Wines that are thousands of years old
If, in Burgundy, the origin of the vine is old, the date of its appearance remains vague. It is very probably necessary to go back much further, however the oldest text attesting the presence of the vine and the wine in Burgundy goes back to 312: Eumène - the president of the university of Augustodunum (Autun) - describes the vineyard of Beaune there. A little later, aristocrats and religious communities represent the major part of the vineyard owners. Thus, it is to the activity of the Benedictine and Cistercian monks that is linked the real development of the local wine. In a concern for perfection, they studied everything that could contribute to its improvement: pruning, cuttings, grafting, vinification methods, construction of cellars... Their greatest contribution is however in the creation of the "climats": by imagining them, the monks offer to the wines of Burgundy their identity. Served at the table of popes and kings, they became synonymous with hospitality and prestige. At the end of the 14th century, the court of the Dukes of Burgundy also appreciated the wines of the region, called at the time "Beaune wines"; it thus participated in promoting their reputation which now extended to the whole world. In the 18th century, the wine trade was organized. The wines were matured in new barrels, and the bottle appeared as well as the vocabulary of tasting: dress, aromas, taste... At the time, the wine of Champagne was the only rival of the wines of Burgundy. Until Louis XIV's doctor, Fagon, wrote an order prescribing to his royal patient "the old wine of Burgundy" as a very healthy diet wine. The Court immediately drank Burgundy... and abandoned champagne! As for Napoleon, he will only allow Chambertin at his table, following the advice of his doctors... Nowadays, the Burgundy vineyard stretches over nearly 300 km, from Joigny in the Yonne to Mâcon in Saône-et-Loire. It is divided into 5 main production regions (to which are added the vineyards of Pouilly-sur-Loire and Pouilly-Fumé, in the Nièvre), has about a hundred different AOC appellations, and is based on 5 grape varieties: pinot noir, gamay, chardonnay, aligoté and sauvignon.
The Côte-d'or: a wine treasure
The Côte des vins is without a doubt one of the most famous vineyards in the world: a large geographical strip 50 km long, with a waspish waist as it is sometimes less than 300 meters wide from one point to another. Located between Chenôve and Santenay, it is covered with vineyards along its entire length, and only a few towns like Beaune and Nuits-Saint-Georges emerge from this sea of vegetation. Here, 2,200 houses cultivate more than 9,000 hectares of land, all of which are AOC. The annual production is between 350,000 and 460,000 hectoliters, 3/4 of them in red. Let's also talk about the prestigious Côte de Nuits. Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée or Nuits-Saint-Georges, almost all the great Burgundian wines are sheltered there. On 2,500 hectares, 15 million bottles, 90% red, are produced every year. The Côte de Beaune extends from Ladoix-Serrigny in the north to the Maranges hillsides in the south (the latter do not belong to the Côte-d'Or, but to the Saône-et-Loire). Its 4,800 hectares of vineyards produce more than 25 million bottles per year. Some people call it "the Champs-Elysées of Burgundy". And for good reason, the great names also parade there: Chassagne-Montrachet, Meursault, Pommard, Santenay... As their name indicates, the Hautes-Côtes overhang the famous Côte des vins and are about forty kilometers long. The altitudes vary from 300 to 640 meters. Let us also note the wines of Auxois which, for centuries, have lived in the most prestigious cellars, notably those of Versailles. As for the wines of Châtillonnais, the phylloxera crisis in the middle of the 19th century had a great impact on them. But the culture is not abandoned for all that: about sixty wine growers spread over twenty communes are concerned. And it is now the crémant that is the star of the show!
The Saône-et-Loire, the region's leading producer
The southernmost department has 13,000 hectares of AOC vineyards. Among the most famous, the Mâconnais of course which produces mainly white wines. The largest part, north of the Petite Grosne, is the domain of the mâcon-villages and mâcon supérieurs, the most appreciated of which are those of Lugny and Viré. To the south of the Petite Grosne, there are also 4 great white wines: pouilly-fuissé, pouilly-vinzelles, pouilly-loché and saint-véran. The wines of the Pays du Couchois stretch between Couches, Dracy-lès-Couches, Saint-Sernin-du-Plain, Saint-Jean-de-Trézy and Saint-Pierre-de-Varennes. The majority of the wines produced are red wines of regional appellation (red Burgundy and Burgundy passe-tout-grain). The Côte Chalonnaise has 5 Village appellations, including the famous Mercurey and Givry. Finally, the south of the Arlois offers 3 of the 10 grands crus of the Beaujolais which encroaches on the Saône-et-Loire: Saint-Amour, Moulin-à-vent and Chénas.
