Wine Classifications and Key Terms

Burgundy & Beaujolais Classifications

Burgundy AOC hierarchy: Site-focused progression (Regional → Sub-regional → Village/Commune → Premier Cru → Grand Cru).
Beaujolais hierarchy: Beaujolais Nouveau → Beaujolais Supérieur → Beaujolais-Villages → Cru Beaujolais.

Key Grapes

Burgundy: Chardonnay ( $\sim49\%$ ), Pinot Noir ( $\sim40\%$ ), plus Aligoté and Gamay.
Beaujolais: Gamay.

Typical Flavor/Style Differences

Beaujolais (Gamay): Cherry / Strawberry; Banana / Kiwi / Bubblegum if carbonic maceration.
Burgundy Whites (Chardonnay): Apple / Pear / Citrus; can have toast / vanilla / buttery / creamy from oak + malolactic fermentation.

Important Burgundy Areas

Chablis: Cool, high acid, mineral, typically little/no oak.
Côte de Beaune: More oak + malolactic fermentation, age-worthy styles.

Burgundy Climate & Winemaking

Climate: Continental, risks of frost/hail/rain, vintage variation.
Winemaking: Beaujolais uses (semi) carbonic maceration; Burgundy employs malolactic fermentation and oak choices.

Burgundy/Beaujolais Labels

Look for AOC level, Climat (vineyard name), and Négociant/bottling language.

Rhône Valley Classifications

Regional baseline: Côtes du Rhône, split into Northern and Southern Rhône.

Major Grapes in Northern Rhône

Reds: Syrah (dominant).
Whites: Viognier (often 100%), Roussanne, Marsanne.

Major Grapes in Southern Rhône

Reds (Blends): Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise.
Whites (Blends): Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Rolle, Bourboulenc, Picpoul, Clairette.

Northern vs Southern Rhône

North: Syrah-driven, single-appellation styles (e.g., Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage); Condrieu is 100% Viognier.
South: Blending styles (GSM logic); key AOCs include Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras.

Rhône Climate & Labels

North: Continental, chaptalization permitted.
South: Mediterranean, hot summers, limited irrigation.
Côtes du Rhône = regional blend; Northern AOCs suggest Syrah, Southern suggest blend style.

Bordeaux Classifications

Major groupings: Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur, Côtes, Médoc, Saint-Émilion, Graves / Pessac-Léognan, Pomerol, Fronsac.

Key Grapes in Bordeaux

Predominantly blend-focused ( $\sim90\%$ red, $\sim10\%$ white).
Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon + Merlot logic. Whites: Semillon (in Sauternes), Sauvignon Blanc blends (in Entre-Deux-Mers).

Right Bank vs Left Bank

Left bank: Gravel soils (warmer).
Right bank: Limestone (warm) and clay soils (cooler/more humid).

Classified Fine-Wine Districts (Bordeaux)

1855 Médoc Classification: First–Fifth Growths (60 châteaux + 1 Graves).
1855 Sauternes Classification: First/Second Growths + Château d’Yquem (“Superior First Growth”).
Cru Bourgeois: Médoc, 3 tiers, refreshed every 5 years.
Cru Artisan: Médoc/Haut-Médoc.

Bordeaux Climate & History

Strong soil diversity, water sources, hills, and bank differences shape wine styles.
Historic events: Eleanor of Aquitaine marriage (1152), Aquitaine returns to France (15th C), trade expansion (17th–18th C), CIVB created (1948).

Bordeaux Label Decoding

Château/brand naming is central. Classification terms (Grand Cru Classé, Cru Bourgeois). Appellation takes precedence over grape names.

Italy Wine Classifications

DOC (1963) + DOCG (1980): AOC-inspired framework.
4 categories: Vino / Vino da Tavola (few controls) → IGT/IGP (85% rule for varietal if stated) → DOC/DOP (rules for grapes/geography/yields/aging) → DOCG/DOP (most restrictive, lower yields, 'guarantee of authenticity').

Benchmark Italian Wines & Grapes

Barbaresco DOCG: Nebbiolo.
Chianti Classico DOCG: Sangiovese.
Gavi DOCG: Cortese.

Key Italian Label Terms

Color/style: Bianco, Rosato, Rosso.
Sweetness: Secco (dry), Dolce (sweet).
Classico: Historic heartland.
Superiore: Higher alcohol/aging.
Riserva: Aged longer.

Italian Producer & Labeling

Producer terms: Imbottigliato, Azienda Agricola, Azienda Vinicola, Cantina, Tenuta.
5 Labeling Ways: Grape varietal, Place/zone, Both, Proprietary/fantasy names, Legend names.
Super Tuscans: Utilize IGT/Toscana flexibility over stricter DOC/DOCG rules.

GERMANY & AUSTRIA (+ NZ) Climates

Austria: Continental, warmer & drier than Germany.
Germany: Marginal northern climate; rivers, steep south/SW slopes, trellising aid ripening.

