Burgundy (wine region)

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Data
Wine region : Burgundy
Country : France
Viticulture since: 2nd century
Surface: 24,000  ha
Wine production: 180 million bottles ( year )
Share of quality wine: 70% AOC
Website: official website
map
The Burgundy wine region

The French wine region of Burgundy is home to some of the most famous vineyards in the world. There, red wines are made from the Pinot Noir and Gamay grape varieties and white wines from the Chardonnay and Aligoté grape varieties . Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc are permitted, but used less frequently . When classifying the wines, the so-called terroir , i.e. the vineyard location, is given the greatest attention. Since the Pinot Noir in particular reacts sensitively to differences in soil and microclimate, the differences between the locations are noticeable. At the top of the hierarchy are Grand Crus , Premier Crus and then the Villages wines. These include the regional appellations Bourgogne (from Pinot Noir or Chardonnay), Bourgogne Aligoté , Crémant de Bourgogne as well as Bourgogne Passetoutgrains and Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire , which also includes Gamay. In between there are the more specific appellations Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune , Bourgogne Haute Côtes de Nuits , Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise and Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre .

Many vineyard sites are split up into the smallest of plots. The quality can vary considerably within a single location depending on the winemaker.

The vineyards and wine-growing regions of Burgundy have been under the protection of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2015 .

Climate, Geology and Soil

climate

The climate in Burgundy is largely continental. The winter is noticeably cold, but mostly dry. Late frosts pose a particular threat in Chablis. In May, June and October, heavy rains often set in. Due to the northern location, the summers are comparatively short. Therefore, Burgundy is only suitable for early ripening grape varieties.

Temperatures and precipitation

Auxerre

For the city of Auxerre (207 m), the following data applied between 1961 and 1990:

month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec year
Mean minimum temperatures ° C 0.1 0.7 2.5 4.7 8.2 11.4 13.3 13.1 10.7 7.5 3.2 0.8 6.4
Average temperatures ° C 2.9 4.2 6.7 9.7 13.4 16.7 19.1 18.7 16 11.9 6.4 3.5 10.8
Mean maximum temperatures ° C 5.6 7.7 10.9 14.7 18.6 22.1 24.9 24.3 21.4 16.3 9.7 6.2 15.2
Mean monthly rainfall (mm) 54.2 50.1 49 43.4 74.9 62.5 47.2 54.9 52.1 58.1 52.8 57.3 656.6
Source : Archives climatologiques mensuelles - for Auxerre (1961–1990)
Dijon

For the city of Dijon (316 m), the following data applied between 1961 and 1990:

month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec year
Mean minimum temperatures ° C −1 0.1 2.2 5 8.7 12 14.1 13.7 10.9 7.2 2.5 −0.2 6.3
Average temperatures ° C 1.6 3.6 6.5 9.8 13.7 17.2 19.7 19.1 16.1 11.3 5.6 2.3 10.5
Mean maximum temperatures ° C 4.2 7th 10.8 14.7 18.7 22.4 25.3 24.5 21.3 15.5 8.6 4.8 14.8
Mean monthly rainfall (mm) 49.2 52.5 52.8 52.2 86.3 62.4 51 65.4 66.6 57.6 64.2 62 732.2
Source : Archives climatologiques mensuelles - for Dijon (???? - 1990)

In 2007:

month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec year
Average temperatures ° C 5.3 6.4 6.9 14.7 15.6 18.5 18.7 18.2 14.4 10.7 5.3 1.6 11.3
Source: Average temperatures at the measuring point in Dijon in 2007

The following data were collected in 2008:

month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec year
Average temperatures ° C 3.8 4.7 6.3 9.1 15.8 17.8 19.9 18.6 13.8 10.3 6.4 2.1 10.7
Source: Average temperatures at the Dijon measuring point in 2008
Mâcon

For the city of Mâcon (216 m), the following data applied between 1961 and 1990:

month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec year
Mean minimum temperatures ° C −0.6 0.7 2.5 5.2 8.9 12.3 12.4 13.9 11.1 7.5 2.9 0.1 6.6
Average temperatures ° C 2.1 4th 6.8 10 13.9 17.5 20.1 19.4 16.4 11.7 6th 2.7 10.9
Mean maximum temperatures ° C 4.9 7.3 11.1 14.8 18.9 22.8 25.7 24.9 21.7 15.9 9.1 5.3 15.2
Mean monthly rainfall (mm) 66.3 60.9 58.7 69.4 85.9 74.7 58.1 77.1 75.7 71.7 72.7 70.4 841.4
Source : Archives climatologiques mensuelles - for Mâcon (1961–1990)

