Introduction

to the Wines of

Burgundy

This quality hierarchy is important to

keep in mind when studying the

wines of Burgundy. Most of the wine

produced here is of the regional

level, labeled simply as Bourgogne

rouge or blanc. These wines offer

great value, and there are some real

hidden gems in this mix.

Communal level follows the regional

level, and you will not start seeing

vineyard names on the label until

you hit Premier Cru status.

One reason why Grand Cru and

Premier Cru Burgundy is so

expensive is a matter of simple

supply and demand... look how

small the production level is!

Burgundy, France is home to some of the

greatest , and undeniably some of the most

expensive, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

offerings in the world.

This region has been producing fine wine for

hundreds of years, and is steeped in history.

This presentation will touch on some of the

major points of interest that you should be

familiar with in order to properly sell these

wines to your guests.

The northern most sub-region of

Burgundy is Chablis. It is primarily

known for it’s crisp, high acid

Chardonnay, which usually has a low

level of oak treatment. These wines are

terrific aperitif wines, as well as being

solid pairings for oysters, seafood and

fried foods.

The Chablis sub-region consists of 7

Grand Cru vineyards (Bougros, Les

Preuses, Vaudésir, Grenouilles, Valmur,

Les Clos, Blanchot).

The region is bisected by the river

Serein, and has a cool climate wich

makes viticulture a difficult task.

The region is known for it’s Kimmeridge

clay deposits that add to the wines

complexity.

The Cote d’Or is comprised of two

sub-regions: The Cote de Nuits and

the Cote de Beaune.

The Cote de Nuits is known for its vivid

expression of fine Pinot Noir, with

some of the best examples of fine

wine, anywhere. A strong knowledge

of this region is essential to any

aspiring wine professional, as it is sure

to come up in any fine wine

conversation about Pinot Noir and

Chardonnay.

You hit prime Chardonnay territory in

the Cote de Beaune, the lower sub-

region of the Coye d’Or. A simple

google of the Burgundy region will

show you astronomically priced wines

and historical dissertations on the

wines of this region.

Here you see some of the famous villages

in the Cote d’or, specifically the Cote de

Beaune, which are responsible for the

high cost wines that people pay hundreds

of dollars for.

It is not uncommon to see a bottle on a

restaurant wine list for well over one or

two thousand dollars.

Here we see the lower half of the Burgundy wine region, consisting of the Cote

Chalonaise (producing good value red and white wines), Maconnais (again with

some great values such as Pouilly-Fuisse) and Beaujoulais.... everyone’s

favorite wine!

Beaujoulais is predominantly made

from the Gamay grape. The red wines

tend to be light and fruity, and can be

made from a process called carbonic

maceration (which we will save for

part 2).

However, the Cru’s can produce very

interesting and ageworthy wines of

great consequence.

Here are the Cru’s (with

pronunciation):

Brouilly [BREW-yee]

Chiroubles [shee-ROOB-luh]

Chénas [shay-NAH]

Côte de Brouilly [coat duh BREW-yee]

Fleurie [FLUR-ee]

Juliénas [ZJOO-lee-ay-nah]

Morgon [more-GOH]

Moulin à Vent [MOO-lan ah vahn]

Négociant [nah-GO-SEE-ahn]

Régnié [reh-N'YAY]

Saint Amour [sant ah-moor]

Chardonnay vineyard in

The Macon

If you want to start the journey of

learning about the Burgundy region,

this is a great wine to start with.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

2002 is not a bad vintage to start

learning about either!

You might be able to find better Chardonnay vines somehwere, but I doubt it.

Le Montrachet