Cru

Translated in English as “growth,” the word cru can mean a vineyard or an estate, usually a superior one, that has been classified geographically or by reputation. A classified cru is known as a cru classé. Within any given classification (such as those in Bordeaux and Burgundy), there are Premiers Crus (first growths), Grands Crus (great growths), and so on. The word is the past participle of the French verb croître, meaning to grow.

Ok wine pros. Here’s a WineSpeed Challenge. The following four varieties—lemberger, sauvignon vert, zinfandel, and trebbiano Toscano—are also known by which of the following names respectively? (If you get this right, you really know your stuff!)

A. kékfrankos, sauvignon blanc, primitivo, and garganega

B. zweigelt, sauvignon gris, bonarda, colombard

C. st. laurent, sauvignonasse, plavac mali, and gros manseng

D. blaufränkisch, friulano, tribidrag, and ugni blanc

What’s called lemberger in New York State is known as blaufränkisch in Austria and kékfrankos in Hungary. Sauvignon vert, which is widely grown in Chile, is distinct from sauvignon blanc; sauvignon vert’s synonyms include sauvignonasse and friulano. Zinfandel is the same grape as primitivo in Italy and tribidrag in Croatia. Originally from Italy, trebbiano Toscano is called ugni blanc in the Cognac and Armagnac regions of France. Whew.

Grapegate

Someone is stealing the great grapes of Burgundy, according to the Burgundy wine bureau (BIVB). As reported in Decanter, there have now been four separate reports of thefts of grapes across the region. A possible… Continue reading

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