Had my second wine class the other day and learned more about that great beverage.  There was interesting info about labeling and the differences between Old and New World wines.  Think about when you buy a bottle of French vs. a bottle of California wine.  Which label is easier to read — ignoring any potential language barriers?

For Old World, they must (still and will likely always) include:

-Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)
-Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
-Color (red, rose, white)
-Sweetness (dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet, sweet)

For New World, simple:

-brand name
-grape varietal(s)
-geographical areas (Sonoma, Western Cape South Africa)

After that we discussed the background and intricacies of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and of course had to sample some.  This week we tasted 8 wines (2 were not of the aforementioned varietals):

Chardonnay

#1 2012 Sylvaine & Alain Norman La Roche Vineuse
Macon – Burgundy, France

#2  2011 Butternut Chardonnay
California

#3 2012 Hendry Unoaked
Napa Valley, California

Pinot Noir

#4 2011 Domaine Bernard Moreau et Fils Bourgogne Rouge
Burgundy, France

#5 2011 Baileyana Firepeak
Edna Valley, California

#6 2009 Maude
Central Otago, New Zealand (this is the most southern wine area in the world)

Gamay

#7 2011 Chateau du Basty Regnie
Beaujolais, France

Pinotage

#8 2012 Ken Forrester Petit Pinotage
Stellenbosch, South Africa