In the Yonne, the wines of Chablis are close to those of Auxerrois
It is impossible to talk about the vineyards of the Yonne without mentioning the wines of Chablis, the most famous white wine in the world. The Yonne was once one of the largest wine producers in France. The vineyard covered 40,000 ha, and the proximity of the Yonne River and the Nivernais Canal allowed for easy marketing, especially to the Paris area. But the prosperity of the vineyard came to an abrupt halt with phylloxera. Today, it covers more than 5,500 hectares (of which more than 4,000 in Chablis) with a production of some 300,000 hectoliters. In addition to the Chablis wines, let us note the less known wines of the Auxerrois. Of this vineyard which formerly produced the wine of kings, only the Clos de la Chaînette remains in Auxerre. But the surrounding villages have taken over: Chitry and Saint-Bris-le-Vineux produce, on 500 ha, excellent white wines (chardonnay, aligoté, sauvignon de Saint-Bris or de Sacy). However, the burgundies of Irancy (120 ha) and Coulanges-la-Vineuse (70 ha), produced from the pinot noir grape variety, are also very appreciated. The wines of the Côte Saint-Jacques are produced on a tiny plot of land on the heights of Joigny. They are the result of the hard work of a few winegrowers who are attached to their history. Their particularity? The pinot gris, which makes it a unique wine. Let's not forget the wines of Vézelay. At the foot of the basilica of Vézelay, on its eternal hill, many vines flourish, of which the melon (a very old grape variety) is one of the jewels. As for the wines of the Tonnerrois region, they too are experiencing a second wind. Among their treasures, the Epineuil is undoubtedly the most coveted! Finally, we must of course mention the Crémant de Bourgogne, made in the 4 corners of the department, especially in the Auxerrois, in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux for example.
Le Pouilly, star of the Nièvre
Less rich in vineyards than the three other Burgundy departments, the Nièvre has nevertheless the beautiful vineyard of Pouilly-sur-Loire which extends (on the edge of the Loire) over approximately 1,050 ha, of which 50 are of the Chasselas variety (AOC pouilly-sur-loire), the remainder of Sauvignon (AOC pouilly-fumé). The average production is 55,000 hectoliters per year. Its appellation area covers, in addition to Pouilly, the communes of Saint-Andelain, Tracy-sur-Loire, Saint-Laurent and Saint-Martin-sur-Nohain. As for the vineyard of the Côtes de La Charité-sur-Loire, almost destroyed in the 19th century by phylloxera, its revival began in the 1980s. Today, this vineyard is composed of small plots of land covering 54 ha, mainly in Nannay, Chasnay and La Celle-sur-Nièvre.
Education and tourism promotion are at the heart of regional policy
Since July 2015, the Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne have been listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. The Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune (and their 1,200 or so "Climats") are recognized as unique in the world for their diversity, as is the historical heritage they represent. This World Heritage listing commits all those involved in the region to preserving and promoting this cultural landscape. This is why the Association des Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne is undertaking a number of initiatives. A program to enhance village entrances and renovate low walls (there are 220 km of them within the Climats perimeter) has been launched in recent years. Dedicated tourist signage is also appearing along the wine-growing coast. But that's not all! In 2023, the Cité des Vins et des climats has been rolled out to three major sites: Beaune, Mâcon and Chablis. In these three Burgundy wine capitals, an immersive, sensory museographic space is on offer, along with tastings and workshops for all ages. Or how to discover the region's vineyards, the different grape varieties and appellations, and all the winegrowing traditions. All in all, the region hopes to welcome over 200,000 visitors from all over the world to its three sites each year. And let's not forget the recently inaugurated Cité internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin in Dijon in May 2022. And the many wine-related events in the region's wine-growing communities, the most famous of which is the prestigious traditional wine sale at the Hospices de Beaune. Not to mention the tourist routes. Like the Route 71, for example, which criss-crosses the Saône-et-Loire wine-growing region. Finally, the Fédération des Caves Coopératives Bourgogne-Jura (FCCBJ) has set itself the mission (among others) of promoting and representing the caves at departmental, regional and national levels. On its website (www.fccbj.fr), you can go on an interactive tour to discover its member wineries in Burgundy and the Jura. Perfect for preparing your stay!
