. Go to a vineyard in JuneP.19 and taste one of the small green grapes. Your mouth will pucker because the grape is so tart and acidic. Return to the same vineyard—even to that same vine—in September or October, and the grapes will taste sweet. All those months of sun have given sugar to the grape as a result of photosynthesis.



What effect does weather have on the grapes?

Weather can interfere with the quality of the harvest,P.23 as well as its quantity. In the spring, as vines emerge from dormancy, a sudden frost may stop the flowering, thereby reducing the yields. Even a strong windstorm can affect the grapes adversely at this crucial time. Not enough rain, too much rain, or rain at the wrong time can also wreak havoc.

Rain just before the harvest will swell the grapes with water, diluting the juice and making thin, watery wines. Lack of rain will affect the wines’ balance by creating a more powerful and concentrated wine, but will result in a smaller crop. A severe drop in temperature may affect the vines even outside the growing season. Case in point: In New York State the winter of 2003–04 was one of the coldest in fifty years. The result was a major decrease in wine production, with some vineyards losing more than 50 percent of their crop for the 2004 vintage.

What can the vineyard owner do in the case of adverse weather?P.24

A number of countermeasures are available to the grower. Some of these measures are used while the grapes are on the vine; others are part of the winemaking process.


Frost Reduced yield Various frost protection

methods: wind machines,

sprinkler systems, and

flaming heaters

Not enough sun Underripe, green

herbal, vegetal

character, high acid,

low sugar Chaptalization (the addition

of sugar to the must—fresh

grape juice—during


Too much sun Overripe, high-alcohol,

prune character Amelioration

(addition of water)

Too much rain Thin, watery wines Move vineyard to a drier


Mildew Rot Spray with copper sulfate

Drought Scorched grapes Irrigate or pray for rain

High alcohol Change in the balance

of the components De-alcoholize

High acidity Sour, tart wine De-acidify

Phylloxera Dead vines Graft vines onto resistant


What is phylloxera?

Phylloxera,P.25, P.26 a grape louse, is one of the grapevine’s worst enemies, because it eventually kills the entire plant. An epidemic infestation in the 1870s came close to destroying all the vineyards of Europe. Luckily, the roots of native American vines are immune to this louse. After this was discovered, all the European vines were pulled up and grafted onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstocks.

Can white wine be made from red grapes?

Yes. The color of wine comes entirely from the grape skins. By removing the skins immediately after picking, no color is imparted to the wine, and it will be white. In the Champagne region of France, a large percentage of the grapes grown are red, yet most of the resulting wine is white. California’s White Zinfandel is made from red Zinfandel grapes.

What is tannin, and is it desirable in wine?

Tannin is a natural preservative and is one of the many components that give wine its longevity. It comes from skins, pits, and stems of the grapes. Another source of tannin is wood, such as the French oak barrels in which some wines are aged or fermented. Generally, red winesP.29, P.30 have a higher level of tannin than whites because red grapes are usually left to ferment with their skins.

A word used to describe the sensation of tannins is “astringent.” Especially in young wines, tannin can be very astringent and make the wine taste bitter. Tannin is not a taste, however—it’s a tactile sensation.


Is acidity desirable in wine?

All wine will have a certain amount of acidity. Generally, white wines have more perceived acidity than reds, though winemakers try to have a balance of fruit and acid. An overly acidic wine is also described as tart or sour. Acidity is a very important component in the aging of wines.

What is meant by “vintage”? Why is one year considered better than another?

A vintageP.31, P.32 indicates the year the grapes were harvested, so every year is a vintage year. A vintage chart reflects the weather conditions for various years.

Better weather usually results in a better rating for the vintage, and therefore a higher likelihood that the wine will age well.

Are all wines meant to be aged?

No. It’s a common misconception that all wines improve with age. In fact, more than 90 percent of all the wines made in the world should be consumed within one year, and less than 1 percent of the world’s wines should be aged for more than five years.P.33 Wines change with age. Some get better, but most do not.P.34 The good news is that the 1 percent represents more than 350 million bottles of wine every vintage.

What makes a wine last more than five years?



Where the wine comes from: Certain vineyards have optimum conditions for growing grapes, including such factors as soil, weather, drainage, and slope of the land. All of this contributes to producing a great wine that will need time to age.


Wine storage conditions: Even the best-made wines in the world will not age well if they are improperly stored.

How is wine production regulated worldwide?

Each major wine-producing country has government-sponsored control agencies and laws that regulate all aspects of wine production and set certain minimum standards that must be observed. Here are some examples:

France: Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC)

Italy: Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)

United States: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau

Germany: Ministry of Agriculture

Spain: Denominación de Origen (DO)


You can read all the books (and there are plenty) written on wine to become more knowledgeable on the subject, but the best way to truly enhance your understanding of wine is to tasteP.40 as many wines as possible. Reading covers the more academic side of wine, while tasting is more enjoyable and practical. A little of each will do you the most good.

The following are the necessary steps for tasting wine. You may wish to follow them with a glass of wine in hand.

Wine tastingP.43 can be broken down into five basic steps: Color, Swirl, Smell, Taste, and Savor.


The best way to get an idea of a wine’s color is to get a white background—a napkin or tablecloth—and hold the glass of wine on an angle in front of it. The range of colors that you may see depends, of course, on whether you’re tasting a white or redP.41 wine. Here are the colors for both, beginning with the youngest wine and moving to an older wine:

Color tells you a lot about the wine. Since we start with the white wines, let’s consider three reasons why a white wine may have more color:P.42

1. It’s older.

2. Different grape varieties give different color. (For example, Char donnay usually gives off a deeper color than does Sauvignon Blanc.)

3. The wine was aged in wood.

In class, I always begin by asking my students what color the wine is. It’s not unusual to hear that some believe that the wine is pale yellow-green, while others say it’s gold. Everyone begins with the same wine, but color perceptions vary. There are no right or wrong answers, because perception is subjective. So you can imagine what happens when we actually taste the wine!


Why do we swirl wine? To allow oxygen to get into the wine. Swirling releases the esters, ethers, and aldehydes that combine with oxygen to yield a wine’s bouquet.P.44, P.45 In other words, swirling aerates the wine and releases more of the bouquet and aroma.


This is the most important part of wine tasting. You can perceive just four tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, and salty—but the average person can identify more than two thousand different scents,P.46, P.47, P.48 and wine has more than two hundred of its own. Now that you’ve swirled the wine and released the bouquet, I want you to smell the wine at least three times. You may find that the third smell will give you more information than the first smell did. What does the wine smell like? What type of nose does it have? Smell is the most important step in the tasting process and most people simply don’t spend enough time on it.

Pinpointing the nose of the wine helps you to identify certain characteristics. The problem here is that many people in class want me to tell them what the wine smells like.P.49 Since I prefer not to use subjective words, I may say that the wine smells like a French white Burgundy. Still, I find that this doesn’t satisfy the majority of the class. They want to know more.P.50 I ask these people to describe what steak and onions smell like. They answer, “Like steak and onions.” See what I mean?

The best way to learn what your own preferences are for styles of wine is to “memorize” the smell of the individual grape varieties. For white, just try to memorize the three major grape varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling. Keep smelling them, and smelling them, and smelling them until you can identify the differences, one from the other. For the reds it’s a little more difficult, but you still can take three major grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Try to memorize those smells without using flowery words, and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

For those in the Wine School who remain unconvinced, I hand out a list of five hundred different wordsP.52 commonly used to describe wine.P.51 Here is a small excerpt:

















































You’re also more likely to recognize some of the defects of a wine through your sense of smell.



