Aligoté is a neutral, high acid, white grape variety hailing from Burgundy, France. If you thought Burgundy whites were only made with Chardonnay, that is almost true …Aligoté is the exception (only accounting for 6% of plantings). It is considered “the other white grape of Burgundy” (and is becoming increasingly delicious, so get ready to see more and more “around town” at your local wine shops and restaurants)!

Aligoté was overlooked in Burgundy for a long time, as it didn’t produce wines with as much complexity, length, or age-ability compared to Chardonnay.

Before there were better insights into proper grape growing, as well as advancements in modern winemaking, the grape (and final wine) was hard to control! It’s a high yeilding variety that has both low sugar and high acid to begin with. It’s also very neutral (not a lot of aromatic character). All of these components lead to rather simple + unimpressive wines. So simple, they were historically added to a cocktail, to “jazz” it up! (This being the classic Kir cocktail, which is 1 part Crème de cassis to 9 parts Aligoté).

It is now becoming MUCH more than a simple cocktail wine. 

With winemaking on the up-and-up, and perhaps the help of global warming, wines made from Aligoté are becoming more and more impressive.

A few more notes on Aligoté:

• Since it’s a vigorous variety, winemakers have to give Aligoté a bit more attention in regard to canopy management, and adding their personal touch with winemaking! 

• Aligoté wines fall under Burgundy’s regional classification and most are labeled as “Bourgogne Aligoté” (which means it can come from anywhere. Some smaller production bottles will list the region or village on the label. 

• It’s hard to define a benchmark style for this wine. It’s usually lean and tart, but being that it’s a neutral grape, winemakers can add their additional ‘touch’. Often wines from the north are more tense and mineral-driven, while wines from the south can be more savory, warm, and round.

The following guide will illustrate what Aligoté often tastes like (aroma, flavor, and structure). It will also tell you where it’s from, provide you with common food recommendations, similar varieties, and let you know why you should be drinking more of it!

Aligoté is often heavy in citrus fruits like lemon, lime, and orange, followed by tart green apple, green pear, and sometimes stone fruit. Mineral notes of wet stone. saline, smoke, and flint are common. Occasionally you will get slight aromas of white flowers or sweet herbs, licorice. A bitter almond taste can also sometimes be found.

Keep in mind the flavor of wine will depend greatly on your palate, and not all wines may exhibit these aromas and flavors!

Bourgogne Aligoté is an appelation (AOC) that covers the whole region of Burgundy. Vines were discovered somewhere around the 18th century. Wines can vary depending on where they are grown. The Yonne is more northerly and has a more tense mineral character. In the Côte-d’Or wines can be more earthy and complex. In the more southerly Saône-et-Loire, the wines can be more ripe and round.

Bouzeron is an appellation within the Côte Chalonnaise (southern Burgundy) that is solely Aligoté! There are more marl soils here, which lower the yeilds for the variety. Low yeilds plus a warmer climate, lead to wines that are more aromatic, concentrated, honeyed, and complex.

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Other areas:

Aligoté is also grown all over Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine. It can be found in Switzerland as well as the USA.

Other Pairings: Roasted vegetables, Greek cuisine, Ramen, Soft cheeses.