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The terroir is a group of vineyards or vines from the same area
which have a common soil and climate. And nowhere else, other
than Burgundy in France, is it held so fondly.
Burgundy is a region situated in central east France, which
experiences bitter cold winters matched with beautiful warm
summers. It is the home of 1.6 million inhabitants.
Burgundy (Bourgogne) is famous throughout the world for its
wines. Spanning over 31,500 square kilometers (over 12,000
square miles), with a 360 km (225 mi) strip stretching 100km (60
mi) south of Paris, down from south of Dijon to north of Rhoône,
houses 99 different wine appellations.
Ranging from the vibrant red Pommard and Corton to the medium
Beaune -- to the sparkling whites, the dry Chablis or Chassagne
Montrachet, over 180 million bottles of some of the fines wines
are made in this region.
As an aftermath of the French revolution the vineyards belonging
to the monasteries were broken down to smaller plots - which
exist even today.
The finest quality wine, designated as "Premier Cru" - is
available from 600 of the vineyards in the region while 33 of
them is credit to produce the even more classy "Grand Cru"
wines. Among these the most renowned are Montrachet, Chambertin
and Clos Vougeot.
Made from the pinot noir grapes, the burgundy red wines taste
best with Boeuf Bourguignon or pheasant. On the other hand a
Chablis or their sparkling white wines go best with anything
from shrimps to goat cheese.
Tip! Short Palate vs Long Palate: The 'length' of a wine is the amount of time the sensations of taste and aroma persist after swallowing. Usually, the longer the better.
The famous white wine called Chablis derives its name from a
village of the same name. These are dry whites with an acidity
that refreshes. The special Chardonnay grapes thrive in
limestone that has been made richer with remains of fossils.
As an accompaniment to lamb or grilled chicken, the best choice
is the fruity-flavored, world famous Beaujolais made from the
Gamay grape. These grapes grow in granite limestone.
The ever-popular and delicious red is grown in Volnay for the
last 8 centuries. The grapes are Pinot Noir grown across 600
acres which is responsible in producing 1.3 million bottles of
this amazing wine which has the flavors of raspberries and
violets.
And then there is Meursault, located close by, famous for its
Premier Cru labels of finest white wines. 2.5 million bottles of
the finest wine, Chardonnay, aged anywhere between 3 to 15 years
is grown in just over 1000 acres. Fish in white sauce go
extremely well with this fine wine with its almond and apple
flavors.
But what still makes the headlines is the red Pommard with its
tannic and manly flavor, staging a comeback after many years of
decline. From just 780 acres of Pinot Noir grown in limestone
and red clay are produced 1.8 million bottles of this wine with
the flavors of black cherry and black currant. Goes excellent
with game venison and roasted red meat with Livarot cheese,
these can age from 5 to 15 years.
Whatever your taste buds need, there is very little chance of
returning home disappointed with a Burgundy.
About the Author:
Melinda Carnes is a staff writer at Everything Gourmet
and is an occasional ocntributor to several other websites,
including Coffee
Enthusiast.
Article Source www.GoArticles.com
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