Vinegar Too much acetic acid in wine

Sherry* OxidationP.53

Dank, wet, moldy,

cellar smell Wine absorbs the taste of a defective cork

(referred to as “corked wine”)

Sulfur (burnt matches) Too much sulfur dioxide

* Authentic Sherry, from Spain, is intentionally made through controlled oxidation.

All wines contain some sulfur dioxide since it is a by-product of fermentation. Sulfur dioxide is also used in many ways in winemaking. It kills bacteria in wine, prevents unwanted fermentation, and acts as a preservative. It sometimes causes a burning and itching sensation in your nose.P.55


To many people, tasting wine means taking a sip and swallowing immediately. To me, this isn’t tasting. TastingP.57 is something you do with your taste buds. You have taste buds all over your mouth—on both sides of the tongue, underneath, on the tip, and extending to the back of your throat. If you do what many people do, you take a gulp of wine and bypass all of those important taste buds. When I taste wine I leave it in my mouth for three to five seconds before swallowing. The wine warms up, sending signals about the bouquet and aroma up through the nasal passage then on to the olfactory bulb, and then to the limbic system of the brain. Remember, 90 percent of taste is smell.

What should you think about when tasting wine?

Be aware of the most important sensationsP.59 of taste and your own personal thresholds of those tastes. Also, pay attention to where they occur on your tongue and in your mouth. As I mentioned earlier, you can perceive just four tastes:A.3, P.58 sweet, sour, bitter, and salty (but there’s no salt in wine, so we’re down to three). Bitterness in wine is usually created by high alcohol and high tannin.

Sweetness occurs only in wines that have some residual sugar left over after fermentation. Sour (sometimes called “tart”) indicates the acidity in wine.

Sweetness: The highest threshold is on the tip of the tongue. If there’s any sweetness in a wine whatsoever, you’ll get it right away.

Acidity: Found at the sides of the tongue, the cheek area, and the back of the throat. White wines and some lighter-style red wines usually contain a higher degree of acidity.

Bitterness: P.60Tasted on the back of the tongue.

Tannin: P.61The sensation of tannin begins in the middle of the tongue. Tannin frequently exists in red wines or white wines aged in wood. When the wines are too young, tannin dries the palate to excess. If there’s a lot of tannin in the wine, it can actually coat your whole mouth, blocking the fruit. Remember, tannin is not a taste: It is a tactile sensation.

Fruit and varietal characteristics: These are not tastes, but smells. The weight of the fruit (the “body”) will be felt in the middle of the tongue.

Aftertaste: The overall taste and balance of the components of the wine that lingers in your mouth. How long does the balance last? Usually a sign of a high-quality wine is a long, pleasing aftertaste. The taste of many of the great wines lasts anywhere from one to three minutes, with all their components in harmony.

Savor P.70

After you’ve had a chance to taste the wine, sit back for a few moments and savorP.62, P.65 it. Think about what you just experienced, and ask yourself the following questions to help focus your impressions.

• Was the wine light, medium, or full-bodied?P.63

• For a white wine: How was the acidity? Very little, just right, or too much?

• For a red wine: Is the tannin in the wine too strong or astringent? Does it blend with the fruit or overpower it?

• What is the strongest component (residual sugar, fruit, acid, tannin)?

• How long did the balanceP.64 of the components last (ten seconds, sixty seconds, etc.)?

• Is the wine ready to drink? Or does it need more time to age? Or is it past its prime?

• What kind of food would you enjoy with the wine?

• To your taste, is the wine worth the price?

• This brings us to the most important point. The first thing you should consider after you’ve tasted a wine is whether or not you like it. Is it your style?

You can compare tasting wine to browsing in an art gallery. You wander from room to room looking at the paintings. Your first impression tells whether or not you like something. Once you decide you like a piece of art, you want to know more: Who was the artist? What is the history behind the work? How was it done? And so it is with wine. Usually, once oenophiles (wine aficionados) discover a wine that they like, they want to learn everything about it: the winemaker; the grapes; exactly where the vines were planted; the blend, if any; and the history behind the wine.

How do you know if a wine is good or not?

The definitionP.66, P.67 of a good wine is one that you enjoy. I cannot emphasize this enough. Trust your own palate and do not let others dictate taste to you!

When is a wine ready to drink?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions in my Wine School. The answer is very simple: when all components of the wine are in balance to your particular taste.


Over the last few years I have insisted that my students spend one minute in silence after they swallow the wine. I use a “60-second wine expert” tasting sheet in my classes for students to record their impressions. The minute is divided into four sections: 0 to 15 seconds, 15 to 30 seconds, 30 to 45 seconds, and the final 45 to 60 seconds. Try this with your next glass of wine.P.69

Please note that the first taste of wine is a shock to your taste buds. This is due to the alcohol content, acidity, and sometimes the tannin in the wine. The higher the alcohol or acidity, the more of a shock. For the first wine in any tasting, it is probably best to take a sip and swirl it around in your mouth, but don’t evaluate it. Wait another thirty seconds, try it again, and then begin the 60-second wine expert tasting.

0 to 15 seconds: If there is any residual sugar/sweetness in the wine, I will experience it now. If there is no sweetness in the wine, the acidity is usually at its strongest sensation in the first fifteen seconds. I am also looking for the fruit level of the wine and its balance with the acidity or sweetness.

15 to 30 seconds: After the sweetness or acidity, I am looking for great fruit sensation. After all, that is what I am paying for! By the time I reach thirty seconds, I am hoping for balance of all the components. By this time, I can identify the weight of the wine. Is it light, medium, or full-bodied? I am now starting to think about what kind of food I can pair with this wine. See Matching Wine and Food

30 to 45 seconds: At this point I am beginning to formulate my opinion of the wine, whether I like it or not. Not all wines need sixty seconds of thought. Lighter-style wines, such as Rieslings, will usually show their best at this point. The fruit, acid, and sweetness of a great German Riesling should be in perfect harmony from this point on. For quality red and white wines, acidity—which is a very strong component, especially in the first thirty seconds— should now be in balance with the fruit of the wine.

45 to 60 seconds: P.72 Very often wine writers use the term “length” to describe how long the components, balance, and flavor continue in the mouth. I concentrate on the length of the wine in these last fifteen seconds. In big, full-bodied red wines from Bordeaux and the Rhône Valley, Cabernets from California, Barolos and Barbarescos from Italy, and even some full-bodied Chardonnays, I am concentrating on the level of tannin in the wine. Just as the acidity and fruit balance are my major concerns in the first thirty seconds, it is now the tannin and fruit balance I am looking for in the last thirty seconds. If the fruit, tannin, and acid are all in balance at sixty seconds, then I feel that the wine is probably ready to drink. Does the tannin overpower the fruit? If it does at the sixty-second mark, I will then begin to question whether I should drink the wine now or put it away for more aging.

It is extremely important to me that if you want to learn the true taste of the wine, you take at least one minute to concentrate on all of its components. In my classes it is amazing to see more than a hundred students silently taking one minute to analyze a wine. Some close their eyes, some bow their heads in deep thought, others write notes.

One final point: Sixty seconds, to me, is the minimum time to wait before making a decision about a wine. Many great wines continue to show balance well past 120 seconds. The best wine I ever tasted lasted more than three minutes— that’s three minutes of perfect balance of all components!

