This post has been excerpted and edited with permission from the May 21 post on larrythewineguy.net, guest blogger Larry Baker’s personal website. More stories from his trip and more pictures can be found there.

Notes on Burgundy:  French wine labels can be somewhat confusing to those of us who are used to seeing the varietal on the label. It doesn’t help that many people are also used to value brand American table wines that are named after entire French villages or regions (Chablis, Burgundy). One thing that may help to simplify matters is this:  in the Burgundy region of France, it doesn’t matter what village name it says on the bottle, if the color of the wine is white and the wine is from Burgundy, 99% of the time you are drinking Chardonnay. If the wine is red and it comes from Burgundy, 99% of the time you are drinking Pinot Noir. Now, if you are not a Chardonnay fan, or a Pinot Noir fan, I can guarantee you in one trip to the Burgundy region of France you’ll rethink your position. I was able to visit the area in May.  

First, a few terms often used in French wines, especially in Burgundy.

1-  Cru = growth. In Burgundy, there are vineyards in certain villages that are designated as a higher quality vineyard for growing grapes. There are just wines from the village, then the next level of quality comes from the Premier Cru, and in certain areas the highest level is Grand Cru. That’s me above, trying to look non-American, standing in front of Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet grand cru vineyard.

2-  Clos= An enclosed vineyard. In order to be a clos (meaning wall) you have to have a wall surrounding the vineyard (this does not apply to the popular California brand Clos du Bois). Check out the picture below.

So on your bottle of Pouilly-Fuissé it might say “Clos Reissier,” which is the name of the enclosed vineyard in the village of Pouilly-Fuissé in the region of Burgundy, France, where we are drinking 100% Chardonnay. At the Cave de Chaintré I tasted the 2010 Pouilly- Fuissé Clos Reissier Vineyard, which is one of the oldest vineyards in the village of Pouilly- Fuissé. I love this wine for its fresh fruit taste of apples and pears and a bit of citrus with just a hint of oak.

Thierry Pillot, the son of Paul Pillot from Domaine Pillot, in his vineyard in Chassagne-Montrachet.

Have your eyes noticed something in common in the vineyards of Burgundy? Burgundy is full of old stumpy thick vines, lots of clay and a whole bunch of limestone and rocks. During my visit, I was asking myself: how do they even grow anything in this soil. It is that very soil that makes wine from Burgundy so good. The minerality and the chalkiness from the limestone and rocks influence both the red and white wines. The reds pick up that clay on the nose and palate. The whites pick up acidity and minerality that allow the pure flavors of the grape to shine through. This makes the whites an ideal match for something like oysters.

Still not sure you care for Chardonnay or Pinot Noir? Stop by and ask your local ABC's wine consultant for suggestions that might change your mind. Or take a quick trip to Burgundy and see for yourself.

Guest blogger Larry Baker is the wine consultant at our Pembroke Pines store.