Sunshine duration

The following survey (in hours) was valid for the three cities between 1961 and 1990:

month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec year
Auxerre 53 86 126 167 192 222 255 224 181 126 71 55 1758
Dijon 53.1 88.4 140.3 177.8 204.4 234.9 266.2 229.4 193.7 124.4 67.7 53.8 1831.1
Mâcon 56.1 87.8 146.5 185.9 211.6 249.3 288.9 250.2 202.8 124.5 68.6 52.5 1927.7

geology

The vineyards of Burgundy are usually located on the south-east facing slopes between 150 and 400 meters above sea level . The Jura limestone dominates the subsurface. Together with a layer of marl, this results in the basic structure of the soils of Burgundy. Due to the erosion, the most varied of soils have formed from the main components. Together with the components of the slope as well as the location and the associated microclimate, a mosaic of differently rated vineyard locations results.

Due to its northern location, the optimal orientation of the vineyards for exposure to sunlight plays an important role. Therefore, quality viticulture only developed where this basic requirement applies. From a geological point of view, the wine-growing area is divided into two large sub-zones:

Between Dijon and Beaujolais, north of Lyon , there is an east to south-easterly oriented steep drop for almost 200 km. This precipice lies between the moat of the Saône and the Bresse plain and the Massif Central and the undulating chalk hills of Burgundy. The precipice is the result of a tectonic fault in the Tertiary Age . The image we know today was formed by erosion and the formation of small valleys by watercourses.

Coming from the south, the appearance changes constantly and the height difference between the plain and the upper edge of the demolition increases.

The Solutré-Pouilly rock in the Mâconnais
  • In Beaujolais , crystalline rock such as granite and sedimentary rock such as slate meet the Bresse plain.
  • The Mâconnais is made up of a series of blocks separated in parallel and sloping towards the Saône River. In contrast to the Beaujolais, the blocks retained the sedimentary deposits of the Triassic and Jurassic . This appearance extends from Solutré-Pouilly with its wine-growing region Pouilly-Fuissé in the south for almost 50 km to Tournus .
  • The Côte Chalonnaise is geologically similar to the Mâconnais, but less structured. Both regions are separated from each other by the Grosne valley . In the north, the limestone structure of the Côte Chalonnaise, sloping towards the Saône, encloses the northeastern foothills of the Horst of Mont-Saint-Vincent .
  • The Côte d'Or, known to the south as the Côte de Beaune and to the north as the Côte de Nuits , runs along the fault of the limestone hills of Burgundy and the Saône moat. The limestone of this region comes from the Middle Jurassic and the Upper Jurassic .

The second sub-zone lies on the slopes of the strata that faces the Paris Basin . The most prominent vineyards in this zone are those of Chablis and Pouilly-sur-Loire. The limestone and marl soils of these wine-growing areas were created in the geological ages of the Kimmeridgian and Portlandian . The erosive action of the Yonne and its tributaries created favorably oriented slopes.

Soil science and the vineyards

The different types of soil that emerged from the exploration of different geological ages are the basis of the extremely complex classification system. In Burgundy, the vines grow on granite and slate soils, on marl and limestone, as well as gravel and clay soils from the Tertiary and Quaternary periods . This diversity is expressed in the nation of the terroir idea. The individual districts, called climat in Burgundy , were created in the 18th century at the latest and are only a few hectares, but often only a few ares in size. According to A. Vedel, the climat represents a natural unit that is represented by the character of its own wine.

A study of 59 different soil profiles on the Côte de Nuits showed that the character of an appellation in Burgundian viticulture can best be defined and differentiated by the parameters slope, stone content, clay content and lime content. The most valuable sites in Burgundy are on limestone soil. In the Chablis, for example, the floors of the Kimmeridgium are exposed. In the locations of the Côte d'Or, the marl soils formed by erosion predominate on a base of Jura limestone.

Further south, the limestone gives way to the granite of the Beaujolais. The clayey soils are ideal for expanding the Gamay grape variety.

Grape varieties

In Burgundy, the selection of permitted grape varieties is severely limited. The most important red varieties are Pinot Noir and Gamay . Chardonnay and Aligoté predominate among the white vines .