Part of the 60-second wine expert tasting sheet I gave out in my class:


I recommend Michael Broadbent’s Pocket Guide to Wine Tasting; Jancis Robinson’sVintage Timecharts; and Alan Young’s Making Sense of Wine.

* * *

White Grapes of the World

NOW THAT YOU KNOW THE BASICS of how wine is made and how to taste it, you’re almost ready to begin the first three classes on white wines.

Before you do, simplify your journey by letting me answer the question most frequently asked by my wine students on what will help them most in learning about wine. The main thing is to understand the major grape varieties and where they are grown in the world.

The purpose of this book is not to overwhelm you with information about every grapeP.74, P.76 under the sun. My job as a wine educator is to try to narrow down this overabundance of data. So let’s start off with the three major grapes you need to know to understand white wine. More than 90 percent of all quality white wine is made from these three grapes. They are listed here in order from the lightest style to the fullest:


Sauvignon Blanc


This is not to say that world-class white wineP.75 comes from only these grapes, but knowing these three is a good start.

One of the first things I show my students in Class One is a list indicating where these three grape varieties grow best. It looks something like this:


Riesling Germany; Alsace, France; New York State;

Washington State

Sauvignon Blanc Bordeaux, France; Loire Valley, France; New

Zealand; California (Fumé Blanc)

Chardonnay Burgundy, France; Champagne, France;

California; Australia

There are world-class Rieslings, Sauvignon Blancs, and Chardonnays made in other countries, but in general the above regions specialize in wines made from these grapes.


Riesling Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay

Fruity Grapefruit Green apple, Butter, Citrus

Lychee nut Grass, Herbs Grapefruit, Melon, Oak

Sweet Cat pee, Green olive Pineapple, Toast, Vanilla

* * *

* * *

Red Grapes of the World

CLASSES FOUR THROUGH SEVEN will delve into the great red wines of the world. It is important that you review the major red grape varietiesP.77 and where in the world they produce the best wines.

In Class Four, I start with a list of what I consider to be the major red-wine grapes, ranked from lightest to fullest-bodied style, along with the region or country in which the grape grows best. By looking at this chart, not only will you get an idea of the style of the wine, but also a feeling for gradations of weight, color, tannin, and ageability.


To put this chart together is extremely challenging, given all the variables that go into making wine and the many different styles that can be produced.P.79 Remember, there are always exceptions to the rule, just as there are other countries and wine regions not listed here that produce world-class wine from some of the red grapes shown. You’ll begin to see this for yourself if you do your homework and taste a lot of different wines. Good luck!

* * *

Footnotes for Prelude to Wine

P.1 THE FIVE major wine importers into the United States:

1. France (31%)

2. Italy (28%)

3. Australia (17%)

4. Spain (5.8%)

5. Chile (4.5%)

These 5 countries account for almost 87% of the total value of wines imported into the U.S.

P.3 THE TOP TEN producers of wine in the world:

1. Italy

2. France

3. Spain

4. United States

5. Argentina

6. Australia

7. China

8. South Africa

9. Germany

10. Chile

P.4 WINE IS FAT FREE and contains no cholesterol.


Windows on Wine 2009

World Production - 39 billion bottles

World consumption - 33 billion bottles

Acres of Vineyards - 19.6 million

P.6 TOP 3 IMPORTED wines sold in the U.S.:

Yellow Tail (Australia)

Cavit (Italy)

Concha y Toro (Chile)

P.7 THE HIGHER the alcohol in a wine, the more body (weight) it will usually have.

P.8 ALCOHOL WHEN consumed in moderation will increase HDL (good) and decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol.

P.9 A BOTTLE of wine is 86% water.

P.10 MORE ACRES of grapes are planted than any other fruit crop in the world!







Rhône Valley






Douro (Port)

Mendoza Maipo Valley

South Australia



Vitis vinifera


Cabernet Sauvignon

Vitis labrusca




Seyval Blanc

Baco Noir

P.14 VITIS is Latin for vine.

VINUM is Latin for wine.

P.15 THE TOP five countries in wine grape acreage worldwide:

1. Spain

2. France

3. Italy

4. Turkey

5. United States

P.16 WINEMAKERS SAY that winemaking begins in the vineyard with the growing of the grapes.

P.17 THE MOST important factors in winemaking:

Geographic location




Vinification (the actual winemaking process)

P.18 VINES ARE planted during their dormant periods, usually in the months of April or May. Most vines will continue to produce good-quality grapes for forty years or more.

P.19 DON’T FORGET that the seasons in the Southern Hemisphere—which includes Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa—are reversed.

P.20 A VINE doesn’t usually produce grapes suitable for winemaking until the third year.

P.21 “BRIX” is the winemaker’s measure of sugar in grapes.

P.22 AS SUGAR levels increase, acidity decreases.

P.23 IT TAKES an average of 100 days between a vine’s flowering and the harvest.


• In 2009, major fires hit the Yarra Valley in Australia during the start of the harvest.

• In 2008, a spring frost affected the vineyards all over the state of California. It was the worst frost since the early seventies.

• In 2008, Australia got hit with everything— the worst drought ever and scorching heat in South Australia and record-breaking rain and major flooding in the Hunter Valley.

• In Alsace, France, a hailstorm in June 2007 destroyed entire vineyards.

• In 2007, hailstorms in Mendoza, Argentina, from December to February dramatically reduced yields.

• In 2004, Burgundy suffered major hailstorms in July and August that damaged or destroyed at least 40% of the grapes.

• The historic 2003 heat wave in Europe changed the balance of the traditional style of wines produced in most regions.

• A spring frost damaged 80% of the 2002 vintage Champagne grapes.

• Poor weather conditions for the 2002 vintage in Tuscany resulted in no production of Chianti Classico Reserva.

• In 2002, the Piedmont region of Italy (Barolo, Barbaresco) was hit with a September hailstorm that destroyed some of the best vineyards in the region.

• A rainy September made the 2001 Champagne harvest the wettest since 1873.

• From 1989 to 1999 in Bordeaux, France, it rained during the harvest of eight out of ten vintages, which affected picking dates, yields, and the quality of the wine.

• An April frost in Bordeaux destroyed more than 50% of 1991’s grape harvest.

P.25 ONE OF the few countries to escape phylloxera is Chile. Chilean wine producers imported their vines from France in the 1860s, before phylloxera attacked the French vineyards.

P.26 IN THE early 1980s, phylloxera became a problem in the vineyards of California. Vineyard owners were forced to replant their vines at a cost of $15,000 to $25,000 per acre, costing the California wine industry over a billion dollars.

P.29 BESIDES TANNIN, red wine contains resveratrol, which in medical studies has been associated with anticancer properties.

P.30 KING TUTANKHAMEN, who died in 1327 B.C., apparently preferred the taste of red wine, according to scientists who found residues of red wine compounds (tannins) in ancient Egyptian jars found in his tomb.

P.31 THE FIRST known reference to a specific vintage was made by Roman scientist Pliny the Elder, who rated the wines of 121 b.c. “of the highest excellence.”

P.32 2005 WAS a great vintage year in every major wine region on earth!

P.33 THREE MAJOR wine collectibles that will age more than ten years:

1. Great châteaux of Bordeaux

2. Best producers of California Cabernet Sauvignon

3. Finest producers of vintage Port

P.34 “The truth of wine aging is that it is unknown, unstudied, poorly understood, and poorly predicted!”

—ZELMA LONG, California winemaker

P.35 A BOTTLE of wine contains 600–800 grapes (2.4 lbs.).