German/Austrian History & Labels

Key German History: Roman viticulture, first Riesling record (1435), Napoleon secularization.
Key Austrian History: Roman Danube vineyards, 1907 wine laws, DAC introduced (2001).
German Label Terms: Weingut / Gutsabfüllung (estate bottled), Erzeugerabfüllung (co-op estate bottled), Winzergenossenschaft (co-op), Weinkellerei (blender), Abfüller (bottler/shipper).

German & Austrian Classifications

Germany: Two paths: Ripeness at harvest (Prädikat) OR Location-based/dry (Burgundy model).
Austria: Pyramid: Qualitätswein/DAC → Landwein → Wein.
Sweetness Terms (Germany): Extra trocken / Trocken / Halbtrocken / Lieblich / Süß (RS-based).

Key Grapes

Austria: Grüner Veltliner, Zweigelt, Blaufränkisch.

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE: NEW ZEALAND & SOUTH AFRICA

Common Themes: Varietal labeling, strong % rules for varietal/vintage/region claims ( $\geq 85\%$ ).

New Zealand

Geographical Indications Act 1994 (rev. 2003).
85% minimum for grape variety, vintage, regions.
“Reserve” is unregulated.
Signature Style: Sauvignon Blanc (fruit salad, gooseberry, guava, passion fruit, jalapeño).

South Africa

Wine of Origin (1973) = appellation.
100% grapes from stated region; 85% for varietal/vintage.
No “reserve” term permitted.
Signature Grapes: Chenin Blanc (white), Pinotage (red; Pinot Noir x Cinsault).

PORTUGAL (TABLE + FORTIFIED)

Equivalent to French AOC: DOC (DOP) system + Vinho Regional (IG/IGP).

Portuguese Wine Classifications (Table)

Vinho (simplest) → Vinho Regional (14 large areas) → DOC/DOP.

Fortified Wine Definition

Brandy / grape spirit added, resulting in $15\%–23\%$ ABV.

Madeira & Port

Madeira: Heated via Estufa system (three methods). Styles by grape (Dry → Sweet): Sercial → Verdelho → Boal/Bual → Malmsey (plus Tinta Negra Mole).
Port Styles: Ruby (young, fruit-forward, \sim3:$year blend), Vintage (declared year, long bottle aging), LBV (declared year, aged in wood then bottled \left(4\text{–}6\text{ years}\right) $), Tawny (wood-aged blends, 10/20/30/40-year indications).</p></li><li><p><strong>Port Serving</strong>: 2.5–3 oz;$ \sim60\text{–}65\text{°F}; pairs well with dessert + cheeses.

SPAIN (TABLE + SHERRY) Classifications

Pyramid: Vino de Mesa → Vino de la Tierra (VT, IGP) → Vino de Calidad (VC) → DO → DOCa/DOQ; plus Vino de Pago (VP).

Sherry & Grapes

Sherry: Fortified (\mathbf{15\%–23\%\ ABV}); categorized by Biological (e.g., Fino/Manzanilla: light, dry, fresh, yeasty) vs Oxidative aging.
Climate: Mostly warm-to-hot, dry, diverse; high elevation provides hot days, cool nights.
Major Grapes: Whites (Airén, Macabeo/Viura, Verdejo, Albariño, Palomino, Pedro Ximénez); Reds (Tempranillo, Garnacha, Cariñena, Monastrell, Bobal, Mencía).

Spanish History

Phoenicians (1100 BC), Roman expansion, phylloxera (1870), first sparkling wine (1872), DO Rioja (1926), EU entry (1985).

CHAMPAGNE & SPARKLING WINE

Champagne Uniqueness: Marginal climate, Paris Basin loam over chalk, cost, aging requirements.

Champagne Categories & Grapes

Categories (Aging Minimums): Non-Vintage (15 months), Vintage (3 years), Prestige Cuvée (longer).
3 Main Grapes: Pinot Noir (\mathbf{38\%} $), Meunier ($ \mathbf{32\%} $), Chardonnay ($ \mathbf{30\%}$$).
Styles: Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Prestige Cuvée.
Sweetness Terms: Brut Nature, Brut, Extra Dry, Sec/Dry, Demi-Sec, Doux/Sweet.

Sparkling Methods

Methods: Méthode Traditionnelle, Transfer Method, Charmat / Closed Tank, Carbonated, Méthode Ancestral (differ in second fermentation location, complexity, time, cost).
Méthode Traditionnelle Key Steps: Liqueur de tirage → 2nd fermentation in bottle → riddling → disgorgement → dosage → cork + cage.

Champagne Classification & Contributions

Village Classification: 17 Grand Cru, 42 Premier Cru, plus other cru villages.
Dom Pérignon: Contributions include white wine from red grapes, blending vineyards, verre Anglais, and cork stoppers.