Red grape varieties

Pinot Noir vines in the Côte chalonnaise growing area

The Pinot Noir , the French Pinot Noir is called, is the most important red grape of Burgundy. While it dominates in the Côte-d'Or department with 6,269 hectares and thus almost 95% of the grape varieties of the red varieties, in the Yonne (680 hectares, 85%) and Saône-et-Loire (3,131 hectares, 50%) a lower priority. Overall, the Pinot Noir represents 36% of the vineyards in Burgundy. The most popular Pinot Noir wines came from here until the middle of the 20th century, where it was probably already grown by the Romans. In De re rustica , the ancient Roman writer Columella describes a grape variety that could be assigned to today's Pinot Noir. The Pinot Noir seems to come almost directly from a wild grape.

The best wines are made from vines on limestone slopes in a cool wine-growing climate. Acid, loamy soils only make wines of modest quality. The cultivation of the Pinot Noir is considered difficult worldwide and the variety probably resulted from a centuries-long adaptation to the conditions of Burgundy. The thin-skinned fruits require very sensitive processing, as damage to the peel releases their juice too early. They also react strongly to climatic fluctuations (heat / cold). It is susceptible to powdery mildew and downy mildew . It also tends to chlorosis , raw rot and virus attack.

Due to the early shoot, the shoot tips are endangered by late frost. Therefore, the Pinot Noir should not be planted in areas prone to late frost in the plain or in the lower area of ​​slopes. Despite its German name, the grape variety ripens very early in an international comparison and can therefore also fully mature in northern growing areas with a shortened vegetation period. The Pinot Noir wines are velvety because they only contain moderately tannins. The natural alcohol content is often 10 to 12 percent by volume . The wines from top locations enjoy world renown and have a considerable aging potential due to a strong acid structure.

The Gamay grape gives the fruity Beaujolais its character. While it does not play a role in the Côte-d'Or department with 290 hectares and thus hardly 4%, it plays a more important role in the Yonne (73 hectares, 9%) and Saône-et-Loire (3028 hectares, 48%) departments to. However, it has a dominant position around the Rhône department , where 19,161 hectares of planted vineyards were determined in 2007. In contrast to the Pinot Noir, the Gamay feels good on acidic and loamy soils. The grape variety is only slow growing but very productive. The yields must therefore be limited by suitable vine training. The Gamay sprouts as early as the Pinot Noir and is therefore also at risk of late frost. In unfavorable weather during flowering, the variety tends to trickle down heavily. The color of the young red wines corresponds to a bright ruby ​​red with clear violet reflections. Carbon dioxide maceration is used in particular for Beaujolais Nouveau, which is to be consumed young. From the wine type, this Beaujolais is rather fruity and light and not so strongly tannic . The Gamay also finds its way into the Bourgogne Passetoutgrains.

White grape varieties

Grapes of the Chardonnay vine just before harvest

Worldwide approx. 175,000 hectares of vineyards are planted with Chardonnay . This puts it in 7th place in the ranking of the most grown grape varieties (based on surveys from 2001-2007). It makes few demands on the climate, its cultivation does not depend on the moderate conditions of its Burgundian homeland. However, the early budding makes it susceptible to late frosts in spring. However, it is also ripe early for this in autumn. The success of this grape is based on the fact that it produces appealing qualities on almost every type of soil. The most famous Chardonnay wines grow on the calcareous soils of Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Corton-Charlemagne (all from the geological age of the Oxfordian) and Chablis (Kimmeridgian). The grapes have nutty aromas, slightly petrol when aged.

Like Chardonnay, Aligoté also comes from a natural cross between Pinot and Gouais Blanc .

Melon de Bourgogne

In France, the clones 793, 833 and 965 of the Sacy grape variety are approved for growing quality wines. About 67 hectares of the 100 hectares of planted vineyards are in the Yonne department and 33 hectares in the Allier department . The grape variety is permitted in the quality wines Crémant de Bourgogne and Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire as well as in the VDQS wine Saint-Pourçain . The rather early-ripening variety produces low-acid white wines with a low alcohol content and a light color. The wines cannot be stored.

