Wine Simple: A Totally Approachable Guide from a World-Class Sommelier

by Aldo Sohm

BY ANY OTHER NAME Spanna Chiavennasca Picotendro L O O K F O R Vietti, Piemonte, Italy G. B. Brulotto, Piemonte, Italy Clendenen Family Vineyards, Santa

Assyrtiko Citrusy, Smoky, Green Apple

This high-quality white grape, native to the Greek island of Santorini, has spread over the islands and become increasingly popular. I think of it as a Greek interpretation of Chablis, with perhaps a little more lushness in the fruit due to its sunny southern location. It’s great matched with seafood. The varietal’s higher acidity means that many sommeliers and wine professionals really love it, so you’re going to be seeing more of it on wine lists. Another great thing about these wines: They’re inexpensive.

minerals affecting flavor has not been scientifically proved. In fact, in 2013, researchers at UC Davis found that fungi and bacteria might play a bigger part in “geotagging” a wine and affecting its flavor.)

And I do believe that New World wines tend to have simpler aromas and show their soil less readily. It’s not a generalization to say that the Old World is tied to wine laws. A New World winemaker can decide to put underripe grapes in the mash to balance out a warm year’s harvest or “color in” his pinot with darker grapes to make it look higher-quality. In France, he’d be sent to jail.

Austrian whites are incredibly reliable, no matter how low the price.

The Loire Valley is pretty steady, especially in Sancerre.

There are eleven key wine regions in France, each with its own particular soil, climate, and, you could say, approach. From the grands châteaux of Bordeaux and Burgundy to the scrappy, farmer-led natural movement in the Auvergne and Jura regions, everyone is dealing with fluctuating weather

conditions that require the utmost attention.

If you ever get the chance to listen to Alexandre Chartogne talk about how long it took him to understand his vineyards, you’ll be blown away.

Alsace

RED Pinot noir WHITE Riesling, Gewürtztraminer, Silvaner (or sylvaner), pinot gris, pinot blanc, Muscat

This northeastern region on the border of Germany has a long history of going back and forth between the Germans and the French. One of the (many) consequences is that it’s the only region in France that labels wines with their grape varietal rather than their appellation, as is done in Germany. Ninety percent of this region’s wines are white. They used to be on the sweeter side, but today’s tendency is toward a pure, dryish, aromatic style, often with a honeyed, smoky scent.

Burgundy (which the French refer to as Bourgogne) counts four regions—five, if you include Beaujolais: Côte-d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Côte Mâconnais, and the satellite appellation Auxerrois. Seems simple, right? But then, for example, the east-facing vineyards of the Côte-d’Or are divided into Côte de Nuits (mainly for reds) and Côte de Beaune (reds and whites). Some vineyards at the top of the pyramid are classified

as having premier cru and grand cru status. And so on.

How do I navigate the Burgundy cru classifications? My advice? Your best bet is to work slowly up through the ranks until you reach the peak, so you really understand the differences. Start with a bottle designated “Bourgogne

blanc” (or “rouge”) from unclassified vineyards, often located in the foothills or flatlands. If you’re into it, next try a village level, from vineyards from a particular village located closer to the (most desirable) hills. You’ll definitely notice more body.

Now try a lieu-dit (unclassified single vineyard) wine before you go up into the prime real estate of the hills to a premier cru and, finally, a grand cru.

The grand crus hail from the middle of the hill, where the sun hits the vines at the perfect angle, and the soil is rich from erosion.

You’ll rarely see a well-crafted wine labeled as “Beaujolais.” Instead, look for one of the ten Beaujolais crus, with such labels as Morgon, Fleurie, Régnié, and Moulin-à-Vent.

CÔTE ROANNAISE Beaujolais is no longer anything new. But the Côte Roannaise in the Loire Valley is home to producers of some delicious, easygoing gamays. My favorite is Domaine Sérol: These wines have a sexy drinkability. Inexpensive and very

tasty! I especially love their Éclat de Granité, which is about $21 a bottle.

