Well, that's an extremely complicated question that defies a simple answer, but if I had to answer it with one word, that word would be, Burgundy.
I say that because, first of all, the famous wine known as "Burgundy" comes from Burgundy. It's vinified from 100% Pinot Noir grapes and I'm sure that you'll come across little or no argument from the majority of folks that a top-drawer Burgundy is the finest expression of this temperamental varietal anywhere in the world, and, arguably, the very best red wine in the world. It's surely the most expensive wine in the world. To be more exact, Burgundy's most acclaimed wine, Romanee-Conti, of which only about 450 cases are produced a year from grapes produced in the 4.5 acre Romanee-Conti vineyard, is the world's priciest wine. The law of supply and demand is clearly at work in this case but, for instance, in 1996, Sotheby's sold a set of eight 750 ml. bottles of 1990 Romanee-Conti for $224,900; which works out to over $28,000 per bottle for a wine that was made just six years before it was sold for such a incredible sum. So, is it really worth that kind of money? Well, I wouldn't say so. It seems to me that a person who has that kind of to blow on a couple of bottles of wine, they could devote it to a lot of more worthwhile things, but at any rate, here's what wine critic Clive Coates has said when it comes to Romanee-Conti:
"This is the purest, most aristocratic and most intense example of Pinot Noir you could possibly imagine. Not only nectar: a yardstick with which to judge all other Burgundies."
Another good reason I have for thinking that Burgundy produces the greatest wine of any wine-producing region in the world is their white wines, the two most renowned of which are Chablis and Montrachet. White Burgundies are usually known as "white Burgundy," and mainly vinified from 100% Chardonnay grapes. by far the most popular white wine grape in the world and, according to most experts, realizes its greatest expression in Burgundy. Montrachet in particular is considered by many wine lovers to be the finest dry white wine produced anywhere in the world. As we've seen, Burgundy produces arguably the best red wines and white wines in the world. Taking that into account, I think I'm justified in saying that it's the wine region where the best wines come from.
If I had to nominate the world's greatest wine-producing nation, I would have to say France. One reason for that choice of course is the stellar wines of Burgundy, but that's hardly the end of the story. Though it's true that some people believe Burgundy to be the world's best red, that title is generally given to a different French wine: Bordeaux, which is from the renowned "Bordeaux blend" of three native French grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc--the first two of which are very popular as varietals in both old and new world wine-producing regions.
And France has another great white wine-producing region in Alsace, which makes some of the world's greatest Rieslings, Gewurztraminers, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blancs and I haven't even mentioned Champagne yet, which is unmatched among the world's sparkling wines. Another proof of France's dominant position in the world of wine is the undeniable influence it has had on new world producers--the wines made in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America are produced overwhelmingly from grapes which are native to France
Add there's more: owing to the fact that France is, in most years, the world's biggest wine producer (France is outproduced by Italy in some years ), there are many fantastic French wines available at surprisingly affordable prices. A couple of regions to go to for great deals on wine are the Loire Valley and southern France. It's possible to get excellent wines produced in either Of these regions for just $10.00 to $15.00. As a matter of fact, you can even get some very good Bordeaux for quite sensible prices. In truth, France fairly abounds with incredible wine bargains, for exactly the same reason that it also produces some of the most expensive wines: supply and demand. While most of France's most prestigious wines are in limited supply, the country also produces an astounding amount of truly excellent wine.
Despite the fact that I have already claimed that the world's greatest wine comes from France, I would like to append a couple of caveats:
1. Italy is an additional contender to the crown of being the world's very best wine-producing nation. Their wine production is on an equal scale to France's, Italy has a rich variety of indigenous grape types from which they make tons of exceptional wines in the many micro-climates Italy is blessed with. And another virtue of Italian wines is that they are extremely food friendly. It's generally a challenge to pair French wines with whatever you're having for dinner, but that's normally a considerably simpler task with Italian wines.
2. Even though Bordeaux is thought by a lot of people to be the finest red wine in the world, it lost out in a head-to-head competition with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, two times. The first time was in 1976 at a blind tasting known as the Judgment of Paris. The eleven judges--nine French, one American and one British--gave higher to the Napa wines, that were vying against some of Bordeaux's most famous wines. A few critics considered the results inconclusive, asserting that the French wines undoubtedly would age far better than their American counterparts. A re-tasting was organized on the thirtieth anniversary of the original tasting in which the same ten wines, which ranged in vintage from 1969 to 1973, were blind tasted once again. This time the American wines won convincingly, with the Napa Valley Cabs winning the top 5 slots. Therefore, the greatest reds in the world arguably come from Napa Valley.
In Summary, I would say that, on the whole, the finest wine in the world comes from France. But that isn't the final word on the subject; there are a plethora of caveats that might be added to the couple I mentioned. Quality has been on the rise year by year in pretty much every wine-producing country in the world for at least the past two decades. I personally regularly drink wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, The United States, Chili and Argentina. Each of these nations make excellent wines, many at quite reasonable prices. And there are loads of countries I haven't mentioned which also produce interesting, top-notch wines. It seems to me that the best way to answer the question, "Where does the best wine come from?" is to get stuck in and start tasting lots wines from various areas of the world yourself. It may not be the shortest route to finding the answer, but it certainly is the most satisfying.
