International Culinary Arts: Burgundy Wines - Research Paper Example

 Burgundy Wines I. Introduction Burgundy wine is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France . According to Raskin (The Organic Wine Company, 2009), there is nothing ordinary about red Burgundy wines, and when you have a drink of this incredible wine, you will know that you are having a drink of quality, of excellence, of prestige and high class, because these wines are not common, these are not cheap, and no one but the most trained experts are the ones that say that these red Burgundy wines are the wines that have the most incredible shape, taste and flavor. It is nothing but a pleasure to be able to have a cup of any of the red Burgundy wines, and if you have the opportunity, then I encourage you to take it, since these are no ordinary wines, this are the best of their class, and you will always have a great time no matter what as long as you have some of this wine. There are many ways to enjoy a good wine, but it could also help if one knew how to recognize incredible red Burgundy wines, and the few things to know are the characteristics of this amazing wine. First of all, these wines are made of special grapes that are grown in Burgundy, this is a place in France, and of course, according to the name only in this place on earth could ever this kind of wine be made. This is what makes this so especial and not ordinary at all, because these wines get that special body and unique flavor, not only from the zone in which its grapes are grown but also on the method of fermentation and storing these people uses to make these red Burgundy wines. Red Burgundy wines are classified in three levels, the Grand Cru, the Premier Cru and the Village and Regional. Of course, the Grand cru is the most selected, exclusive, and expensive of all of these wines. The Grand Cru is made in such a way that it is aged from 5 to 7 years; this is if the bottles have a high demand, if not, then they can be aged for much longer which will give these wines a higher price and of course, a better quality. Then we have the Premier, which is aged from 3 to 5 years. These wines are not of a bad quality, they are just of an inferior quality than the Grand Crue. Producers of these kind of wines are allowed to declassify their products, so a grand crue can become a premier, a premier can become a village, and so on, which is a practice that helps people get other kinds of great wine at a cheaper cost. II. Grape Varieties Pinot Noir Over 90% of the red Burgundy wines are made using the Pinot Noir grape, which requires a particular climate - not too warm and not too cold. Pinot Noir is one of the world’s greatest grape varieties and produces wines that are pale in colour, with softer tannins. Pinot Noir is a fragile grape and likes neither extremes of heat or cold. The unique conditions in Burgundy produce Pinot Noirs relatively low in alcohol, certainly by new world standards (13 degrees rather than 14.5 is ideal here). The best growers are looking for purity of flavour, complexity and length rather than rich, up front mouthfuls of fruit. The Pinot Noir loves well-drained marl and limestone soils on which, depending on the proportion of limestone and the situation of the plot, it will produce a light, elegant red or a powerful, vigorous wine. Chardonnay Chardonnay originated in the region and most of the delicious white Burgundy wines are made using this grape variety. The diversity of the “terroirs” in Burgundy is expressed through the grapes and the wines vary from light and crisp to rich and full-bodied so there is a white Burgundy wine for every occasion and to suit all tastes. The Chardonnay prefers marly-limestone soils that are quite clayey, where it develops all its elegance and smooth flavours. It is the proportion of clay in the soil which determines the more or less aromatic, full style of the great dry white wines of Burgundy. Gamay The Gamay grape is quite a heavy-cropping plant. The grape bunches more or less tightly packed according to variety. The variety which concerns us here is the white-juiced black Gamay which, when planted in the Mâconnais on ‘Burgundy style’ soils, produces attractive and aromatic red wines under such a label as Mâcon Rouge. A small amount of Gamay can be found the in the Côte d'Or. The wines produced here, on the clay-limestone soils, differ from the Mâconnais and are less refined. The red wines of the Mâconnais and Beaujolais owe their reputation to this grape variety. Aligoté The Aligoté is a medium-fine plant, which has a long history in Burgundy and can be found almost anywhere in soils, which though good for vines, suit neither the Pinot Noir nor the Chardonnay. The wine made from it goes under the official name Bourgogne Aligoté. It can also provide one of the ingredients for sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne. (Discover the origin, 2010) III. Trends and Developments in the Wine Industry The Wine Industry Then... Prior to the twentieth century almost all quality wine production was confined to Europe, especially France, Germany and Italy. Other European countries produced rustic wines designed for local consumption. Efforts were made, however, as early as the seventeenth century in South Africa and the eighteenth century in Australia. Except for South Africa’s splendid dessert wine, no country outside Europe offered wines competitive in quality with those of