Bourgogne
Wine producers from every region of the globe look to just one place when it comes to the finest expression of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes – Burgundy. Burgundy is a varied wine region southeast of Paris, lying mostly between the cities of Dijon and Lyon. The broadest definition of Burgundy includes not only the area called the Côte d'Or (Cote de Beaune & Cote de Nuits), where the highest–priced red and white Burgundies are made, but also the white wine district of Chablis far to the Northwest of the Côte d'Or and the sizeable districts of Cote Chalonnaise, Maconnais and Beaujolais to the south.
White Burgundy is made from Chardonnay grapes in almost all cases, and red Burgundy from Pinot Noir, except in Beaujolais, where the red wine grape is Gamay. Huge importance is placed on the concept of terroir in Burgundy. The classification system is based on geography, not producer. Very few vineyards in Burgundy belong solely to one producer. Each of these small plots will be on land designated at a certain level of quality - decreed as the result of hundreds of years of experience - and each plot will have an established character, formed as the result of the exact mix of soil, exposure to the sun, elevation, and humidity. On top of this, there are the variations in winemaking technique and philosophy from each producer – voila, the complexity of Burgundy!
