That is in fact quite a difficult question that can’t be answered with one word, but if I had to answer it with simply one word, it would be: Burgundy.
One of the reasons I say that is Burgundy’s prestigious red wine, known all over the world as “Burgundy.” It’s vinified from 100% Pinot Noir grapes and I don’t think you’ll get a big argument from the average person that a top-notch Burgundy is the greatest expression of this hard to manage varietal to be found anywhere and, it could be argued, the best red wine in the world. It’s surely the world’s most high-priced wine. Which is to say, Burgundy’s most high-profile wine, Romanee-Conti, of which only about 450 cases are produced per year from grapes harvested in the 4.5 acre Romanee-Conti vineyard, is the most expensive wine in the world. The law of supply and demand is certainly at work in this case but, for instance, in 1996, Sotheby’s sold a set of eight bottles of 1990 Romanee-Conti for $224,900; which is over $28,000 a bottle for a wine that was produced merely six years earlier! So, is it actually worth so much cash? Well, I wouldn’t say so. It seems to me that an individual who has that much money laying around could spend it on far more worthy things, but at any rate, this is what wine critic Clive Coates said in regards to Romanee-Conti:
“This is the purest, most aristocratic and most intense example of Pinot Noir you could possibly imagine. Not only nectar: a yardstick with which to judge all other Burgundies.”
But Burgundy doesn’t just produce outstanding reds, it’s also home to incredible white wines, the two most widely acclaimed of which are Chablis and Montrachet. White Burgundies are commonly known as “white Burgundy,” and mostly produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes. Chardonnay is hands down the most popular white wine grape all over the world and, in the opinion of most wine experts, finds its best expression in Burgundy. Montrachet in particular is thought by many to be the supreme dry white wine in the world. So, Burgundy creates arguably both the greatest red wines and white wines to be found anywhere, for that reason, I think my claim that it’s the the place where the best wines come from is justified.
If I had to nominate the world’s greatest wine-producing nation, I would have to say France. One reason for that choice of course is the outstanding wines of Burgundy, but that’s certainly not the end of the story. While some wine lovers believe Burgundy to be the world’s best red, that distinction is usually given to another famous French wine: Bordeaux, from the famous “Bordeaux blend” of the indigenous French grapes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc–the first two of which are extremely popular as varietals and blends in both old and new world wine-producing regions.
France also has yet another great white wine-producing region in Alsace. Located on the French side of the Rhine river, Alsace produces some of the world’s very best Rieslings, Gewurztraminers, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blancs. And I haven’t yet mentioned Champagne, which is without peer among the world’s sparkling wines. An additional indication of France’s dominant position in the wine world is the impossible to ignore effect the region has had on new world producers–the States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America are made overwhelmingly from grapes which originated in France.
Add there’s more: thanks to the fact that France is, in most years, the world’s biggest wine producer (France is eclipsed by Italy in some years ), there are many outstanding French wines available at surprisingly affordable prices. A couple of regions to go to for great value are the Loire Valley and southern France. It’s possible to get great wines produced in these regions for just $10.00 to $15.00. As a matter of fact, you can even get some quite good Bordeaux for very reasonable prices. In truth, France fairly abounds with fantastic wine bargains, for exactly the same reason that it also turns out some of the most expensive wines: supply and demand. While most of France’s most sought-after wines are in limited supply, the country also produces an astounding amount of excellent wine.
Having already asserted that the world’s best wine comes from France, I would like to add a couple of caveats:
1. Italy is one more contender to the crown of being the world’s very best wine-producing country. Their wine production is on an equal scale with France’s, Italy has a rich variety of indigenous grape types from which they make lots of fine wines in the many micro-climates Italy is blessed with. And an additional asset of Italian wines is that they are very food friendly. It’s usually a challenge to pair French wines with what you’re having for dinner, but it is normally a much simpler task when you’re serving Italian wines.
2. Even though Bordeaux is thought by a lot of people to be the preeminent red wine in the world, it was bested in a head-to-head competition with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, two times. The first time was in 1976 at a blind tasting known as the Judgment of Paris. The eleven judges–nine French, one American and one British–gave higher to the Napa entries, that were vying against some of Bordeaux’s most prestigious wines. Some considered the results inconclusive, asserting that the French wines would without doubt mature into superior wines, in comparison to their American counterparts. A re-tasting was organized on the 30th anniversary of the first tasting in which the same ten wines, which ranged in vintage from 1969 to 1973, were blind tasted once again. This time the American wines won a resounding victory, with the Napa Valley Cabs taking the top 5 positions. Therefore, it could be argued that the best reds in the world come from Napa Valley.
To sum up, it seems to me that, on the whole, the finest wine in the world comes from France. But that is by no means the last word on the subject; there are countless caveats which might be added to the two I brought up. Quality has been getting better consistently in pretty much every wine-producing country in the world for at least the past two decades. I personally regularly drink wines from France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, The United States, Chili and Argentina. Each of these nations make excellent wines, many at very reasonable prices. And there are many countries I haven’t even mentioned which also produce interesting, high quality wines. It seems to me that the best way to answer the question, “Where does the best wine come from?” is to get stuck in and start tasting a variety of wines from different parts of the world yourself. It may not be the shortest route to uncovering the answer, but it certainly is the most satisfying.
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