Burgundy Wine
The most northerly of the major wine-producing areas of France.
The Vineyards are on easterly facing slopes of the hills bordering
the river Saone. The main region of Burgundy is known as the
Cote d’Or “The Hill of Gold’’, subdivided
into the Cote de Beaune and the Cote de Nuits, while immediately
to the south lie the Cote Chalonnaise and the Maconnais and
Beaujolais regions.
The soils of the area vary from Kimmeridge clay through granular
loam, to granite sand, which accounts for the fact that the
area is capable of producing both red and white wines of the
highest quality. The chief grapes grown from which the finer
wines are made, are the Pinot Noir and the Chardonnay.
The wines of Burgundy are as a rule, made to be ready for
drinking sooner than those of Bordeaux; but equally the finest
wines of the region are capable of developing great depth
and richness with keeping. Originally the vineyards consisted
of large estates in the hands of either noble proprietors
or the Church, of which the most famous was the Hospices de
Beaune, whose annual auctions still act as the benchmark for
Burgundy prices. However, with the French Revolution these
vineyards were parcelled out in small units among various
owners, and it is thus important to ascertain both the name
of the individual proprietor as well as its place of origin
and vintage when choosing a Burgundy.
Burgundy |
Bordeaux |
Chablis | Rhone
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