5 bottles of wine produced annually

from one grapevine

240 bottles of wine in a barrel

720 bottles of wine from a ton of grapes

5,500 bottles of wine produced annually

from an acre of grapevines

Source: Napa Valley Vintners

P.38 THERE ARE more than seventy wine-producing countries in the world.

P.39 ACCORDING TO Wines & Vines, the value of wine sold worldwide is now more than $100 billion.

P.40 “There are no standards of taste in wine, cigars, poetry, prose, etc. Each man’s own taste is the standard, and a majority vote cannot decide for him or in any slightest degree affect the supremacy of his own standard.”


P.41 IF YOU can see through a red wine, it’s generally ready to drink!

P.42 AS WHITE wines age, they gain color. Red wines, on the other hand, lose color as they age.


horizontal Tasting wines from the

same vintage

vertical Comparing wines from

different vintages

blind The taster does not have

any information about the


semi-blind The taster knows only the

style of wine (grape) or

where it comes from

P.44 I LIKE TO have my students put their hands over the glass of wine when they swirl to create a more powerful bouquet and aroma.

P.45 BOUQUET is the total smell of the wine. Aroma is the smell of the grapes. “Nose” is a word that wine tasters use to describe the bouquet and aroma of the wine.

P.46 THIS JUST in: It is now known that each nostril can detect different smells.

P.47 THE OLDEST part of the human brain is the olfactory region.

P.48 THE 2004 Nobel prize for medicine was awarded to two scientists for their research on the olfactory system and the discovery that there are more than 10,000 different smells!

P.49 ONE OF THE most difficult challenges in life is to match a smell or a taste with a word that describes it.


Zinfandel spiciness,


Cabernet Sauvignon chocolate, cassis

Old Bordeaux wet fallen leaves

Old Burgundy gamey, mushrooms

Rhône black pepper

Pouilly-Fumé gunflint

or Sancerre

Chablis mineral

White Burgundy chalky

Chardonnay buttery, apple

Sauvignon Blanc grapefruit

Riesling green apple

Pinot Noir red cherry

Gewürztraminer lychee

P.51 WHAT KIND of wine do I like? I like my wine bright, rich, mature, developed, seductive, and with nice legs!


A new book, WineSpeak, by Bernard Klem, includes 36,975 wine-tasting descriptions. Who knew?

P.53 OXYGEN CAN be the best friend of a wine, but it can also be its worst enemy. A little oxygen helps release the smell of the wine (as with swirling), but prolonged exposure can be harmful, especially to older wines.


P.57 TASTING WINE is confirming what the color and smell are telling you.


P.58 THERE IS now evidence that people may perceive five tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and possibly umami.

P.59 OTHER SENSATIONS associated with wine include numbing, tingling, drying, cooling, warming, and coating.

P.60 BITTER: Think endive or arugula.

P.61 TANNIN: Think gritty.




Light: skim milk

Medium: whole milk

Full: heavy cream

P.64 “The key to great wine is balance, and it is the sum of the different parts that make a wine not only delicious but complete and fascinating as well as worthy of aging.”



—ROBERT M. PARKER JR., author and

wine critic, in The Atlantic Monthly


Varietal character

Balance of components


Sense of place

Emotional response



Adventures on the Wine Route

P.68 “Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.”


P.69 Step One: Look at the color of the wine.

Step Two: Smell the wine three times.

Step Three: Put the wine in your mouth and leave it there for three to five seconds.

Step Four: Swallow the wine.

Step Five: Wait and concentrate on the wine for 60 seconds before discussing it.


To complete the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch), don’t forget to toast your family and friends with the clinking of the glasses. This tradition started in ancient times when the Greeks, afraid of being poisoned by their enemies, shared a little of their wine with one another. If someone had added something to the wine, it would be a short evening for everyone! The clinking of the glasses also is said to drive away the “bad spirits” that might exist and cause the next-day hangover!

P.72 I WILL make my decision about whether or not I like the style of a wine within 45 to 60 seconds.

P.74 MORE THAN 50 major white-wine grape varieties are grown throughout the world.

P.75 OTHER WHITE grapes and regions you may wish to explore:



Albariño Spain

Chenin Blanc Loire Valley, France;


Gewürztraminer, Alsace, France

Pinot Blanc,

Pinot Gris

Pinot Grigio Italy; California;

(aka Pinot Gris) Oregon

Sémillon Bordeaux (Sauternes);


Viognier Rhône Valley, France;


Grüner Veltliner Austria



P.77 THERE ARE hundreds of different red-wine grapes planted throughout the world. California alone grows 31 different red-wine grape varieties.

P.78 IN GENERAL, the lighter the color, the more perceived the acidity.

P.79 ONCE YOU have become acquainted with these major red-wine grapes, you may wish to explore the following:



Barbera Italy

Dolcetto Italy

Cabernet Franc Loire Valley

and Bordeaux,


Grenache/ Rhône Valley, France

Garnacha Spain

Malbec Bordeaux and Cahors,

France; Argentina

Questions for Prelude to Wine

1. Which country produces the most amount of wine?

2. Sugar + _______ = _________+ Carbon Dioxide

3. What is the percentage range of alcohol in a table wine?

4. What is the percentage range of alcohol in a fortified wine?

5. What is the name of the species of grapes that is used to make the wines of Europe?

6. Which country has the most grape acreage in the world?

7. What does the term Brix refer to?

8. What is phylloxera?

9. Where does tannin come from?

10. Define the term vinification.

11. Define the term maceration.

12. What is a vertical tasting?

13. What happens to the color of white wines as they get older?

14. What happens to the color of red wines as they get older?

15. What is the difference between bouquet and aroma?

16. What is “corked wine” a reference to?

17. Do all wines contain sulfur dioxide?

18. How many taste buds does the average person have?

19. What are the four tastes?


The White Wines

of France





Understanding French Wine

BEFORE WE BEGIN OUR FIRST CLASS, “The White Wines of France,” I think you should know a few important points about all French wines. Take a look at a map of France1.1 to get familiar with the main wine-producing areas. As we progress, you’ll understand why geography is so important.


Here’s a quick rundown of which areas produce which styles of wine:


Champagne sparkling wine Pinot Noir, Chardonnay

Loire Valley mostly white Sauvignon Blanc,

Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc

Alsace mostly white Riesling, Gewürztraminer

Burgundy red and white Pinot Noir, Gamay,


Bordeaux red and white Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon,

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon,

Cabernet Franc

Côtes du Rhône mostly red Syrah, Grenache

Languedoc-Roussillon 1.2, A1.3 red and white Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvèdre

Provence1.3 red, white, and rosé Grenache, Syrah

Anyone who is interested in wine is bound to encounter French wine at one time or another. Why? Because of thousands of years of history and wine-making tradition, because of the great diversity and variety of wines from the many different regions, and because French wines have the reputation for being among the best in the world.1.7 There’s a reason for this, and it goes back to quality control.

