The Ideal Summertime Wine

In this video, Bob Paulinski, Master of Wine will discuss Aligote, the often overlooked other white grape variety from Burgundy. Two classic wines are tasted in the video as well. While it's history ties back more than 200 years, the wines have never been better than they are today. It's the ideal white wine choice for the warm summer months. Many priced in the $20 to $30 range. 
 
Aligote has long been relegated to the lesser, lower-profile areas of Burgundy. And while that is still largely the case, the Aligote produced today has never been better. While its origins link to Burgundy, it can be found in many places in eastern Europe, the US, particularly Washington State, Canada, and along with a bit in Australia. 

Aligote tends to produce medium bodied wines with high acidity. Many show a citrus note, in warmer regions it displays more of a peach/pear character. Many see little or no time in oak, but there are exceptions. It's typically best within a few years of the vintage, but I've had examples that have aged well for a decade or so when made with proper attention and care.

It may come as a surprise that Aligote accounts for about 6% of the vine plantings in Burgundy (1700 hectares). The lower alcohol and higher acidity make it a good fit for sparkling wine like Cremant de Bourgogne, but the focus here is on the non sparkling wine. 

Here's where things get a little tricky. There's an odd twist to the way the wines are labeled. The town of Bouzeron in the Cote Challonaise is the center of the Aligote world. This place is dedicated to the grape variety. If you see Bouzeron on the label, the wine will be made from Aligote, but it won't say it on the label, it's something that you just need to know. Conversely, when Aligote is produced from anywhere else in Burgundy, the grape variety will be shown on the label. 

Wine tasting:
2022 Bernard DeFaix Bourgogne Aligote - Approximately $25
2022 Domaine Charles Audoin Bourgogne Aligote - Approximately $30 to $35

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Chapter Markers:
00:00 - 01:33 Intro/Background Story
01:34 - 02:14 Labelling
02:15 - 03:05 Serving/Wine and Food Pairing
03:06 - 05:17 Tasting Wine 1
05:18 - 08:10 Tasting Wine 2