France, Germany and Italy. Studies carried out in the early and middle twentieth century at Montpelier, France, Geisenheim, Germany, and especially at the University of California at Berkeley and Davis reshaped the geography of wine worldwide. The concept of “degree days” was introduced; new and more successful winegrape clones were developed; and much more attention was given to matters of soil composition and terroir—a notion that the French had been doggedly defending since time immemorial. The Wine Industry Now... By the end of the twentieth century the land under vine worldwide had more than tripled since the middle of the century. Specific grape varieties were matched to the most suitable terroirs. Canada became a major player in the dessert wine sector; Carmenere, a Bordeaux castaway, found new life in Chile; Malbec, which also fell into disuse in Bordeaux, began to produce splendid, robust red wines in Argentina. New Zealand discovered an entirely new and very successful style of Sauvignon Blanc. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon became ubiquitous although superlative terroirs were being identified. Whole appellations formerly unknown to the grape became premium sites for expensive ultra-premium wines: Santa Lucia Highlands in Monterey County, Sonoma Coast, Oregon's Willamette Valley, and Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County began to offer Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on a par with some of the world’s finest. In the United States wine is now produced in every state, including Alaska and Hawaii. Not all of it is on a par with west coast wines from California, Oregon, and Washington. But there are pockets of success. The Norton grape finds its finest expression—not in some special micro-terroir in California—but in bluffs overlooking the Missouri River west of St. Louis. Who would have imagined? After decades of fairly unsuccessful attempts to grow quality Chenin Blanc in California, the Texas Hill Country is rising to the fore. After a long succession of false starts in California, Washington State is now offering Rieslings that finally meet international standards. While the wine industry has matured in California, Oregon, and Washington State, other regions are not very far behind due to the rapid spread of information and technology. Who would have thought just a couple of decades ago that Israel would become a major player? Asia Becomes a Player in the Global Wine Industry Today Asia is discovering wine. China has become one of the world’s major importer of wine and vineyard land near Beijing is expanding rapidly. This region happens to lie at the same latitude as California’s Napa Valley. The same can be said for vineyard land in central Honshu, which is becoming a center of Japan’s infant wine industry. And having seen what the Japanese did with the photographic and electronics industries, we can be sure that they won’t stop pursuing the highest standards of winemaking until they’ve caught up with the world’s finest. All but one (Okinawa) of Japan’s 47 prefectures produces wine. So far, Japan relies mainly on American hybrid grapes and Muscat hybrids. International varieties are just beginning to show signs of success. Meanwhile, the wines of established regions just keep improving. Wines with cult status—the Grand Cru wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy along with ultra-premium Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon—will always be luxury items. What many consider Italy’s finest red wine, Brunello di Montalcino, is offered by 300 different producers and almost all are priced around $75. Today’s economy is dominated by the value-oriented end of the spectrum. Even in difficult times, it’s easy to find perfectly delicious wines at prices that allow everyday enjoyment. (Boehmer, 2009) IV. All About Burgundy Wines Wine is an ancient drink that has been used for centuries to nourish both the body and the soul. In fact, it is considered a sacred beverage in many cultural and religious traditions. When you drink wine, you are following one of the oldest customs of the human race. Burgundy wines are divided into four levels of appellation: 1. Regional appellations 2. Village appellations 3. Premiers Crus 4. Grands Crus In all, there are 100 Appellations d’Origine Controlee (AOC) in Burgundy where one AOC corresponds to a geographical area that is both limited and controlled. There are currently 4,000 wine growers in Burgundy, producing around 200 million bottles of wine every year. Today, 69% of wines produced in Burgundy is white, while 30% is red and 1% is rosé. Burgundy wines are usually made from one single grape – Chardonnay for white and Pinot Noir for red, giving them great purity in expression and an authentic personality. Burgundy wines, whether red or white, are characterized by the extraordinary delicacy and elegance of their aromas, focusing on the subtlety rather than their powerfulness. The guidelines below will assist you in enjoying your Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. Types of Burgundy Wine 1. Chablis The northernmost section of Burgundy is Chablis. This area produces only white wines. They are crisp, acidic and dry. Chablis is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. 2. Cote d'Or The Cote d'Or is the heart of Burgundy. It's divided into two sections, the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune. The finest red and white Burgundies, called premier cru and grand cru, are made here. They are often fermented and aged in oak barrels. 