French winemaking is regulated by strict government laws that are set up by the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée. If you don’t want to say “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée” all the time, you can simply say “AOC.” This is the first of many wine lingo abbreviations you’ll learn in this book.1.5, 1.6

* * *


Established in the 1930s, the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée1.10, A1.4 (AOC) laws set minimum requirements for each wine-producing area in France. These laws also can help you decipher French wine labels, since the AOC controls the following:


Geographic origin Chablis Pommard

Grape variety: Which grapes

can be planted where Chardonnay Pinot Noir

Minimum alcohol content:

This varies depending upon

the particular area where the

grapes are grown 10% 10.5%

Vine-growing practices:

For example, a vintner can

produce only so much

wine per acre 40 hectoliters/

hectare1.8, 1.9 35 hectoliters/


* * *

Vins de Pays: This is a category that’s growing in importance. A 1979 French legal decision liberalized the rules for this category, permitting the use of nontraditional grapes in certain regions and even allowing vintners to label wines with the varietal rather than the regional name.1.4 For exporters to the American market, where consumers are becoming accustomed to buying wines by grape variety—Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, for example— this change makes their wines much easier to sell.

Vins de Table: These are ordinary table wines and represent almost 35 percent of all wines produced in France.

Most French wine is meant to be consumed as a simple beverage. Many of the vins de table are marketed under proprietary names and are the French equivalent of California jug wines. Don’t be surprised if you go into a grocery store in France to buy wine and find it in a plastic wine container with no label on it! You can see the color through the plastic—red, white, or rosé—but the only marking on the container is the alcohol content, ranging from 9 to 14 percent. You choose your wine depending on how sharp you need to be for the rest of the day!

When you buy wines, keep these distinctions in mind, because there’s a difference not only in quality but also in price.

What are the four major white wine–producing regions of France?1.11





Let’s start with Alsace and the Loire Valley, because these are the two French regions that specialize in white wines. As you can see from the map at the beginning of this chapter,A1.2 Alsace, the Loire Valley, and Chablis (a white wine–producing region of Burgundy) have one thing in common: They’re all located in the northern region of France. These areas produce white wines predominantly, because of the shorter growing season and cooler climate which are best suited for growing white grapes.1.14


I often find that people are confused about the difference between wines from Alsace and those from Germany.1.12 Why do you suppose this is?

First of all, your confusion could be justified since both wines are sold in tall bottles with tapering necks. Just to confuse you further, Alsace and Germany grow the same grape varieties. But when you think of Riesling, what are your associations? You’ll probably answer “Germany” and “sweetness.” That’s a very typical response, and that’s because the German winemaker adds a small amount of naturally sweet unfermented grape juice back into the wine to create the distinctive German Riesling. The winemaker from Alsace ferments every bit of the sugar in the grapes, which is why 90 percent of all Alsace wines are totally dry.1.16

Another fundamental difference between wine from Alsace and wine from Germany is the alcohol content. Wine from Alsace1.13, 1.15 has 11 to 12 percent alcohol, while most German wine has a mere 8 to 9 percent.


What are the white grapes grown in Alsace?

The four grapes you should know are:

Riesling: accounts for 22 percent

Pinot Blanc: accounts for 21 percent1.17

Gewürztraminer: accounts for 19 percent

Pinot Gris: accounts for 15 percent

What types of wine are produced in Alsace?

As mentioned earlier, virtually all the Alsace wines are dry. Riesling is the major grape planted in Alsace, and it is responsible for the highest-quality wines of the region. Alsace is also known for its Gewürztraminer, which is in a class by itself. Most people either love it or hate it, because Gewürztraminer has a very distinctive style. Gewürz is the German word for “spice,” which aptly describes the wine.

Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are becoming increasingly popular among the growers of Alsace.

How should I select an Alsace wine?

Two factors are important in choosing a wine from Alsace: the grape variety and the reputation and style of the shipper. Some of the most reliable shippers are:








Why are the shippers so important?

The majority of the landholders in Alsace don’t grow enough grapes to make it economically feasible to produce and market their own wine.1.18 Instead, they sell their grapes to a shipper who produces, bottles, and markets the wine under his own name. The art of making high-quality wine lies in the selection of grapes made by each shipper.1.19

What are the different quality levels of Alsace wines?

Quality of Alsace wines is determined by the shipper’s reputation rather than any labeling on the bottle. That said, the vast majority of any given Alsace wine is the shipper’s varietal. A very small percentage is labeled with a specific vineyard’s name, especially in the appellation “Alsace Grand Cru.”1.20 Some wines are labeled “Réserve” or “Réserve Personelle,” terms that are not legally defined.

Should I lay down my Alsace wines for long aging?

In general, most Alsace wines are made to be consumed young—that is, one to five years after they’re bottled. As in any fine-wine geographic area, in Alsace there is a small percentage of great wines produced that may be aged for ten years or more.

How have Alsace wines changed in the past twenty-five years?

Twenty-five years later I am enjoying the same producers, such as Trimbach and Hugel, as I did then. A dry, crisp acidic Riesling is still one of my favorite wines to have at the beginning of a meal, especially with a fish appetizer. Pinot Blanc is a perfect summer picnic wine, or at a restaurant for wine by the glass, and the famous Gewürztraminer is one of the most unique and flavorful wines in the world.

The best part about Alsace wines is that they are still very affordable, of good quality, and available throughout the United States.1.21, 1.22, 1.23

* * *


During a visit to Alsace, I spoke with two of the region’s best-known producers to find out which types of food they enjoy with Alsace wines. Here’s what they prefer:

ÉTIENNE HUGEL:A1.7 “Alsace wines are not only suited to classic Alsace and other French dishes. For instance, I adore Riesling with such raw fish specialties as Japanese sushi and sashimi, while our Gewürztraminer is delicious with smoked salmon and brilliant with Chinese, Thai, and Indonesian food.”

Mr. Hugel describes Pinot Blanc as “round, soft, not aggressive . . . an all-purpose wine . . . can be used as an apéritif, with all kinds of pâté and charcuterie, and also with hamburgers. Perfect for brunch—not too sweet or flowery.”

HUBERT TRIMBACH: “Riesling with fish—blue trout with a light sauce.” He recommends Gewürztraminer as an apéritif, or with foie gras or any pâté at meal’s end; with Muenster cheese, or a stronger cheese such as Roquefort.

* * *










Note: * signifies exceptional vintage


I recommend Alsace by S. F. Hallgarten and Alsace by Pamela Van Dyke Price.


Starting at the city of Nantes, a bit upriver from the Atlantic Ocean, the Loire Valley1.24, 1.25, 1.29 stretches inland for six hundred miles along the Loire River.


There are two white-grape varieties1.26 you should be familiar with:



Rather than choosing by grape variety and shipper, as you would in Alsace, choose Loire Valley wines by style and vintage. Here are the main styles:

Pouilly-Fumé: A dry wine that has the most body and concentration of all the Loire Valley wines. It’s made with 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.1.27, 1.28, 1.30

Muscadet: A light, dry wine, made from 100 percent Melon de Bourgogne grapes.

Sancerre: Striking a balance between full-bodied Pouilly-Fumé and light-bodied Muscadet, it’s made with 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.

Vouvray: The “chameleon” can be dry, semisweet, or sweet. It’s made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.

How did Pouilly-Fumé get its name, and what does fumé mean?

Many people ask me if Pouilly-Fumé is smoked, because they automatically associate the word fumé with smoke. Two of the many theories about the origin of the word come from the white morning mist that blankets the area. As the sun burns off the mist, it looks as if smoke is rising. Others say it is the “smokelike” bloom on Sauvignon Blanc grapes.

When are the wines ready to drink?

Generally, Loire Valley wines are meant to be consumed young. The exception is a sweet Vouvray, which can be laid down for a longer time.

Here are more specific guidelines:

Pouilly-Fumé: three to five years

Sancerre: two to three years

Muscadet: one to two years1.32

What’s the difference between Pouilly-Fumé and Pouilly-Fuissé?

