Once a widely spread varietal across the world, the Sémillon grape has been reduced to a unique rarity for the high quality sweet wines of Bordeaux and dry whites of Australia. Primarily known for its richness of flavour upon its interaction with botrytis, Sémillon is the key varietal for the longest-living wines in the world, hailing from Sauternes and Barsac.

Aligoté has been grown in Burgundy since the 17th century, flourishing greatly among its two greater counterparts. Planted in the pockets on which there were no existing plots of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, these less expensive areas (such as plateaus and valleys) became the terroir in which Aligoté thrived. As it bloomed into existence as the third varietal of the region, it was granted its own AOC, Bourgogne Aligoté, in 1937. 

The history of the name ‘Pinot’ has often been up for debate, some believing it came from the French term pinot meaning pinecone as the small bunches of red grapes are formed in a similar shape to a pinecone. Others suggest it originated from French villages such as Pinos or Pignols, where the grape is said to have been cultivated since the Middle Ages.