I say that because, first of all, the famous wine known as "Burgundy" comes from Burgundy. It's vinified from 100% Pinot Noir grapes and I'm sure that you'll come across little or no argument from the majority of folks that a top-drawer Burgundy is the finest expression of this temperamental varietal anywhere in the world, and, arguably, the very best red wine in the world. It's surely the most expensive wine in the world. To be more exact, Burgundy's most acclaimed wine, Romanee-Conti, of which only about 450 cases are produced a year from grapes produced in the 4.5 acre Romanee-Conti vineyard, is the world's priciest wine. The law of supply and demand is clearly at work in this case but, for instance, in 1996, Sotheby's sold a set of eight 750 ml. bottles of 1990 Romanee-Conti for $224,900; which works out to over $28,000 per bottle for a wine that was made just six years before it was sold for such a incredible sum. So, is it really worth that kind of money? Well, I wouldn't say so. It seems to me that a person who has that kind of to blow on a couple of bottles of wine, they could devote it to a lot of more worthwhile things, but at any rate, here's what wine critic Clive Coates has said when it comes to Romanee-Conti:
"This is the purest, most aristocratic and most intense example of Pinot Noir you could possibly imagine. Not only nectar: a yardstick with which to judge all other Burgundies."
Another good reason I have for thinking that Burgundy produces the greatest wine of any wine-producing region in the world is their white wines, the two most renowned of which are Chablis and Montrachet. White Burgundies are usually known as "white Burgundy," and mainly vinified from 100% Chardonnay grapes. by far the most popular white wine grape in the world and, according to most experts, realizes its greatest expression in Burgundy. Montrachet in particular is considered by many wine lovers to be the finest dry white wine produced anywhere in the world. As we've seen, Burgundy produces arguably the best red wines and white wines in the world. Taking that into account, I think I'm justified in saying that it's the wine region where the best wines come from.
If I had to nominate the world's greatest wine-producing nation, I would have to say France. One reason for that choice of course is the stellar wines of Burgundy, but that's hardly the end of the story. Though it's true that some people believe Burgundy to be the world's best red, that title is generally given to a different French wine: Bordeaux, which is from the renowned "Bordeaux blend" of three native French grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc--the first two of which are very popular as varietals in both old and new world wine-producing regions.
And France has another great white wine-producing region in Alsace, which makes some of the world's greatest Rieslings, Gewurztraminers, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blancs and I haven't even mentioned Champagne yet, which is unmatched among the world's sparkling wines. Another proof of France's dominant position in the world of wine is the undeniable influence it has had on new world producers--the wines made in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America are produced overwhelmingly from grapes which are native to France
Add there's more: owing to the fact that France is, in most years, the world's biggest wine producer (France is outproduced by Italy in some years ), there are many fantastic French wines available at surprisingly affordable prices. A couple of regions to go to for great deals on wine are the Loire Valley and southern France. It's possible to get excellent wines produced in either Of these regions for just $10.00 to $15.00. As a matter of fact, you can even get some very good Bordeaux for quite sensible prices. In truth, France fairly abounds with incredible wine bargains, for exactly the same reason that it also produces some of the most expensive wines: supply and demand. While most of France's most prestigious wines are in limited supply, the country also produces an astounding amount of truly excellent wine.
Despite the fact that I have already claimed that the world's greatest wine comes from France, I would like to append a couple of caveats:
1. Italy is an additional contender to the crown of being the world's very best wine-producing nation. Their wine production is on an equal scale to France's, Italy has a rich variety of indigenous grape types from which they make tons of exceptional wines in the many micro-climates Italy is blessed with. And another virtue of Italian wines is that they are extremely food friendly. It's generally a challenge to pair French wines with whatever you're having for dinner, but that's normally a considerably simpler task with Italian wines.
2. Even though Bordeaux is thought by a lot of people to be the finest red wine in the world, it lost out in a head-to-head competition with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, two times. The first time was in 1976 at a blind tasting known as the Judgment of Paris. The eleven judges--nine French, one American and one British--gave higher to the Napa wines, that were vying against some of Bordeaux's most famous wines. A few critics considered the results inconclusive, asserting that the French wines undoubtedly would age far better than their American counterparts. A re-tasting was organized on the thirtieth anniversary of the original tasting in which the same ten wines, which ranged in vintage from 1969 to 1973, were blind tasted once again. This time the American wines won convincingly, with the Napa Valley Cabs winning the top 5 slots. Therefore, the greatest reds in the world arguably come from Napa Valley.
In Summary, I would say that, on the whole, the finest wine in the world comes from France. But that isn't the final word on the subject; there are a plethora of caveats that might be added to the couple I mentioned. Quality has been on the rise year by year in pretty much every wine-producing country in the world for at least the past two decades. I personally regularly drink wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, The United States, Chili and Argentina. Each of these nations make excellent wines, many at quite reasonable prices. And there are loads of countries I haven't mentioned which also produce interesting, top-notch wines. It seems to me that the best way to answer the question, "Where does the best wine come from?" is to get stuck in and start tasting lots wines from various areas of the world yourself. It may not be the shortest route to finding the answer, but it certainly is the most satisfying.
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If you're interested in finding out more about wine, in particular wine tours in Santa Barbara county, then why not visit Eric Hilton's site: Santa Barbara Wine Tours.
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