The Gironde estuary separates Bordeaux into the Left and Right Banks. The cabernet sauvignon–dominated Left Bank (the appellations of Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Margaux, and Pessac-Léognan) is much more on the commercial side, with the most famous of the châteaux absorbed by luxury conglomerates. The merlot-driven Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion)

is home to small, artisanal farmers—much more my speed. I also have to mention the Entre-Deux-Mers region: The farmers here deliver inexpensive whites made with an ethos that’s far from the tour-guide châteaux on the other side of the Gironde.

For instance, Château Pontet-Canet, designated a

fifth growth, converted to biodynamic farming and forward-thinking cellar techniques and is currently the shining star of Pauillac.

Champagne is a specifically designated area about an hour and a half east of Paris. The zone was the last region the Romans set up for winemaking because it was too cold.

The typically commercial region was revolutionized in the mid-’80s, when Anselme Selosse took over his family’s grand cru vineyards.

Try a few glasses and you’ll understand the French saying, “With Burgundy, you think

stupid things. With Bordeaux, you say stupid things. And with Champagne, you do them.”

My Five Favorite Champagne Houses Louis Roederer Deutz Dom Pérignon Krug Billecart-Salmon

My Six Favorite Grower Champagnes Agrapart & Fils Chartogne-Taillet Frédéric Savart Bérêche & Fils Pierre Péters Christophe Mignon (Best value, $50)

Jura RED Pinot noir, poulsard, trousseau WHITE Chardonnay, savignan

If you like natural wines, this is a region you’ll want to explore—especially the whites.

SAVOIE Jura is already known for its adventurous whites. But the neighboring

Savoie, with its local white varieties, is what’s really interesting me these days. There, Domaine Belluard focuses on the white grape grignet, bringing out its unique personality. (Try their sparkling Les Perles du Mont Blanc.) Domaine des Ardoisières focuses on local and also

rare varietals, such as the red p...

Languedoc-Roussillon RED Grenache, Syrah, carignan, cinsault WHITE Grenache blanc, muscat

Powerful bargains to be found in a sea of so-so wine. This large region in the southwest always struggled with the reputation of producing bulk wine. But the terroir here is great, with many vineyards based on limestone and the sunny French Riviera climate making the wines a bit more powerful. Many interesting projects have popped up in the last decade, producing wines that can be rather inexpensive for what you get in the glass. But you have to taste a fair amount of them to find one that’s good. The appellations of Minervois, Faugères, Saint-Chinian, and Corbières

are producing really interesting, mostly blended wines with richness and excellent layers. Look for b...

Loire RED Gamay, cabernet franc, pinot noir WHITE Sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, melon de Bourgogne (muscadet)

Accessible, inexpensive, and delicious discoveries to be made—especially

especially when it comes to n...

The château-dotted area around the Loire River south of Paris is one of France’s most picturesque places to visit. It’s also where the natural wine movement established its roots. The long region is divided into four very diverse areas. The Central vineyards (upriver), known for its Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, produces some of the world’s finest ...

If you’re looking for a lot of value, taste the sauvignon blancs from the Menetou-Salon area west of there...

Around the historic city of Tours is the Touraine appellation, which produces wines from many varietals, ranging from dry to sweet. Vouvray and Montlouis, made from chenin blanc, are used for dry (sec) to medium-dry (demi-sec) to sweet (moelleux) wines. These wines...

Mâcon and Chalonnaise RED Pinot noir WHITE Chardonnay, aligoté The affordable alternative in Burgundy.

If you don’t want to spend $100 but still want a great French chardonnay or pinot, this is where to look. There are no grand cru designations in this area, but that doesn’t mean the quality’s not there. In the northern part, you’ll find some really interesting chardonnays from the AOPs Rully, Mercurey, and Montagny to the Côte Chalonnaise—they’re not as complex as what you’ll get in the Côte-d’Or,

The traditional kir is made from the citrusy, crisp white aligoté from the Bouzeron—just add a teaspoon or so of crème de cassis to a glass. The