- Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines, especially in the Burgundy region of France where it was first recorded in the 18th century.
- Aligoté is Burgundy’s “other” white grape, more rarely encountered than Chardonnay; yielding light, citrusy wines.
- In France, Aligoté is officially listed in the "Catalogue of Vine varieties" on the A list and classified. ... Aligoté wines are lively and thus are not suitable for ageing.
- Perhaps counter-intuitively, this hardiness and reliability has only served to lower Aligoté's status to "useful" and "reliable" rather than "mysterious" and "enigmatic".
- These two wines follow that pattern, but mix things up a little: the white Burgundy is actually made from the region’s little-seen, “other” grape, Aligoté.
- Aligoté is less well-known than Burgundy's dominant white grape, Chardonnay, but it has a dedicated following and is prized for its unique characteristics.
- “When we were in Burgundy, we remembered sitting at wine bars where the first wine you’d drink would always be a sparkling and it’d often be an Aligoté.
- With a mere 1,620 hectares shared among 1,219 producers, Aligoté plays a minor role in the region – roughly 6% of total plantings.
- Aligoté is a hardy variety and can withstand cold temperatures. The wines are typically fermented in stainless steel tanks, preserving their crisp and fresh character.
- Among some 44 Village appellations in the Bourgogne, it is the only one that allows for the production of a wine made exclusively from the Aligoté grape.
