Wine FAQ

Use established merchants with temperature-controlled storage, clear provenance, and secure checkout. Burgdy lists collectible Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Champagne with documented sourcing and immediate shipping. Avoid marketplace sellers without storage history for older vintages.

Ask about provenance, storage conditions, drink window, and whether the bottle was cellar-stored since release. For restaurant purchases, ask about service temperature and decanting. For gifts, confirm vintage quality and food pairing versatility.

The phrase usually describes restaurant wine margins — bottles often priced at roughly 2.5–3× wholesale cost. Retail markup is typically lower. Understanding pricing helps you decide when to buy bottles for home versus ordering out.

Pinot Noir is a grape variety; Burgundy is a French wine region where Pinot Noir is the dominant red grape. All red Burgundy is Pinot Noir, but not all Pinot Noir is Burgundy — Oregon, California, and New Zealand also produce excellent Pinot Noir with different terroir expression. Burgundy adds regional hierarchy (village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru) that shapes style and price.

Top Burgundy commands high prices because of scarce Grand Cru land, low yields, hand harvesting, and global demand from collectors. Entry village wines and regional Bourgogne can offer genuine Pinot Noir or Chardonnay character at lower tiers. You pay for terroir transparency, aging potential, and producer reputation — not marketing alone.

From broadest to most specific: Regional (e.g. Bourgogne), Village (e.g. Gevrey-Chambertin), Premier Cru (named vineyard within a village), and Grand Cru (top sites like Romanée-Conti or Montrachet). Higher tiers generally mean more site-specific character, lower yields, and higher prices.

Look for the appellation line (e.g. Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Amoureuses), producer/domaine name, vintage, and bottle volume. Premier and Grand Cru labels must name the vineyard. 'Mis en bouteille au domaine' means estate-bottled. AOC rules guarantee grape origin; they do not guarantee quality — producer matters.

Organic and biodynamic Burgundy has grown significantly. Certified producers follow restricted inputs and often highlight vineyard health. Quality varies by producer like conventional wine. Look for domaines with strong track records in your preferred appellation rather than certification alone.

Grand Cru and top Premier Cru from blue-chip domaines (DRC, Roumier, Rousseau, Leflaive) with perfect provenance and strong vintages attract collectors. Scarcity, critic attention, and global demand drive secondary-market prices. Drink pleasure and financial return diverge — buy wines you would enjoy opening.

Young structured red Burgundy benefits from 30–60 minutes aeration. Aged bottles need careful handling off sediment. Delicate old Burgundy can lose perfume if over-decanted — taste as you go.

2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020 are widely praised for reds. 2014 and 2017 offer elegance and value. Vintage quality varies by appellation — consult our Burgundy vintage guide for details.

Yes — regional Bourgogne and village wines from strong vintages and reputable producers offer authentic character. Grand Cru pricing exceeds this tier; manage expectations on appellation level.

Left Bank (Médoc, Graves) is Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant — structured, cassis, firm tannins, long aging. Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion) leads with Merlot — softer, plum and chocolate notes, earlier drinkability. Soil differs: Left Bank gravel drains well for Cab; Right Bank clay and limestone suit Merlot.

Young Bordeaux AOC wines are often enjoyable within 3–7 years. Grand Cru Classé from strong vintages may need 10–20+ years to reach peak. Tannin level, oak, and vintage warmth determine timing. If you lack cellar conditions, buy wines with provenance and drink windows that match your storage.

Buy from reputable merchants with traceable supply chains. Check label details: correct AOC, château name spelling, vintage, and importer back label. Ultra-low prices on famous names are a red flag. Provenance documentation and consistent storage history matter as much as the label for older bottles.

Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure, blackcurrant, and aging backbone — dominant on the Left Bank. Merlot contributes plum, softness, and earlier approachability — dominant on the Right Bank. Most Bordeaux is a blend balancing both plus Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

Classified growths often use better fruit, longer élevage, and prime vineyard sites — but price also reflects brand, scarcity, and en primeur allocation. Excellent value exists in Cru Bourgeois, satellite appellations, and strong vintage second labels. Blind tasting frequently surprises — tier and vintage matter more than fame alone.

Critics use 100-point or 20-point scales to summarize quality at one tasting moment. Scores help discovery but reflect critic palate bias. Compare scores from the same critic across vintages rather than mixing reviewers. See our guide on wine ratings for detail.

