Mention fine wine and most
people probably think of well-established classics like and Bordeaux and
Burgundy in France, Rioja and Priorat in Spain, or Piedmont in Italy. These
have (for the most part) well-established classification systems – which makes
it easier to tell when they fall into the fine wine category.
In Bordeaux for example, a
wine classified simply as Bordeaux AOC would be unlikely to be classed as fine
wine. A Médoc AOC on the other hand (from a more limited region on Bordeaux’s
Left Bank) is certainly approaching fine wine territory.
Step up to Pauillac or Margaux
(the top regions in the Médoc) and few would argue that we’re talking fine
wine. And then you have the top wines of those regions – culminating in First
Growths, or Premier Cru. These are among the finest wines in the world.
You’ll find similar
classification systems in many of the well-established classic wine regions
throughout Europe – and in general, the finer wines, like Chianti Classico,
come from the heart of the more generic wine regions.
Other regions, like
Rioja, classify their wines according to how long they are aged.
Cult and iconic fine wine
regions
However, many fine wines come
from regions that don’t have a clearly defined quality structure – especially those
from the southern Hemisphere.
Examples include the Barossa Valley in Australia,
Stellenbosch in South Africa, and Napa Valley in the United States.
Wines from these regions have to
establish their own fine wine credentials. They are often known as iconic, or
cult wines. Examples include Penfolds Grange, from Barossa, Australia, Cloudy
Bay from Marlborough, New Zealand, and Stags’ Leap from Napa, USA.
This is just a tiny snapshot
of the amazing world of fine wine that is out there for you to discover. For Fine red wine lovers there are hidden treasures like Priorat in northern Spain, or the
graceful Pinot Noirs of New Zealand’s Central Otago region.
Fine White wine fans can
look beyond Burgundy to Russian River Chardonnays (from the US) or the
ultra-fine Rieslings of the Rheinhessen. And for dessert wines, look beyond
Sauternes to the exquisite sweet wines of Tokaji in Hungary. There’s so much to
explore.