Burgundy

The Burgundy region begins a hundred kilometers south of Paris and spreads down approximately 360 kilometers to Lyon.

Burgundy wines are of a velvety and subtle red or of a sensual and characteristic white. Wines are generally made from Pinot Noir (red) or Chardonnay (white). Exceptions are Bouzeron (made from Aligoté) and St-Bris (made from Sauvignon Blanc). One other wine that is commonly seen is Beaujolais (made from Gamay).

Burgundy experiences a continental climate characterized by very cold winters and hot summers. The weather is very unpredictable with rain, hail, and frost all possible around harvest time, which results in a lot of variation between vintages from this region.

Burgundy is a region with various soils, divided in numerous districts: Chablis, Côte d'Or (divided in Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune), Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais.

Chablis is the northernmost wine region of Burgundy, situated about 200km northwest of the Côte d'Or. Its reputation is based on the unique style of the Chardonnay grape, particularly from the Grand and Premiers Crus vineyards. The wine may range in style from a fairly classic, lean and minerally drink, very well suited to pairing with shellfish and other seafood, to a much richer wine, often the result of lees-stirring and sometimes oak maturation.

The Côte d'Or is divided into two main viticultural regions, the Côte de Nuits being the more northerly of the two. Named after the town of Nuits-St-Georges, it is most widely renowned for its red wines. Geologically, the region sits on a combination of Bajocian, Bathonian, Callovian and Argovian limestones, with some Liassic marlstone. The vineyards lie on the slope between the plain to the east, and the hills to the west. Soils on the plain are too fertile for quality wine, and on the hills it is too sparse. The easterly aspect also aids exposure to the sun.

The Côte de Beaune is the more southerly part of the Côte d'Or. The region sits on a combination of Callovian, Argovian and Rauracian limestones, with much intervening marlstone. The area is made up of tiny villages surrounded by a combination of flat and sloped vineyards on the eastern side of a hilly region, providing some rain and weather shelter from the prevailing westerly winds. The best wines - from "Grand Cru" vineyards - of this region are usually grown from the middle and higher part of the slopes, where the vineyards have the most exposure to sunshine and the best drainage, while the "Premier Cru" come from a little less favorably exposed slopes. The relatively ordinary "Village" wines are produced from the flat territory nearer the villages. Some of the best wines come from the following villages, Aloxe-Corton, Beaune, Savigny-les-Beaune and Chorely-les-Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Mersault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet.

Further south is the Côte Chalonnaise, where again a mix of mostly red and white wines are produced. The soil and rock types here are similar to those of the Côte d'Or, but the vineyards are more scattered as there is not a continuous slope to provide a solid stretch of suitable vineyard sites, as there is further north.

Below the Côte Chalonnaise is the Mâconnais region, known for producing large quantities of easy-drinking and more affordable white wine. The land around Mâcon consists of undulating hills, with vineyards interspersed with orchards and other agriculture. The bedrock and climate is similar to that of the Côte d'Or. The most important village appellations are Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché.

Further south again is the Beaujolais region, famous for fruity red wines made from Gamay.The soil around Beaujolais is acidic and sandy, lying over granite rock. The landscape, like Mâconnais, consists of rolling hills rather than one particular slope.

Burgundy has a higher number of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlées (AOCs) than any other French region, and is often seen as the most terroir-conscious of the French wine regions. The various Burgundy AOCs are classified from carefully delineated Grand Cru vineyards down to more non-specific regional appellations.

Burgundy classifications are geographically-focused. A specific vineyard or region will bear a given classification, regardless of the wine's producer. This focus is reflected on the wine's labels where appellations are most prominent and producer's names often appear at the bottom in much smaller text.

The main levels in the Burgundy classifications, in descending order of quality, are: Grand Crus, Premier Crus, Village Appellations, and finally Regional Appellations.

Some of the Regional Appellations also allow the production of Rosé and Sparkling wines as well as wines dominated by other grape varieties than Pinot Noir or Chardonnay.