Burgundy best ‘grands crus’
As you may know, France has plenty of regions producing wines classified as A.O.C (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) since 1936, the year of the first Burgundy wine benefiting from this appellation. The A.O.C guarantees a great quality wine, and Burgundy wine is a case in point! With nearly 72,900 acres of vineyards or vine production and a harvest volume of about 1.5 million hectolitres (around 200 million bottles a year), Burgundy has much to boast its savoir-faire. But one particular point makes these wines different from others: its history. One oft repeated motto is “The wines from Burgundy boast a longer history than any others”.
Have a look at the map of vineyards in Burgundy:
A little history of Burgundy wines
Indeed, we have to go back to the year 312 AD when the very first reference to Burgundy wines was documented. It is today known as the oldest one. Since then, Burgundy wines gradually acquired an excellent reputation throughout Christendom. Between 500 and 1300, a period of strong expansion saw the elaboration of famous wines in the Cote d’Or department near Dijon, as well as notions such as ‘terroir’ or ‘cru’. Wines benefiting from theses appellations often grew in the Chablis vineyards.
However, this reputation was highly boosted by the Dukes of Burgundy in the 14th and 15th centuries. They were even considered arbiters of taste for Europe.
Nowadays, 4 main grape varieties are planted in Burgundy:
– The Pinot Noir
– The Gamay
– The Chardonnay
– The Alligoté
– The Pinot Noir
Exclusively reserved to the upper classes during the Middle Ages due to its high quality, the Pinot Noir remains one of the most famous wines of Burgundy along with Chardonnay.
Most of the production of this red wine happens in Cote d’Or, there being over 1,500,000 acres of vineyards in this department. You would definitely benefit from landscapes of vineyards if you choose to buy a French property in Burgundy. It produces compact and purple/black coloured grape bunches containing an abundance of sweet and colourless juice.
What you probably don’t know: the juice of a Pinot Noir grape is colourless, and this is why the juice is used in the making of … champagne!
– The Gamay
This wine, whose name comes from a hamlet near the village of Saint Aubin, was already mentioned in a number of written sources. Roughly half of its vineyards are in the Beaujolais (a large part of Saone-et-Loire), and the grapes hold white juice. It is to this plant that red wines of the Maconnais and Beaujolais owe their reputation.
– The Chardonnay
It has been representing the prestigious white wines of Burgundy for centuries. Preferring the limestone soils that are more clayey, the Chardonnay produces beautiful bunches of golden berries – about the same size as the Pinot grapes – but more densely packed.
– The Alligoté
The Alligoté is a medium-fine plant whose grapes and berries are white, vigorous and large. In fact, they are larger than the Chardonnay and, consequently, higher yielding. You can find this plant almost anywhere . One particular trait with the Alligoté is that the wine made from it isn’t sold under the name of the village where it is grown but only goes under the official name ‘Bourgogne Alligoté’.
The local festivities:
The ‘Hospice de Beaune wine auctions’ have taken place every year in November for the last 150 years. Christie’s, the famous auction house organise it and sells the official catalogue, which means it’s very easy for you to discover the great wines of Burgundy through this sale. Last year, the exhibition saw 642 wine bottles sold at auction in only one day (542 red wines and 100 white wines), which shows the great popularity of Burgundy wines.