Store horizontally at 55°F (13°C) with stable humidity, away from light and vibration. Left Bank classified growths from strong vintages may age 15–25 years. Right Bank wines often drink sooner. A wine fridge is ideal for long holds.

Decant young tannic Bordeaux 1–2 hours before serving. Aged Bordeaux (20+ years) requires gentle decanting off sediment — minimal oxygen exposure. Very old bottles may fade if decanted too long.

Sparkling: 6–8°C (43–46°F). Light whites and rosé: 8–10°C. Full whites like Burgundy: 10–12°C. Light reds: 14–16°C. Bordeaux and Napa Cab: 16–18°C. Over-chilling masks aroma; over-warming flattens acidity. Decant big reds 30–90 minutes before serving if young and tannic.

Young, structured red Burgundy benefits from 30–60 minutes of aeration to soften tannins. Older bottles (15+ years) need gentle handling — stand upright, pour carefully off sediment, minimal splash. Delicate aged Burgundy can fade if decanted too long; taste as you go.

See (color and clarity), Swirl (release aromas), Sniff (identify fruit, earth, oak), Sip (assess sweetness, acid, tannin, body), and Savor (evaluate finish and balance). Used by sommeliers and WSET students, the framework builds consistent vocabulary without pretension.

Start with acidity, tannin, body, finish, and balance. Primary aromas (fruit, flower), secondary (fermentation), and tertiary (age) come next. The 5 S's tasting framework builds consistent vocabulary without pretension.

Most still wines stay good 3–5 days refrigerated with a vacuum stopper or inert gas spray. Light whites and rosés fade fastest; full-bodied reds may improve on day two then decline. Champagne loses sparkle within 1–2 days even with a stopper. Fortified wines last weeks once opened.

Keep bottles on their side in a cool, dark place around 55°F (13°C) with stable humidity. Avoid kitchen heat, vibration, and direct sun. A wine fridge is ideal for long-term holding. Consistent temperature matters more than exact degrees for short-term storage.

Zalto glasses are mouth-blown, feather-light, and shaped to concentrate aroma without a heavy rim. Many sommeliers use them for high-end service. They are fragile and hand-wash only. If you drink premium Burgundy or Bordeaux regularly, one Universal or Burgundy glass can elevate home tasting; budget drinkers may prefer sturdier alternatives like Gabriel-Glas or Riedel Vinum.

No. Zalto recommends hand washing with warm water and minimal detergent. Dishwasher heat, detergent, and rack contact can etch or break the thin glass. Store upright or hanging to avoid rim chips.

Zalto prioritizes weightlessness and a single Universal shape for many wines. Riedel offers grape-specific shapes at multiple price tiers. Zalto feels more delicate and premium; Riedel Vinum is more durable and affordable. Sommeliers often choose Zalto for service; home collectors may mix both.

Gabriel-Glas StandArt is sturdier and more dishwasher-tolerant; Zalto is lighter and more delicate with premium service feel. Zalto suits careful home collectors; Gabriel-Glas suits everyday premium use.

Choose Burgundy for transparent Pinot Noir and Chardonnay tied to single vineyards, elegant structure, and ageworthy Grand Cru bottles. Choose Bordeaux for Cabernet-Merlot blends, broader consistency across vintages, and classic cellar wines from classified growths. Burgundy rewards site knowledge; Bordeaux rewards understanding château tiers and Left vs Right Bank styles.

Natural wine typically uses organic or biodynamic grapes, native yeast fermentation, minimal additives, and little or no filtration. Conventional winemaking may use selected yeasts, acidity adjustments, and fining agents for consistency. Both can be excellent; style and transparency differ. Look for producer notes rather than buzzwords alone.

Signs include vinegar or nail-polish aromas (volatile acidity), musty cork taint, brown oxidation in young whites, or flat, pruney reds. Small crystals or sediment in unfiltered wine are normal. When in doubt, taste — spoiled wine is unpleasant but not dangerous.

Solve storage first (cool, stable temperature). Pick a regional focus — Burgundy or Bordeaux — and mix drink-now bottles with age-worthy wines. Buy provenance-verified bottles from trusted merchants. Collect what you want to drink, not just trophy labels.

Describe what you actually smell and taste in plain language — cherry, wet stone, fresh, bitter. Avoid performing vocabulary you do not feel. Good sommeliers welcome honest reactions over jargon.