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Burgundy

Contents
  1. Lay of the Land
  2. Climate
  3. The Grapes of Burgundy
  4. The Modern AOP System in Burgundy
  5. Vin de Pays (IGP) in Burgundy
  6. The History of Burgundy: Monks, Germans, and Legionnaires
  7. The History of Burgundy: Era of the Valois Dukes (1363–1477)
  8. The History of Burgundy: The Climats of Burgundy and Evolving Meaning
  9. The History of Burgundy: Fragmentation
  10. Domaines and the Négociant
  11. Post-Phylloxera Vineyard Architecture
  12. The Vigneron's Struggle
  13. Replanting and Vine Selection
  14. Modern Winemaking Practices
  15. Chablis
  16. The Côte d’Or
  17. Côte de Nuits: Village Appellations
  18. Côte de Beaune: The Hill of Corton
  19. Côte de Beaune: Village Appellations
  20. Côte Chalonnaise
  21. Mâconnais
  22. Beaujolais
  23. The Crus of Beaujolais
Burgundy (Bourgogne) is a holy grail for wine connoisseurs: a region impossible to master, impenetrable to the casual observer, and endlessly fascinating. A simple premise—red Burgundy is generally Pinot Noir and white Burgundy is generally Chardonnay—belies a maze of appellations, fractured vineyards, scores of producers, and erratic vintage swings. Just getting the right information can be a chore: the vignerons (winegrowers) of Burgundy are an insular lot, often reluctant to impart their wisdom and experience to outsiders, and even they are rarely experts beyond the walls of their own domaines or confines of their own communes. A vigneron in Meursault is unlikely to know much about the vineyards of Morey-Saint-Denis, and vice versa. New students of Burgundy should keep in mind that understanding this region is a lifelong pursuit. For seasoned Burgundy drinkers, the following guide provides a thorough look at the evolution of winemaking and viticulture in the region, concluding with detailed notes on each commune and appellation.    

Note that, unless specifically stated, production and planting statistics throughout this guide do not include the sector of Beaujolais in the Rhône department. Burgundy statistics are courtesy
  • in reply to Jonathan Eichholz

    Understood, thank you Jonathan!!

  • in reply to Carles Rossello

    Hey Charles! Yes, Chaptalization is allowed at all levels of production in Burgundy. 

  • Hi, I was wondering if Chaptalization is also allowed at Premier Cru and Grand Cru level.

    I understand with the climate change and modern vineyard management techniques, grapes achieve enough ripeness naturally but may a producer decide to chaptalize their grape musts at PC and GC levels in challenging vintages?

  • on the section of Brouilly it says that mont Brouilly is an extinct volcano but in the InterBeaujolais site says otherwise and also explains a different "History" about the origin of the name of the region. and also mentions the region having the most diverse soil of the "Crus" as well as Beaujolais now being a 'UNESCO Global Geopark" because of that diversity in all the 12 AOCs. 

    https://www.beaujolais.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/09/Carnet-Beaujolais-EN.pdf 
    page 37 for the Brouilly information.

  • in reply to Juan David Quintero

    Thanks, Juan! The verbiage is updated. 

  • in the Maranges section reads: 'The commune’s reds, exemplified by local domaines Edmund Monnot and Fernand Chevrot—both of whom own premier cru monopoles—'
    but Edmund Monnot now shares the Monopole of Clos de la Boutiere with Bachelet-Monnot and as for Chevrot, I can't find any monopole from this winery, even the tiny Le Croix Moines is prouced by Camille Giroud as well. 

  • in reply to Michael Markarian

    thank you 

  • in reply to Joshua Webber

    If it is four AOPs, the fourth one for red only is Cote de Beaune-Villages. 

  • Says there are four communes in the Cotes du Beaune which may produce red wine only. Volnay, Pommard, Blagny, but what is the fourth? anyone know?

  • in reply to Torrey Lewis

    Hey Torrey! Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We will have the map updated shortly. 

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