Undisputed reign of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Burgundy is certainly a production area remembered for the class and the elegance of its wines. Thanks to the characteristics of the soil and the favorable clima, we produce white and red wines, respectively, with the grapes mentioned above. Located in the central eastern part of France, it is one of the northernmost places where red wines are produced, because the climate is basically fresh. This is why production is not always up to par: quality is very much subject to climatic and meteorological trends. If the grapes do not reach full maturation, the outcomes are less complex and structured. On the other hand, favorable vintages produce memorable wines.
The producers are divided into domaine, groups of vineyards, also located in areas distant from each other (unlike the Bordeaux château): the grapes are vinified separately according to the zones of origin. In Burgundy, the territoriality of the grapes is fundamental, more than in any other part of the world: even the smallest quantities of production are diversified anyway, keeping their peculiar characteristics fully. The area and the vineyard characterize the result even more than the type of grapes used. The concept of the diversity of the various places is rooted in time, thanks to the action of the first producers: the Cistercian and Benedictine monks.
Typical Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the Aligoté grapes (white, used for consumer goods) and Gamay (red, with which the famous Beaujolais wines are produced).
The classification system is also linked to the individual vineyards, divided into Premier Cru and Grand Cru: a few dozen the vineyards included in the latter, prestigious category! The name of the vineyard, in this case, is even included in the label, while among the Premier Cru is inserted after the name of the village.
The main regions have, each one, very different characteristics.
Chablis is the most famous for whites, only produced with Chardonnay grapes. Côte d'Or produces only Grand Cru and Premier Cru. The Côte de Nuits is a land of excellent red wines. Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise both produce them, in the Mâconnaise the whites predominate, but it is more oriented to the wide consumption.