The hierarchy of appellations

The regional appellations

The following table provides a brief summary of the most important framework conditions

AOC Bourgogne (red, rosé) Bourgogne (white) Bourgogne Aligoté Bourgogne Passetoutgrains Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire (red, rosé) Bourgogne Grand Ordinaire (white)
AOC rules
Approved grape varieties Pinot Noir, Pinot Liébault, Pinot Gris
In the Yonne department also César and Tressot		 Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc Aligoté Gamay, Pinot Noir
Also to a small extent Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay		 Pinot Noir, Pinot Liébault, Pinot Gris, Aligoté, Melon de Bourgogne
In the Yonne department also César and Tressot		 Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc Aligoté, Melon de Bourgogne
In the Yonne department also Sacy
Must weight (in g / l sugar) 162 g / l (red wine)
153 g / l (rosé wine)		 153 g / l 144 g / l 153 g / l 144 g / l (red wine)
136 g / l (rosé wine)		 144 g / l
Alcohol content after fermentation min 10% min 10.5% min 9.5% min 9.5% min 9% min 9.5%
Base yield 55 hl / ha 60 hl / ha 55 hl / ha 60 hl / ha

Territories in Burgundy

Due to the size of the region, six areas have emerged.

chablis

Chablis is a region in the north-west of Burgundy, in the Yonne department not far from Auxerre, isolated from the rest of the cultivation areas . There, white wines from Chardonnay are produced almost exclusively in a dry way. Appellations (AOC): Petit Chablis , Chablis , Chablis Premier Cru and Chablis Grand Cru .

The seven grand cru locations in Chablis:

  • Blanchots 11.5 ha
  • Les Clos 26 ha
  • Valmur 13 ha
  • Grenouilles 9.5 ha
  • Vaudésir 16 ha
  • Preuses 11 ha
  • Bougros 16 ha

Côte d'Auxerre , other wine-growing regions of the Yonne

In addition to the Chablis, there are several vineyards in the Yonne department near Irancy , Saint-Bris (white wines from Sauvignon Blanc ), Coulanges-la-Vineuse , Épineuil , Chitry and Vézelay . In addition to simple white wines, light red wines and rosé wines based on Pinot Noir and Crémant de Bourgogne are also grown .

Cote de Nuits

In this northern part of the Côte d'Or (the collective term for the two areas Côte-de-Nuits and Côte-de-Beaune), Pinot Noir is grown almost exclusively for red wine. The vineyards begin on the southern edge of Dijon near Marsannay-la-Côte and extend over 22 km from north to south to Corgoloin , right in the middle between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune . Each place has its own Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) peppered with premier and grand cru locations. The wines are relatively light in color, but quite powerful on the tongue and have a smoky aroma that tastes like sweet oak.

The grand cru locations of the Côte-de-Nuits:

Cote de Beaune

The southern section of the Côte-d'Or begins north of Beaune at Corgoloin. This area mainly produces red wine from Pinot Noir. The area south from Beaune to Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet is world famous for the best white wines made from the Chardonnay vine. Even further south, red wines dominate again. The entire slopes behind the town of Beaune are made up of vineyards. Most of the vineyards have Premier Cru status. These sites deliver harmonious, delicately fruity, expressive wines.

The Grand Cru vineyards of the Côte-de-Beaune:

Cote Chalonnaise

The Côte Chalonnaise is named after the town of Chalon-sur-Saône , which is away from the wine region but is its trading center. The white wines are of very good quality and usually cheaper than the wines of the Côte de Beaune and some wines from the Mâconnais.

Five municipalities are allowed to name their own name on the label in the form of a village wine: Bouzeron , Givry , Mercurey , Montagny , Rully . The most important wine is the Mercurey, named after the village south of Chagny . This Pinot Noir wine may be a bit coarser than the Burgundy growing further north, but it is also full-bodied and stronger. The red one from the neighboring village of Givry can be just as good. The town of Rully, just a few kilometers south of Chagny, is best known for its white wines made from Chardonnay grapes. They are fruity and much lighter than those from Chassagne-Montrachet. A large part of the white wines growing in southern Burgundy are processed into Cremant de Bourgogne.

Mâconnais

In this region you can already feel the warmth of the south. The landscape of the Mâconnais is gently undulating and rich in agriculture and cattle breeding. The highest hills and the best vineyards crowd in the south, just before the transition to Beaujolais. The seven own appellations are Mâcon Blanc , Mâcon-Villages , Pouilly-Fuissé , Pouilly-Loché , Pouilly-Vinzelles , Saint-Véran and Mâcon Rouge .

The best qualities grow on the limestone hills in the south of the Mâconnais around the village of Pouilly-Fuisse, after which they are named. Pouilly-Vinzelles and Saint-Véran also offer above-average qualities. About 75% of the entire Mâconnais vineyard area is planted with Chardonnay, Gamay is only rarely grown. The wine made from Gamay is called Mâcon Rouge and is one of the few red wines in which the tradition of the Gamay grape, once widespread throughout Burgundy, still lives on.