My students often ask me this, expecting similarly named wines to be related.

But Pouilly-Fumé is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc and comes from the Loire Valley, while Pouilly-Fuissé is made from 100 percent Chardonnay and comes from the Mâconnais region of Burgundy.

Twenty-five years later in the Loire Valley

I am still enamored with the quality and diversity of the white wines of the Loire Valley.1.31, A1.9 The wines have maintained their style and character representing great value for the consumer. Twenty-five years ago the most important Loire Valley wine was Pouilly-Fumé. Today Sancerre is the most popular Loire wine in the United States. Both wines are made from the same grape variety, 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc, both are medium-bodied with great acidity and fruit balance, and both are perfect food wines.

Twenty-five years later Muscadet continues to be a great value and Vouvray is still the best example of the quality that the grape Chenin Blanc can achieve.1.33







Note: * signifies exceptional vintage

* * *



suggests the following combinations:

Pouilly-Fumé: “Smoked salmon; turbot with hollandaise; white meat chicken; veal with cream sauce.”

Sancerre: “Shellfish, simple food of the sea, because Sancerre is drier than Pouilly-Fumé.”

Muscadet: “All you have to do is look at the map to see where Muscadet is made: by the sea where the main fare is shellfish, clams, and oysters.”

Vouvray: “A nice semidry wine to have with fruit and cheese.”


suggests these combinations:

Muscadet: “Muscadet is good with a huge variety of excellent and fresh ‘everyday’ foods, including all the seafood from the Atlantic Ocean, the fish from the river— pike, for instance—game, poultry, and cheese (mainly goat cheese). Of course, there is a must in the region of Nantes: freshwater fish with the world-famous butter sauce, the beurre blanc, invented at the turn of the century by Clémence, who happened to be the chef at Goulaine. If you prefer, try Muscadet with a dash of crème de cassis (black currant); it is a wonderful way to welcome friends!”

* * *


Doesn’t Bordeaux always mean red wine?

That’s a misconception. Actually, two of the five major areas of Bordeaux— Graves and Sauternes—are known for their excellent white wines.1.34 Sauternes is world-famous for its sweet white wine.


The major white-grape varieties used in both areas are:




How are the white Graves wines classified?

There are two levels of quality:



The most basic Graves1.35, 1.36 is simply called “Graves.” The best wines are produced in Pessac-Léognan.A1.11 Those labeled “Graves” are from the southern portion of the region surrounding Sauternes, while Pessac-Léognan is in the northern half of the region, next to the city of Bordeaux. The best wines are known by the name of a particular château, a special vineyard that produces the best-quality grapes. The grapes grown for these wines enjoy better soil and better growing conditions overall. The classified château1.37 wines and the regional wines of Graves are always dry.

How should I select a Graves wine?

My best recommendation would be to purchase a classified château wine.

The classified châteaux are:












* The largest producers and the easiest to find.

Twenty-five years later in White Bordeaux

The dry white wines of Bordeaux were never considered equal to the great red Chateaux and sweet whites of Sauternes. That has all changed over the last twenty-five years. Millions of dollars has been spent on state-of-the-art wine-making equipment, and new vineyard management has created great white wine production, especially in the Pessac-Léognan.1.39

There are very few regions in the world that blend Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon and age them in oak.1.38 The winemakers have also been very careful to integrate the fruit and oak together to maintain the freshness and crispness of the wine. Recent vintages have been outstanding.

* * *


DENISE LURTON-MOULLE (Château La Louvière, Château Bonnet): With Château La Louvière Blanc: grilled sea bass with a beurre blanc, shad roe, or goat cheese soufflé. With Château Bonnet Blanc: oysters on the half-shell, fresh crab salad, mussels, and clams.

JEAN-JACQUES DE BETHMANN (Château Olivier): “Oysters, lobster, Rouget du Bassin d’Arcachon.”

ANTONY PERRIN (Château Carbonnieux): “With a young Château Carbonnieux Blanc: chilled lobster consommé, or shellfish, such as oysters, scallops, or grilled shrimp. With an older Carbonnieux: a traditional sauced fish course or a goat cheese.”

* * *







Note: * signifies exceptional vintage


French Sauternes are always sweet, meaning that not all the grape sugar has turned into alcohol during fermentation. A dry French Sauternes doesn’t exist. The Barsac district, adjacent to Sauternes, has the option of using Barsac or Sauternes as its appellation.1.42

What are the two different quality levels in style?

1. Regional ($)

2. Classified château ($$$–$$$$)

Sauternes is still producing one of the best sweet wines in the world. With the great vintages of 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005, you’ll be able to find excellent regional Sauternes1.40 if you buy from the best shippers. These wines represent a good value for your money, considering the labor involved in production, but they won’t have the same intensity of flavor as a classified château.

What are the main grape varieties in Sauternes?



If the same grapes are used for both the dry Graves and the sweet Sauternes, how do you explain the extreme difference in styles?

First and most important, the best Sauternes is made primarily with the Sémillon grape.1.41 Second, to make Sauternes, the winemaker leaves the grapes on the vine longer. He waits for a mold called Botrytis cinerea (“noble rot”) to form. When “noble rot” forms on the grapes, the water within them evaporates and they shrivel. Sugar becomes concentrated as the grapes “raisinate.”1.43 Then, during the winemaking process, not all the sugar is allowed to ferment into alcohol: hence, the high residual sugar.


















Note: * signifies exceptional vintage

How are Sauternes classified?1.44


Château d’Yquem*1.45, 1.47, A1.15


Château La Tour Blanche*

Clos Haut-Peyraguey*

Château Suduiraut*

Château Climens* (Barsac)

Château Rieussec*1.48, A1.16

Château Sigalas-Rabaud*

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey*

Château de Rayne-Vigneau*

Château Coutet* (Barsac)

Château Guiraud*

Château Rabaud-Promis


Château Myrat (Barsac)

Château Doisy-Védrines* (Barsac)

Château d’Arche

Château Broustet (Barsac)

Château Caillou (Barsac)

Château de Malle*

Château Lamothe

Château Doisy-Daëne (Barsac)

Château Doisy-Dubroca (Barsac)

Château Filhot*

Château Nairac* (Barsac)

Château Suau (Barsac)

Château Romer du Hayot*

Château Lamothe-Guignard

* These are the châteaux most readily available in the United States.

* * *


My students always ask me, “What do you serve with Sauternes?” Here’s a little lesson I learned when I first encountered the wines of Sauternes.

Many years ago, when I was visiting the Sauternes region, I was invited to one of the châteaux for dinner. Upon arrival, my group was offered appetizers of foie gras, and, to my surprise, Sauternes was served with it. All the books I had ever read said you should serve drier wines first and sweeter wines later. But since I was a guest, I thought it best not to question my host’s selection.

When we sat down for the first dinner course (fish), we were once again served a Sauternes. This continued through the main course—which happened to be rack of lamb—when another Sauternes was served.

I thought for sure our host would serve a great old red Bordeaux with the cheese course, but I was wrong again. With the Roquefort cheese was served a very old Sauternes.

With dessert soon on its way, I got used to the idea of having a dinner with Sauternes, and waited with anticipation for the final choice. You can imagine my surprise when a dry red Bordeaux—Château Lafite-Rothschild—was served with dessert!

Their point was that Sauternes doesn’t have to be served only with dessert. All the Sauternes went well with the courses, because all the sauces complemented the wine and food.

