Cru is a

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in particular: **Technical term, part of the specialized vocabulary of a particular field, specifically: ***Scientific terminology, terms used by scient ...

used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which is traditionally translated as "growth", as is the past participle of the verb "croître" (to grow); it literally means 'grown'. The term is often used within classifications of

French wine French wine is produced all throughout France, in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world, along with Italian, Spanish, and Amer ...

. By implication, a wine that displays (or is allowed to display) the name of its ''cru'' on its

wine label Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it. Certain information is ordinarily incl ...

is supposed to exhibit the typical characteristics of this ''cru''. The terms ''Premier Cru'' and ''Grand Cru'' designate levels of presumed quality that are variously defined in different wine regions.

Premier cru

''Premier cru'' is a French language wine term corresponding to "first growth" and which can be used to refer to classified

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...

wineries A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, b ...

and

s, with different meanings in different

wine region This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...

s:J. Robinson (ed.). ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'', Third Edition. p. 544. Oxford University Press, 2006. . * For

Bordeaux wine Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...

, the term is applied to classified wineries: ** In the

Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines that were to be on display for visitors from ...

, ''Premier cru'' or ''Premier cru classé'' is the highest level of five within the "''Grand cru classé''" designation for red wines from the Médoc and

Graves A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...

, and the second-highest of three in Sauternes where the highest is ''Premier cru supérieur'' (superior first growth). These wines are often referred to as first growths in English. ** In the classification of Saint-Émilion wine, the highest level is ''Premier grand cru classé A'' and the second highest ''Premier grand cru classé B''. The term ''Saint-Émilion grand cru'' refers to wineries or wines below the overall ''Grand cru classé'' level, and is integrated within the appellation rules. * For

Burgundy wine Burgundy wine ( or ') is made in the Burgundy region of eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here, and those commonly referred to as "Burgundies," are dry red win ...

, the term is applied to classified vineyards, with ''Premier cru'' being the second highest classification level, below that of ''grand cru'' and above the basic ''village'' AOCs. For Burgundy wines, the terms ''premier cru'' (abbreviated ''1er cru'') are usually kept rather than being translated into English.

''Grand cru''

''Grand cru'' ( French for 'great growth') is a

regional wine classification The classification of wine is based on various criteria including place of origin or appellation, vinification method and style, sweetness and vintage,J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 752 & 753 Oxford University ...

that designates a

known for its favorable reputation in producing

. Although often used to describe grapes, wine or cognac, the term is not technically a classification of wine quality per se, but is intended to indicate the potential of the vineyard or

terroir (, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contex ...

. It is the highest level of classification of ''

Appellation d'origine contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...

'' (AOC) wines from Burgundy or

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

. The same term is applied to ''châteaux'' in

Saint-Émilion Saint-Émilion (; Gascon: ''Sent Milion'') is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. In 2016, it had a population of 1,938. In the heart of the country of ''Libournais'' (the area around Libourne), i ...

although in that region, it has a different meaning and does not represent the top tier of classification.

History in Burgundy

Early Burgundian wine history is distinctly marked by the work of the Cistercians with the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

being the principal vineyard owner for most of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

. Receiving land and vineyards as

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash or cheques or more ...

s, endowments and as exchanges for

indulgence In the teaching of the Catholic Church, an indulgence (, from , 'permit') is "a way to reduce the amount of punishment one has to undergo for sins". The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' describes an indulgence as "a remission before God of ...

s the monks were able to studiously observe the quality of wines from individual plots and, over time, began to isolate those areas that would consistently produce wine of similar aroma, body, color and vigor and designate them as ''crus''.H. Johnson. ''Vintage: The Story of Wine''. p. 131. Simon and Schuster, 1989. . Following the success of the

, Jules Lavalle developed an informal classification of vineyards of the Côte d'Or in his book ''History and Statistics of the Côte d'Or''. In 1861, Lavalle's classification was formalized by the Beaune Committee of Agriculture.J. Robinson (ed.). ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'', Third Edition. p. 175. Oxford University Press, 2006. . The designations of ''grand cru'' and ''premier cru'' were later developed and expanded on in the 1930s with the creation of the AOC system.J. Robinson (ed.). ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'', Third Edition. p. 115.

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

, 2006. .

References

{{Reflist, 2 Burgundy wine Wine classification Wine terminology

Premier cru

''Grand cru''

History in Burgundy

See also

References