The 43 authorized communities of Mâcon-Villages wines are:

  • Chasselas
  • Chevagny-lès-Chevrières
  • Clessé
  • Crèche-sur-Sâone
  • Cruzilles
  • Davayé
  • Fuissé
  • Grévilly
  • Hurigny
  • Igé
  • Leynes
  • Saint-Amour-Bellevue
  • Saint-Gengoux-de-Scissé
  • Saint-Symphorien-d'Ancelles
  • Saint-Vérand
  • Sologny
  • Solutré-Pouilly
  • Uchizy
  • Vergisson
  • Verzé
  • Vinzelles
  • Viré

Beaujolais

Historically and administratively, the Beaujolais area does not belong largely to Burgundy, but to the Rhône department and thus to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region . Nevertheless, the Beaujolais wine region has been part of the Burgundy wine region since a decision by the Dijon Court on April 29, 1930. The characteristics of the Beaujolais wines, however, differ significantly from those of the other Burgundy wines.

Cote d'Or

The Côte d'Or is the jewel among Burgundy's wine regions. It extends from Santenay in the south via Beaune almost to Dijon in the north. Some of the best vineyards in France can be found where the calcareous layers of soil come to the surface.

Nuits St-Georges

The small town of Nuits-Saint-Georges is the trading center of the Côte de Nuits. The vineyards are located on the slopes above the town and are grown exclusively with Pinot Noir. The wines do not have a Grand Crus, but all the more Premier Crus, some of which produce wines that almost come close to Grand Cru level: for example Clos de la Marechales and Clos de l'Arlot, but above all Les Saint-Georges and Les Vaucrains. They are relatively light in color, but powerful on the tongue and have a smoky aroma that tastes like sweet oak.

Chambolle-Musigny

Located right at the foot of the Côte, the municipality of Chambolle-Musigny delivers rather light but extremely fragrant wines. With no other wine is the fascinating bouquet expressed as clearly as with them: a sweet scent of iris flowers, underlaid with a tart plum aroma. The top locations are Les Musigny, which produces incredibly delicate wines, and Bonnes Mares.

Morey-St-Denis

The Grand Crus are all above the thoroughfare through the town. Clos de Tart and Clos de Lambrays produce rather light, elegant wines, while Clos St-Denis and Clos de la Roche already have the stature and firmness of the Chambertin.

Gevrey-Chambertin

The largest wine-growing community on the Côte de Nuits is Gevrey-Chambertin. The seas of vines stretch from the tree line to far beyond Route Nationale 74 into the plain. The wines from these lower areas are simple and without great charm. The Grand Crus are all on the upper part of the slope. The wines that grow there are considered masculine, fleshy, fiery, in short: the strongest red Burgundy anywhere. Chambertin and Clos de Beze are the strongest representatives of the Grand Crus, Mazis-Chambertin is the velvest. The other locations also produce very good, but less uniform wines. Among the Premier Crus, the remarkable Clos St-Jacques behind the village should be highlighted, which has the best Grand Cru level.

Fixin

Northernmost wine-growing community on the Côte de Nuits with excellent premier cru locations

Vosne-Romanée

A small dreamy village whose vineyards form the heart of the Côte de Nuits. Nowhere are the wines more velvety, fragrant, finely spicy, more complete than there. The Grand Crus are in the middle of the slope, in the center of Romanée-Conti.

Vougeot

Clos de Vougeot is the largest Grand Cru of the Côte de Nuits with 50 hectares. Completely enclosed by a wall, it extends from the castle down to the state road N 74. However, only the wines from the upper part have a grand cru level, while the wines from below only have a better community level.

Clos de Vougeout, as the cloister garden of the former abbey of Château de Vougeot, has the property of being the oldest surviving viticulture research institute in the world. In the Middle Ages, the monks of the abbey systematically explored which vines thrive best on which soils and at which slope heights.

Winemakers, dealers, qualities and connoisseurs

The practically priceless land of the Côte-d'Or is divided into countless small and very small properties, sometimes only a few square meters in size. These tiny parcels owe their creation to French inheritance law, which provides for an even distribution of property among all children, which leads to the property being split up.

A winemaker who has five hectares of vineyards may have them in 20 different locations, often just a few rows of vines in each of the vineyards. The high price of buying land often prevents this situation from being resolved. This is a difficult situation for the wine drinker to see through. While you can buy one or two wines of consistent quality in a Château in the Bordelais, the name of the location in Burgundy says nothing about the quality in the glass.