By the way, the only wine that didn’t go well with dinner was the Château Lafite-Rothschild with dessert, but we drank it anyway!

Perhaps this anecdote will inspire you to serve Sauternes with everything. Personally, I prefer to enjoy Sauternes by itself; I’m not a believer in the “dessert wine” category. This dessert wine is dessert in itself.

* * *


Where is Burgundy?

Burgundy is a region located in central eastern France. Its true fame is as one of the finest wine-producing areas in the world.1.49



What is Burgundy?


Burgundy is not a synonym for red wine, even though the color known as burgundy is obviously named after red wine. Many of the world’s most renowned (and expensive) white wines come from Burgundy. Adding to the confusion (especially going back twenty-plus years) is that many red wines around the world were simply labeled “Burgundy” even though they were ordinary table wines. There are still some wineries, especially in the United States, that continue to label their wines as Burgundy, but these wines have no resemblance to the style of authentic French Burgundy wines.

What are the main regions within Burgundy?








Before we explore Burgundy region by region, it’s important to know the types of wine that are produced there. Take a look at this chart: It breaks down the types of wine and tells you the percentage of reds to whites:1.50





MCONNAIS1.53, A1.20

If it’s any comfort to you, you need to know only one white-grape variety: Chardonnay. All the great white Burgundies are made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Is there only one type of white Burgundy?

Although Chardonnay1.52 is used to make all the best French white Burgundy wines, the three areas produce many different styles. Much of this has to do with where the grapes are grown and the vinification procedures. For example, the northern climate of Chablis produces wines with more acidity than those in the southern region of Mâconnais.

With regard to vinification procedures, after the grapes are harvested in the Chablis and Mâconnais areas, most are fermented and aged in stainless-steel tanks. In the Côte de Beaune, after the grapes are harvested, a good percentage of the wines are fermented in small oak barrels and also aged in oak barrels. The wood adds complexity, depth, body, flavor, and longevity to the wines.

White Burgundies have one trait in common: They are dry.

How are the white wines of Burgundy classified?

The type of soil and the angle and direction of the slope are the primary factors determining quality. Here are the levels of quality:

Village Wine: Bears the name of a specific village. Cost: $.

Premier Cru: From a specific vineyard with special characteristics, within one of the named villages. Usually a Premier Cru wine will list on the label the village first and the vineyard second.1.54 Cost: $$.

Grand Cru: From a specific vineyard that possesses the best soil and slope in the area and meets or exceeds all other requirements. In most areas of Burgundy, the village doesn’t appear on the label—only the Grand Cru vineyard name is used.1.55 Cost: $$$$.

* * *


Each wine region in the world has its own way of producing wines. Wine was always fermented and aged in wood1.56—until the introduction of cement tanks, glass-lined tanks, and, most recently, stainless-steel tanks. Despite these technological improvements, many winemakers prefer to use the more traditional methods. For example, some of the wines from the firm of Louis JadotA1.21 are fermented in wood as follows:


One-third of the wine is fermented in new wood.

One-third of the wine is fermented in year-old wood.

One-third of the wine is fermented in older wood.

Jadot’s philosophy is that the better the vintage, the newer the wood: Younger wood imparts more flavor and tannin, which might overpower wines of lesser vintage. Thus, younger woods are generally reserved for aging the better vintages.

* * *


Chablis is the northernmost area in Burgundy, and it produces only white wine.1.57, 1.58, 1.61

Isn’t Chablis just a general term for white wine?

The name “Chablis” suffers from the same misinterpretation and overuse as does the name “Burgundy.” Because the French didn’t take the necessary precautions to protect the use of the name, “Chablis” is now randomly applied to many ordinary bulk wines from other countries. Chablis has come to be associated with some very undistinguished wines, but this is not the case with French Chablis. In fact, the French take their Chablis very seriously. There are special classification and quality levels for Chablis.

What are the different quality levels of Chablis?1.59, A1.22, A1.23, A1.24

Petit Chablis: The most ordinary Chablis; rarely seen in the United States.

Chablis: A wine that comes from grapes grown anywhere in the Chablis district, also known as a village wine.

Chablis Premier Cru: A very good quality of Chablis that comes from specific high-quality vineyards.

Chablis Grand Cru: The highest classification of Chablis, and the most expensive because of its limited production.1.60 There are only seven vineyards in Chablis entitled to be called “Grand Cru.”

If you’re interested in buying only the best Chablis, here are the seven Grands Crus and the most important Premiers Cru vineyards:



Bougros Grenouilles

Les ClosA1.25, A1.26





Côte de Vaulorent



Montée de Tonnerre


Monts de Milieu


How should I buy Chablis?

The two major aspects to look for in Chablis are the shipper and the vintage. Here is a list of the most important shippers of Chablis to the United States:















When should I drink my Chablis?

Chablis: within two years of the vintage

Premier Cru: between two and four years of the vintage

Grand Cru: between three and eight years of the vintage








Note: * signifies exceptional vintage


This is one of the two major areas of the Côte d’Or. The wines produced here are some of the finest examples of dry white Chardonnay produced in the world and are considered a benchmark for winemakers everywhere.


The three most important white wine–producing villages of the Côte de Beaune are Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. All three produce their white wine from the same grape—100 percent Chardonnay.

* * *


Here is a list of my favorite white wine–producing villages and vineyards in the Côte de Beaune.


Aloxe-Corton Corton-Charlemagne1.62


Beaune Clos des Mouches None

Meursault Les Perrières None

Les Genevrières

La Goutte d’Or

Les Charmes



Puligny-Montrachet Les Combettes Montrachet*

Les Caillerets Bâtard-Montrachet*

Les Pucelles Chevalier-Montrachet

Les Folatières Bienvenue-Bâtard-


Les Champs Gain


Les Referts

Chassagne-Montrachet Les Ruchottes Montrachet*

Morgeot Bâtard-Montrachet*


* The vineyards of Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet overlap between the villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.

* * *








What makes each Burgundy wine different?

In Burgundy, one of the most important factors in making a good wine is soil. The quality of the soil is the main reason why there are three levels and price points between a Village, a Premier Cru, and a Grand Cru wine.1.63 Another major factor that differentiates each wine is the vinification procedure the winemaker uses—the recipe. It’s the same as if you were to compare the chefs at three gourmet restaurants: They may start out with the same ingredients, but it’s what they do with those ingredients that matters.










Note: * signifies exceptional vintage


The Côte Châlonnaise is the least known of the major wine districts of Burgundy. Although the Châlonnaise produces such red wines as Givry and Mercurey (see Class Four, “The Red Wines of Burgundy and the Rhône Valley”), it also produces some very good white wines that not many people are familiar with, which means value for you. I’m referring to the wines of Montagny and Rully.A1.33 These wines are of the highest quality produced in the area, similar to the white wines of the Côte d’Or but less costly.

Look for the wines of Antonin Rodet, Faiveley, Louis Latour, Moillard, and Olivier Leflaive.


The southernmost white wine–producing area in Burgundy, the Mâconnais has a climate warmer than that of the Côte d’Or and Chablis. Mâcon wines are, in general, pleasant, light, uncomplicated, reliable, and a great value.1.64, 1.65

What are the different quality levels of Mâconnais wines?

From basic to best:







Of all Mâcon1.67 wines, Pouilly-Fuissé is unquestionably one of the most popular. It is among the highest-quality Mâconnais wines, fashionable to drink in the United States long before most Americans discovered the splendors of wine. As wine consumption increased in America, Pouilly-Fuissé and other famous areas such as Pommard, Nuits-St-Georges, and Chablis became synonymous with the best wines of France and could always be found on any restaurant’s wine list.

