The black grapes of the Pinot Noir have to be pressed very quickly in order to give white wine without a trace of color. The major red varietal produced in Burgundy is Pinot Noir, the world's most tempermental, troublesome, mysterious, and complex grape to be made into wine. Although difficult to tame it can occasionally become the most hedonistic, velvety, and remarkable wine in the world, and the most expensive. Only a small percentage of Burgundy's wines will however, attain this stature. The bouquet of this wine is filled with exotic fruit and spices, and the taste is lush and soft.
Burgundies taste sweeter than Bordeaux and are much lighter in color, usually a medium cherry color.
Chardonnay is the other major varietal that produces the great white burgundies of the Cote de Beaune which can be characterized by buttery, smoky, and decadently rich fruity wines. Confusion and pitfalls await the uniformed in buying the wines of Burgundy. Any buyer must consider who are the best producers in each of Burgundy's appellations, because this factor alone may supersede the vineyard or the vintage.