Wine can be one of the great pleasures of life. Unfortunately, the potential oenophile can be turned off early in the game by the baffling array of label designations. Some wines are promoted by the region in which they’re grown. Some are named according to the type of grape, or varietal, that comprises the wine. Still others have generic or proprietary names for blends of different wines.

The French, of course, make wine classifications even more confusing. The Cru Bourgeois label, for example, is a superb entry point into the Bordeaux style. However, “Cru Borgeois” has meant different things over the last 80 years or so.

First, some background on Bordeaux itself. The Bordeaux wine region of southwest France is situated along the Garonne River to the south and the Dordogne River to the north, near the city of Bordeaux. Both rivers flow from southeast to northwest, merging just north of the city to form the Gironde, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean at the Bay of Biscay. The region is divided into three areas: the Left Bank which encompasses wineries on the southwest side of the Garonne and Gironde; the Right Bank which includes wineries to the north and east of the Dordogne; and the area between the rivers, called “Entre-Deux-Mers” (French for “between two seas”). The Left Bank is further divided into Médoc (north of the city of Bordeaux) and Graves (south of the city).

Each region has further subdivisions — names you might recognize, like Haut-Médoc, Saint-Emillon, and Pomerol — which are called appellations (from “appellation d’origine contrôlée,” meaning “controlled designation of origin”). Each appellation (or AOC) has its own rules about what grapes are permitted to be planted and how wines can be blended. This is the case for all winegrowing areas in France, not just Bordeaux. For example, in Pomerol, on the Right Bank, only Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc may be planted. Some AOCs require a minimum percentage of each wine be from a certain varietal, while others stipulate a minimum or maximum alcohol content.

Contrast this crazy system of regions and rules to New World winegrowing nations like Australia and the United States, where wine is usually labeled by grape varietal. Wines from Napa Valley aren’t just labeled Napa Valley wine, they’re also labeled Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. But in Bordeaux, where almost every bottle is a blend, it’s the region that counts. So instead of hearing about how a certain varietal wine tastes, you’ll hear how the wine of an appellation tastes.

Ready for more confusion? In the 1800s, Napoleon III requested a classification system not in terms of region, but quality. This resulted in the Official Classification of 1855, a list of wineries which is still used today. Think about that: the top wineries in 1855 are still considered the best, over 150 years later. The system for red wines is divided into 5 tiers of quality (called “growths,” or the French “crus“). The First Growths, or Premier Cru wine estates, are: Château Lafite, Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Mouton Rothschild. All are in the Médoc region, except Haut-Brion, in Graves. These are followed by 13 Second Growths, 14 Third Growths, 10 Fourth Growths, and 18 Fifth Growths. Together, these are sometimes referred to as “Grand Cru Classes.”

What does all this have to do with Cru Bourgeois? Well, not all of the estates made it into the 1855 classification. So, in 1932, 444 wineries not chosen for the 1855 classification were designated for “Cru Bourgeois” by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Chamber of Agriculture. This was revised in 2000, reducing the number of wine estates to 247. But lawsuits and court battles brought the whole classification down, and the Cru Bourgeois label was banned from bottles in 2007.

And yet, this tale is still not over. In 2010, the modern, current Cru Bourgeois label was revived and established as “not a classification, but a mark of quality.” Every year, wine estates in the Médoc can apply for the label for any of the red wines they produce. Receiving the mark one year does not guarantee a wine will have that mark the next year (or, forever, as in the 1855 classification). Certain production rules also must be met if a winery desires the Cru Bourgeois label for its wine. An independent body, the slightly Orwellian-sounding Bureau Veritas, was formed to inspect winery facilities and provide for blind tastings by professionals who do not own or have connections to any of the Médoc châteaux (wine estates).

Phew.

So how should this impact your wine buying habits? First of all, Cru Bourgeois provides you a great way to get acquainted with Bordeaux style wines, perhaps the world’s premier wine region, at reasonable prices. And for the most part, you can be guaranteed good quality.

At the risk of seeming cynical, I’ll admit: the Cru Bourgeois label is somewhat of a marketing gimmick. Châteaux not in the 1855 classification certainly want a label to give the aura of prestige that goes along with the finest Bordeaux wines. But the fact that the winery facilities go through inspections and the wines are tasted blind for quality ensure that the offerings are at least good, with the potential for excellent bottles.

There is aging potential for those that prefer to wait for full maturity, but those qualities will vary by producer and vintage. Cru Bourgeois wines, for the most part, are food friendly and make great pairings with rich pork, beef, and lamb dishes.

The 2009 Château La Cardonne, a blend of 50 percent Merlot, 45 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5 percent Cabernet Franc, is a fantastic example. The wine is definitely fruit-forward, with fresh berries and a subtle floral component on the nose. The palate is all fruit at first sip, with lush blackberry, plum, and tart cranberry flavors that give way to hints of earthiness, dark chocolate, and a little leather on the finish. The tannins (which produce that cotton-mouth, puckering sensation when drinking dry wine) are smooth and well integrated.

Wine Spectator awarded this wine 92 points, and I’d probably agree. At $20, it’s a good value, especially considering 92 points is a higher score than some Grand Cru wines received. The wine paired very well with garlic and rosemary grilled lamb, even standing up to those powerful flavors.

Cru Bourgeois is a wine that is accessible to new drinkers of Bordeaux and will likely not disappoint more sophisticated palettes. Look for deals in the $15-to-$25 range.