In my opinion, Mâcon-Villages is the best value. Why pay more for Pouilly-Fuissé—sometimes three times as much—when a simple Mâcon will do just as nicely?1.68, A1.35







Note: * signifies exceptional vintage


Now that you’re familiar with the many different white wines of Burgundy:

How do you choose the right one for you?

First look for the vintage year. With Burgundy, it’s especially important to buy a good year. After that, your choice becomes a matter of taste and cost. If price is no object, aren’t you lucky?

Also, after some trial and error, you may find that you prefer the wines of one shipper over another. Here are some of the shippers to look for when buying white Burgundy:










Although 80 percent of Burgundy wines are sold through shippers, some fine estate-bottled1.70 wines are available in limited quantities in the United States. The better ones include:











Twenty-five years later in white Burgundy

If you are looking for pure unoaked Chardonnay at its best, then the crisp flavorful Chablis region of France will satisfy your needs. Over the last twenty-five years these wines have only gotten better. After overcoming serious frosts in the late fifties through improved methods of frost protection, the region has increased its vineyard acreage from 4,000 acres to 12,000 acres without losing its quality. Great news for the consumer.

The white wines of the Mâconnais and Châlonnaise represent some of the great value wines made from 100 percent Chardonnay, yet most are usually priced under twenty dollars a bottle.

One of the big changes, especially in Mâcon, is the inclusion of the grape variety on the label. With increased competition from the new-world Chardonnay producers, the French government has finally realized that Americans and other countries buy wines by the grape variety.

The great white wines of the Côte d’Or have achieved greatness in the last twenty-five years. For me these are the best white wines in the world! With a new generation of winemakers who have studied around the world, there is more control in the vineyards and in the cellars, plantings of new clones, and picking lower yields. Chaptalization, the addition of sugar to the fermenting juice to increase the alcohol content which was prevalent in Burgundy, is rarely used today. The wines today have a better natural balance.


I recommend Burgundy by Anthony Hanson; Burgundy by Robert M. Parker Jr.; The Wines of Burgundy and Côtes d’Or by Clive Coates, M.W.; and Making Sense of Burgundy by Matt Kramer.

* * *


When you choose a white Burgundy wine, you have a whole gamut of wonderful food possibilities. Let’s say that you decide upon a wine from the Mâconnais area: Very reasonably priced, Mâconnais wines are suitable for picnics, as well as for more formal dinners. Or, you might select one of the fuller-bodied Côte de Beaune wines, or, if you prefer, an all-purpose Chablis that can even stand up to a hearty steak. Here are some tempting combinations offered by the winemakers.

ROBERT DROUHIN: With a young Chablis or St-Véran, Mr. Drouhin enjoys shellfish. “Fine Côte d’Or wines match well with any fish or light white meat such as veal or sweetbreads. But please, no red meat.”

CHRISTIAN MOREAU: “A basic Village Chablis is good as an apéritif and with hors d’oeuvres and salads. A great Premier Cru or Grand Cru Chablis needs something more special, such as lobster. It’s an especially beautiful match if the wine has been aged a few years.”

PIERRE HENRY GAGEY (Louis Jadot): “My favorite food combination with white Burgundy wine is, without doubt, homard grillé Breton (blue lobster). Only harmonious, powerful, and delicate wines are able to go with the subtle, thin flesh and very fine taste of the Breton lobster.”

Mr. Gagey says Chablis is a great match for oysters, snails, and shellfish, but a “Grand Cru Chablis should be had with trout.”

On white wines of the Côte de Beaune, Mr. Gagey gets a bit more specific: “With Village wines, which should be had at the beginning of the meal, try a light fish or quenelles (light dumplings). Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines can stand up to heavier fish and shellfish such as lobster—but with a wine such as Corton-Charlemagne, smoked Scottish salmon is a tasty choice.”

Mr. Gagey’s parting words on the subject: “Never with meat.”

LOUIS LATOUR: “With Corton-Charlemagne, filet of sole in a light Florentine sauce. Otherwise, the Chardonnays of Burgundy complement roast chicken, seafood, and light-flavored goat cheese particularly well.” Mr. Latour believes that one should have Chablis with oysters and fish.

* * *


Wines for Class One

1. Alsace: Trimbach Riesling 2007

2. Loire Valley: Muscadet, Marquis de Goulaine 2007 BEST VALUE

3. Loire Valley: Pouilly Fumé, Jolivet 2007

4. Bordeaux: (Graves, Pessac-Léognan) Château Carbonnieux 2005

5. Burgundy: Mâcon-Villages, Louis Jadot 2007 BEST VALUE

6. Burgundy: Chablis Premier Cru, Vaillon, Christian Moreau 2006

7. Burgundy: Meursault, Chanson 2006

8. Burgundy: Puligny-Montrachet, Les Folatières, Olivier Leflaive 2006

9. Alsace: Gewürztraminer Hugel 2005

10. Bordeaux: Sauternes: Château Latour Blanche 1999

There are six parts to this tasting.


Wine #1: Trimbach Riesling 2007

This is the first wine of the course and I have selected it to set the tone for the next eight classes. It is a first-impression wine from the Alsace region, which has produced wines for hundreds of years. Riesling is their best grape. The Trimbach winery, established in 1626, is in its twelfth generation of family ownership and has a long history and tradition of producing high-quality wine.

I pour Trimbach Riesling first because it is unoaked and light in style, with the great fruit taste typical of this varietal. Alsace Rieslings generally have higher acidity, which turbo charges everyone’s palate.1.72

Retail price $18

Ready to drink

Other recommended producers in Alsace are: Domaine Marcel Deiss, Domaine Weinbach, Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, Dopff “Au Moulin,” Hugel & Fils, and Leon Beyer.



We now move our tasting into the Loire Valley with two totally different styles of wines, a Muscadet from the west coast of France and a Pouilly Fumé from farther inland. Both are well-known French white wines. Neither wine is aged in wood so they are fruit friendly without any oak overtones.

Wine #2: Muscadet, Marquis de Goulaine 2007

The Muscadet is made with a grape variety called Melon de Bourgogne, a grape that originated in Burgundy, France, and was transported to the Loire Valley. It should be tasted before the Pouilly Fumé because all Muscadets are lighter in style than Pouilly Fumés. Muscadet is a favorite wine in Parisian bistros because it is easy, light in style, and has balanced fruit and acid. It is ready to drink when you buy it: the earlier the vintage, the better.

Retail price $14 BEST VALUE

Ready to drink

Other recommended producers for Muscadet are: Sauvion or Metaireau.

Wine #3: Pouilly Fumé, Jolivet 2007

Pouilly Fumé is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc grapes. It is medium-bodied with more depth, complexity, and fruit concentration than the Muscadet. It also has a pungent aroma and bouquet that is instantly recognizable; some say that cat pee is an apt descriptor.1.73

Retail price $20

Ready to drink

Other recommended producers for Pouilly Fumé are: Michel Redde, Château de Tracy, Ladoucette, or Colin.



Wine #4: Château Carbonnieux 2005

Bordeaux now produces some of the world’s best dry white wines, which has not always been the case. Bordeaux became famous for its high-end red wine and its extraordinary sweet wines (Sauternes). Over the last twenty years, the dry whites have achieved equal status to their superb reds and delicious Sauternes.

The first three wines we tasted were aged and ferment