What is the exterior importance of Frances wine classification?
The classifications of wine quality that exist in France are important from a historical point of view, but certainly the 1855 Classification is more of a historical document than a reflection of the chteaux that are currently making the highest quality wines. For example, all of the St.-Emilion and Pomerol chteaux are excluded from the 1855 Classification, which does not seem fair. I like the idea of every ten years a group of independent wine authorities making new classifications based on quality. However, there will always be problems, and I think such classifications cause too many polemics and controversies. To my mind, the marketplace and the prices fetched represent the true gauge of quality. These reflect consumer confidence as well as the opinions of experts. For example, there is no question that estates such as Loville Las Cases, La Mission Haut Brion, and some of the great wines made in Pomerol and St.-Emilion could easily be first-growths in a realistic reclassification i