3. Cote Chalonnais This area produces little-known, good value wines, both red and white. Mercurey and Rully are two important label names to know. 4. Maconnais Maconnais primarily produces good, light white wines. The most famous name here is Pouilly-Fuisse. 5. Beaujolais Beaujolais is the southernmost part of Burgundy. Its fruity red wines are made from the gamay grape. Beaujolais Nouveau is released in the fall, immediately after harvest. Other Beaujolais styles are released the next spring. (eHow, 1999) White Wines Their colours range from white gold, to green gold, dark golden, yellow green, straw yellow, pale yellow, orange yellow through to dark yellow. 1. Plant scents and aromas – these can indicate young and fresh wines, as in mint, fern and tobacco. 2. Floral notes – they are signs of distinguished and delicate wines, as in limewood, chamomile, verbena, hawthorn and rose. 3. Notes of fresh fruit – they are citrus fruits and exotic fruits unfolding in young white wines, as in pear, apple, peach, lemon and grapefruit. 4. Notes of dry fruits – they can be found in wines that are beginning to age and demonstrate the complexity of Burgundy wines, as in apricot, hazelnut, almond, walnut and orange peel. 5. Spicy notes – they can be uncovered in wine as in cooking, generally developing with age and are a sign of great wines, as in vanilla, cinnamon, aniseed and pepper. 6. Mineral notes – they are generally linked to Chablis wines but the white wines from Cote de Beaune and Maconnais also have some of these notes, as in stone powder, pencil lead and flint. 7. Food notes – they indicate that the wine is already a few years old, as in honey, caramel and butter. 8. Notes of undergrowth – they bring scents of the humid undergrowth and dampened earth as in mushrooms, truffle and tree moss. Red Wines Their colours range from purplish red, garnet, ruby red, brick red, tile red through to mahogany. 1. Notes of fresh fruits – they are generally reflected in the first few years of a wine or in very old wines, expressing the characteristics of the Pinot Noir grape, as in raspberry, cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant, wild berries and redcurrant. 2. Floral notes – an aroma of rose often appears in great red wines that have aged, as in violet and peony. 3. Plant aromas – they can indicate young, fresh wines as in blackcurrant bud, cut grass and tobacco. Notes of cooked fruit – they indicate a wine that has been processed using very mature grapes and often indicate a vintage of very rich wines, as in jam, fig and prunes. 4. Spicy notes – they are generally a result of wine that has been left in a barrel and can be noted in red wines through both the smell and the taste, as in cinnamon and gingerbread. 5. Notes of coffee or liquorice – they are often a result of time spent in a barrel. Aromas of caramel reveal old and mature wines as in liquorice and grilled almonds. 6. Animal notes – they often unfold in old wines and at this stage, floral notes have often disappeared, as in meat, game and musk. 7. Notes of undergrowth – they evoke the smell of dampened earth and are found in old and mature wines, as in mushrooms, truffle and tree moss. (Burgundy list, 2011) How to identify red wines from Burgundy Look at the label. The simplest and quickest way to determine if a bottle of wine is a red wine or a Burgundy wine is to look at the label. Don’t bother looking at the mane of the wine; what you want to look for is the region where the wine was made. The only place in the world that grows the grapes used to make Burgundy wines is the Burgundy region in eastern France. Frances Burgundy region is the distance of land between Mâcon, Lyon, and Auxerre. There are 400 different types of soils in France’s Burgundy region, which can influence the taste of each bottle of burgundy wine. Red wines can come from any other part of the world.Pinot noir is the grape most commonly used in Burgundy wines. Take a look at the color of the wine. The wine you are drinking should be a dark red in color; most Burgundy wines have more of a purple hue then other red wines, which can look brown or blood-colored. Taste the wine. Red Burgundy wines generally have a tart taste, while white Burgundy wines generally have a pleasant taste that reminds wine lovers of peaches and honey and compliments seafood. Consider the cost. The average Burgundy wine will cost considerably more than its red counterpart. The reason for the higher cost is in part due to the small amount of wines produced in the Burgundy region. The second reason for the higher price tag is because the area has hot, often dry summers, and frigid winters. The extreme changes in the climate make it difficult for the vineyards to produce a significant amount of grapes each year. (eHow, 1999) Lastly, there are 3 important issues to discuss which are fundamental to the further understanding of the wines: 1. The first is the importance of the specific vintage. Each year is unique, and it is the variations in weather throughout a given vintage that give that vintage it's specific character. 2003 is a good example. It was an extremely hot year throughout Europe, so hot that hundreds of people actually died as a result of the heat. This heat caused the grapes to ripen very early (the harvest was pretty much done in Burgundy by the very beginning of September), and it acted to concentrate the sugars in the grapes. As a result, the 2003 wines are very fruity and have been defined as easy, early drinking wines. 