Our Wineguide

Some frequently asked questions

"Are branded wines mixtures?"

No. We never speak of wines as "mixtures", but as "blends". All wines are blended: a Chateau wine is a blend of several grape varieties, from several plots. Wine negociants blend wines from the same appellation, i.e. a strictly defined area, and the same vintage.

"Are Chateau wines better than branded wines?"

No. The great advantage wine negociants have, is to be able to choose the wines they buy and, therefore, to select the best available on the market. This is even more true for Barton & Guestier, who monitors its suppliers from the beginning of the grape harvest in the winemaking process. Barton & Guestier can thus guarantee an excellent style and consistent quality, in spite of the unpredictability of each vintage. A Chateau owner is obliged to make the best wine made exclusively from his own vineyard, whatever the quality of the harvest. Chateau wines are not necessarily synonymous with quality.

"Is it possible to say that one wine is unequivocally better than another?"

It is always difficult to compare two wines in terms of quality. We should always try to compare only wines that are truly comparable, for example: wines from the same appellation in similar price ranges. Every wine can be appreciated in one way or another. Enjoyment of a wine depends on the time and place of the tasting, as well as on the temperature, the accompanying food, the people present, our mood, etc… All these subjective factors mean that wine tasting is not, and never can be, an exact science.