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 Rho?ne, 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.

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.

Labels: Wine Delivery

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For many people starting out, it can be a very difficult and oftentimes overwhelming experience picking out the perfect wine rack. While there are many things to take into consideration when deciding which rack is perfect for your needs, deciding which rack to use to store your collection should never be a cause of stress.

One of the first things to consider when choosing a wine rack is whether you want to store your wine in a vertical or horizontal rack. While some prefer a vertical rack because it allows the labels to be easily viewed, wine stored on these types of racks are more likely to have the cork dry out and shrink causing air to enter the bottle and contaminate the wine. It is for this reason that horizontal wine racks are the most popular choice.

The second and third factors to take into consideration when picking a wine rack are the material it will be constructed of and the style of the rack. There are a variety of styles of wine rack, the most conventional being wall mounted, counter top, hanging and free standing. The most common wine racks are made of metal or wood. If metal is your preference, you can select Vintage View wall mounted wine racks, counter top wine racks, or custom made wrought iron or steel hanging or free standing wine racks. While metal wine racks are commonly made from wrought iron or steel, wooden wine racks are available in an array of finishes. The most frequently used woods used to construct a wooden wine rack are maple, mahogany, and walnut, however pine and redwood are also often used. Choose from single or double finished wall mounted wine racks, free standing wine racks such as Wine Cubes, Waterfalls, and Curved Corner Racks, or counter top racks such as the Pyramid wine rack.

The last thing to consider before purchasing a wine rack is the size of the rack and the cost. Wine racks for personal collecting can cost anywhere between $20.00 and $1000.00, it all depends on the size, style and finish. Even though there are a few things to consider when purchasing a wine rack, the variety of racks out there means that finding the perfect rack for your wine collection is simply a matter of knowing where and what to look for.

About the Author:

Ken Finnigan is the CEO of Finest Wine Racks a website specializing in quality decorative wine racks and durable wine storage systems.

Labels: Wine Delivery

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