Back in 1855, when the World's Fair took place in Paris, the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce had developed a classification of Bordeaux wines.

Among the 8,000 chateaux, they named 61 top chateaux as Crus (also known as Great Growth or Grand Cru Classes) and divided them into five categories.

However, after 146 years, some estates may not perform up to their classification while other unclassified chateaux may deserve to be included. The table beside is an extract of wines from the five categories with pronunciation listed for reference.

Previous Tips

Pronunciation - Bordeaux Major Wine Regions

Ten Common Red Wines

Describe My Wine - Key Dimensions

The colour of wine is influenced by the grape variety, its degree of ripeness, the area of production, the method of production & the age of the wine.

Light-bodied wines are the lightest in colour, while fuller-bodied are the deepest. Youthful red wines usually have a purple tone, whereas young white wines may have hint of green. The aging process involves a slow oxidation that has a browning effect similar to the discolouration of a peeled apple that has been exposed to the air.

- Smell of Wine

Now we get to the really fun part of tasting wine: swirling and sniffing.

Keep your glass on the table and swirl it so that air becomes mixed in with the wine. Then bring the glass to your nose quickly. Stick your nose as far as it will go into the airspace of the glass without actually touching the wine and smell the wine. Below mentioned are some common terms associated with the aromas of wine.

Some Tips