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+--- Thread: Bordeaux/ Burgundy (/thread-17915.html)
- Joel Deragon - 04-06-2005
How does Bordeaux differ from Burgundy in grapes, classifications, and flavor in its red wines?
- wineguruchgo - 04-06-2005
Each region, by law, can only plant specific grapes.
Bordeaux red: Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Those are primary. There might be a secondary or two that I'm missing.
Bordeaux White: Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillion and Muscadelle. Again, I might be missing one or two.
Burgandy: Pinot Noir and Gamay for Red. Chardonnay for white. As mentioned above, I might have missed really minor grapes.
Those listed are the main grapes.
- wineguruchgo - 04-06-2005
So are we doing your homework for you? Sounds like it. I'm guessing you are a culinary student with a project about wine. If so, it will behoove you to find the answers yourself for you will be forced to cook with wine one day.
If I am wrong, I apologize. I'm just suspicious with your three questions that were posted.
- Kcwhippet - 04-06-2005
I believe you already got part of your answer in one of your other questions. The Burgundy region is in the east of France. The two most sought after wines produced in Burgundy are a white and a red. The white is made from the Chardonnay grape and the red is made from the Pinot Noir grape. When you here of a Burgundy and a white Burgundy, that's what people are referring to. Though that's the easy answer, there are also small amounts of wine made from the Aligote grape (red) and Sauvignon Blanc (white). Then of course there's the southern part of Burgundy, and that's Beaujolais where the wines are made from the Gamay grape.
Next is Bordeaux,and they also produce basically a white and a red, though it gets more complicated. The red grapes of Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot; the first three being the major varieties. The white grapes of Bordeaux are Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, Colombard and Ugni Blanc, though the last three aren't often seen. Red Bordeaux wines are generally blends of two or more of the grapes, and the percentage of each grape in teh blend depends mostly on where in Bordeaux the grapes are grown and the wine is made. There are several microclimates in Bordeaux and some grapes do better in one location than another. So, the wines will obviously have more of the type that grows best in that location.
I'm sure others will chime in now with more info to expand on where I've begun.
- wondersofwine - 04-07-2005
Bordeaux are classified by "growths" 1st growth being the highest ranking, down through fifth growth. They also have Bordeaux Superior, artisanal Bordeaux, etc. See http://www.intowine.com/bordeaux2.html
or http://www.bordeaux.com/r_classifications.html
Burgundy has "grand cru" as the highest ranking, followed by "premier cru." Then you have the village wines, and just Bourgogne blanc (white) or Bourgogne rouge (red). See http://www.wine-pages.com/regions/burgexp.htm (explains the different classifications but doesn't name all the premier cru and grand cru wines).