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A ‘Burdungy’ from Bordeaux? Oddly-worded wine list draws attention
A wine list from an undisclosed restaurant shared on Twitter has received attention due to its somewhat questionable descriptions.
Intriguing notes on the red wine list in this restaurant….. highlights include the “Burdungy” from St Emilion and the “citrus notes” of the red Chateauneuf 🤨. #whenwinelistsgorogue #wine pic.twitter.com/W2hElSQvOR
— Sarah J (@sybaricious) May 23, 2022
The original poster was baffled by the use of white wine descriptors for a Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge by Domaine Chante Cigale. The producer describes its wine as “fleshy with notes of red and black fruits”, rather than having notable “lemon and grapefruit”. They also drew attention to a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru from Château Orisse du Casse being described as a “Burdungy”.
Responses to the tweet were quick to find other points of amusement in the blurbs for the wines shown.
One sarcastically inquired: “What is a floral green fruit one may find in a Pinot Noir?”
Another pointed to the unfortunately worded description for the Fattoria dei Barbi: “I do so enjoy the nectarine nuances of a Brunello.” The producer mentions sweet spices, ripe strawberry and rosehip, but no nectarine.
One reply from a former sommelier suggested that it might not be the restaurant’s wine waiter’s nose not being up to scratch, but rather an editing error: “Copy and paste white notes to reds.”
It did also prompt one user, a pub landlord, to share his much more minimalist approach to designing a wine list: “We left off wine tasting notes as I’m never happy with them. Still think it needs doing eventually, but I don’t have a lot of time and would rather talk to people about wines.”
The original poster shared that, rather than risking a confused bottle of wine, they opted for a gin & tonic instead. The identity of the restaurant in question was not revealed, though it was divulged that it serves Indian cuisine.
One consolation is that at least there was an actual wine menu, unlike the mystery restaurant where diners were left feeling listless as they were given wines to pair with their moods.