2005 was a vintage of almost perfect growing conditions throughout the season, and as a result, the grapes were perfect as they arrived at the winery. The ideal conditions to make great wine. The same was true for this past vintage, 2009. 2008, by contrast was a difficult vintage, and it was only the last 3 or so weeks prior to harvest that saved the vintage, having been cool and wet throughout spring and summer. 2. This brings us to the Second issue, the role the wine maker plays. It is during the difficult vintages that the winemaker must show his (or her) stuff. Difficult vintages are called "winemakers vintages, kind of a euphemism for the necessity of creative wine making. Each winemaker has a specific style of wine making, so in order to really understand and appreciate the wines, it is a good idea to know some of the major/well known (and well respected) winemakers. (I am certainly biased, but I would put Alex Gambal high on that list). Publications like the Wine Spectator are good resources for this. 3. The Third issue is the significance of being a negociant (As we have learned, a negociant is someone who purchases either grapes or grapes juices from grape growers in order to make wine). Since most of the wine produced in Burgundy is made by negociants, there is a philosophical conflict possible between the growers of the grapes, and the makers of the wine (negociants). The negociant wants to have as much control as possible over the growing/growing condition of the grapes, since the best wine is made from the best grapes. But grape grower s(ie. farmers, whose product happens to be grapes) don't necessarily want to be told how to do their job. In addition, most growers of agricultural products(soybeans, corn, wheat,grapes, etc.,etc.) are paid related to the yield, and historically, the growers want to grow the most they can in a given area of land. This is pretty much opposite of the conditions for great wines; it is small yields on carefully and scrupulously tended land that produces great wines. And finally, while it is mostly true that there are only 2 grapes types (chardonnay and pinot noir), it's not 100% true. Aligote is a white grape variety that produces a wine that is very often paired with oysters. There is also a pinot gris type grape grown. But the most important "other"(red) grape type is Gamay- the grape used to make Beaujolais. (Talberth, 1996) V. Conclusion Wine has been such a part of Europe’s culture that each meal won’t be complete without it. Those who have experienced dining ala European style seem to agree that “wine enhances the flavour of every morsel of meat in the mouth” (Lonely Planet, 2011). Not only that, it also serves as a wonderful social activity. Amongst all the wine, it has been said that those that come from Burgundy are the finest, and of course, the most expensive of its type. To the oenophile (wine lover) or to the sommelier (wine expert) (Ask.com, 2011), all of these claims will prove to be true. But for people who don’t normally drink wine on a regular basis, for people who drink coca-cola with their meat, for people who only clink glasses on special occasions, this is one area worth exploring, and one culture worth embracing. VI. Bibliography (Sources) Anonymous. 1999. Simplify the season. [Online]. Available: http://www.ehow.com/how_4471744_identify-red-wines-from-burgundy.html. [6 December 2011] Anonymous. 1999. Simplify the season. [Online]. Available: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5164349_types-burgundy-wine.html. [6 December 2011] Anonymous. 2010. Burgundy Wine. [Online]. Available: http://www.discovertheorigin.co.uk/burgundy-wine/. [6 December 2011] Anonymous. 12 November 2011. Burgundy Wine. [Online]. Available: http://www.lib.uct.ac.za/infolit/harvard26.html. [6 December 2011] Anonymous. 2011. Burgundy List: Importing fine wines from Burgundy. [Online]. Available: http://burgundylist.com/understanding-burgundy-wines.html. [6 December 2011] Anonymous. 2011. Ask.com. [Online]. Available: http://www.ask.com/questions-about/What-Do-You-Call-a-Wine-Lover??o=102140&qsrc=121&l=dir. [6 December 2011] Anonymous. 2011. Burgundy Wines. [Online]. Available: http://www.burgundy-canal.com/wine/index.html. [7 December 2011] Anonymous. 2011. Wine drinking in Switzerland: How to win friends and influence people. [Online]. Available: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/924/36239/Wine+drinking+in+Switzerland%3A+How+to+win+friends+and+influence+people?destId=360829. [8 December 2011] Anonymous. Characteristics of Red Burgundy Wines. [Online]. Available: http://www.myburgundywine.com/red.html. [6 December 2011] Boehmer, Allan. 2009. The Changing Geography of Wine. [Online]. Available: http://alanboehmer.suite101.com/the-changing-geography-of-wine-a174644. [7 December 2011] Kissack, Chris. 2011. Winedoctor. [Online]. Available: http://www.thewinedoctor.com/. [7 December 2011] Raskin, Veronique. 2009. The Organic Wine Company. [Online]. Available: http://www.theorganicwinecompany.com/basics.php. [7 December 2011] Talberth, Henry. 2011. Final Few Thoughts on Burgundy Wines. [Online]. Available: http://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/final-few-thoughts-on-burgundy-wines. [7 December 2011] Read More