"Grand" means "great." "Cru," when used in wine terms, is primarily translated as "vineyard" or "vineyard."
Therefore, the literal translation of "Grand Cru" is "Great Vineyard".
However, in France, what "Grand Cru" means varies slightly depending on the region.
The meaning of "Grand Cru" in each region is as follows:
Burgundy
In Burgundy , AOC (Appellation d'Origine, a law that controls the quality of French wines and agricultural products) classifies wines by region name and vineyard name.
Grand Cru refers to the highest level of vineyards, which are the finest vineyards, followed by Premier Cru, which are the first-class vineyards.
The most famous Grand Cru in Burgundy is probably Romanée-Conti .
Alsace
In the Alsace region , famous for its white wines, wines harvested in 51 small districts called lieu-dits and that meet strict regulations are called Grand Cru.
Unlike other wine-growing regions in France, Alsace produces wines that clearly highlight the grape variety, and only four varieties have been designated as Grand Cru varieties.
What is the variety?
Many of these wines are made from single varieties, not blends.
Bordeaux Region
In Bordeaux , wineries are called "chateaux" .
In other regions, "cru" is used to refer to fields or plots, but in Bordeaux, cru refers to this chateau.
In the world-famous Médoc region, all wines from 1st to 5th growth are called Grand Cru.
