Wine & Spirits List - Riviera Wine 2020-2021

THE ESSENTIALS
A wine list for the yachting industry
should include classic regions and
producers with historic reputations. The
top First Growths from Bordeaux are
important, as well as certain Grand Crus
and Premieres Crus from Burgundy.
However, you should include other
regions and countries, or more small
interesting producers with a story to tell.
It can be a pleasant surprise for a guest
to discover a list of carefully selected
wines. Small biodynamic or organic
producers who have an uncompromised
vision for quality and authenticity can be
a nice addition. Also, unknown wines that
have received high scores from highly
acclaimed wine critic Robert Parker or
Wine Spectator are good to include.
Think about what’s trendy in the world
of wine when creating a wine list. The
consumption of rosé is increasing every
year, so we would recommend offering a
selection of different styles, for example
both non-oaked and oaked versions. We
know Provence rosé is popular, but you
could also offer rosé from different wine
regions.
Ensure you have a selection of different
Champagne styles including Brut Non-
Vintage, Rosé and Prestige Cuvees such
as Dom Perignon, Cristal and Krug. The
well-known names of Moët et Chandon
and Veuve Cliquot are important, but
it can also be interesting and different
to have some of the smaller producers
such as Deutz and Ruinart. Why not even
have some large format bottles such as
Magnums or Jeraboams for those special
occasions?
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Robert Parker and Wine Spectator
Robert Mr. Parker Jr. is a leading U.S. wine critic with a highly international influence. He is rating
wines on a 100-point scale coupled with descriptive tasting notes which is published monthly in
his newsletter “The Wine Advocate”. Despite occasional controversy surrounding his reviews and
scores, he continues to be by far the most influential fine wine critic in the world today. Many
Americans will make their choice of wine depending on his scores and wine merchants around
the world will adjust prices accordingly. The Wine Spectator is an American wine magazine with
same sort of point scale and although not as powerful as Mr. Parker their points do affect sales.
Bordeaux and Burgundy
In 1855, the government requested a classification system for France’s best Bordeaux wines
which were to be on display in the world exhibition in Paris. Brokers from the wine industry ranked
the wines according trading price at the time, which at that time was directly related to quality.
The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The wines were classified into
5 different categories, from first to fifth growth (first growth being the best). Famous names
such as Château Lafite and Château Latour are examples of first growths. The classification
system in Burgundy is different from the one in Bordeaux; the classification does not belong to
the producer but is a geographical rating. In other words, there are many producers making wine
from any given Premiere or Grand Cru (Grand cru being the top and most expensive).
RIVIERA WINE T HE IDEAL WINE LIST