This situation also explains the importance of the wine trading houses in Burgundy, whose traditional role is to buy up the new wine from the many small winemakers, to age it in barrels and to mix it with other wines from the same location or village in such a way that sufficiently large quantities are available for the national and international market. The dealer thus takes on part of the winery tasks and the sales tasks for the winemaker. His local knowledge sometimes enables the dealer to put together quality wines of a high level. However, this system requires a high level of trust between the end customer and the retailer, as manipulation can hardly be proven to the retailer. Domain bottling was therefore propagated as the solution, but the basic problem of the Burgundy growing region arises again: Which winemaker produces good wine and who is more conscientious?

The Burgundian site classification initially says nothing about the quality of the wine growing there, but only provides an assessment of the potential, the theoretical possibility of a site to be able to produce good wine. The extent to which a vintner actually understands how to use the quality potential of his location is based on his work in the vineyard and cellar. The differences can be very considerable; Often, as an example, a 30% more expensive wine is a much more successful purchase compared to the apparently "inexpensive" wine, as many winemakers in Burgundy "step on the board" of their few high-class colleagues: the reputation of the wine in a location is justified by the few first-class ones Winemaker. The other winemakers, on the other hand, often stick to slightly lower prices at a high level, but sometimes deliver significantly poorer quality. These circumstances make it very time-consuming and costly (and sometimes quite disappointing) for wine lovers to want to become connoisseurs of Burgundy wines. You have to read and taste a lot in order to understand the complex conditions in Burgundy after a long period of time.

history

The origins

Dressel I amphora found near Châlon-sur-Sâone

Probably the Celts were already growing wine in Burgundy before the arrival of the Romans. So far, archaeologists have found only a few of the typical Roman amphorae during excavations . This leads to the conclusion that sufficient quantities of Burgundy wine were already available in the 2nd century AD. The wines of Italy were exported to Cabillonum , today's Chalon-sur-Saône , even before the subjugation of Gaul . Cabillonum was an important port in Roman times and the Romans had good business relations with the Haeduer tribe . During the dredging of the Sâone, almost 20,000 pieces of amphora of the Dressel I type were lifted, which date back to 130 BC. Amphorae of this type were made on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea in Campania , Lazio and Etruria . The archaeologists made similar discoveries in the oppidum of Bibracte .

As a result of the subjugation of Gaul during the Gallic War by Gaius Iulius Caesar , the Roman-influenced viticulture reached the Burgundy region with the Roman legions via the Rhone Valley .

In 92, Emperor Domitian issued an edict that half of the province's vineyards were to be destroyed. On the one hand, he did not pay too much attention to strict compliance and, on the other hand, even the limitation of the vineyard area was enough to cover local consumption.

Despite the short reign of the Roman emperor Probus (232–282), in some regions he is now one of the Roman emperors known to laypeople. This comes from a message in the Probus biography of the Historia Augusta , where it says in chapter 18.8:

"Gallis omnibus et Hispanis ac Brittannis hinc permisit, ut vites haberent vinumque conficerent."
"He allowed all Gauls, Spaniards and British to own vines and make wine."

This is why Probus is considered to be the one who introduced viticulture there in numerous wine-growing regions north of the Alps . What is certain is that wine production in the northern regions gained significantly in importance after the middle of the 3rd century .

The earliest literary evidence of the existence of viticulture can be found in a visit report from the year 312 AD by Emperor Constantine the Great in Autun .

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Merovingian era began . With donations in the years 587 and 630 of vineyards to the Abbey of St. Benignus in Dijon and to the Abbey of Bèze near Gevrey, monastic viticulture began in Burgundy.

The time of the monasteries

Medieval Burgundy owes its excellent reputation as a wine region to the monasteries and monks. They had the appropriate land, sufficient space in the monastery cellars and the organizational skills to continuously improve cultivation methods. This was made easier by the monks' records.

The Benedictine monastery of Cluny became the center of Burgundian viticulture in the 10th century. Thanks to donations from devout laypeople and dukes, Cluny soon had a large number of the best locations, which are still known today as Grand Cru locations. Hardly any less important is the Cistercian order , which has made a name for itself both around Chablis and around the area of Vougeot , Pommard , Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune . Based on their own records, the Cistercians begin to delimit the sites. The monasteries received a boost from the fact that Pope Clement V moved his official residence to Avignon . At that time there was a brisk trade in the south of France.

The practice of the Ban des vendanges is documented in writing as early as 1187 . The vineyard ban was introduced very early in Burgundy.

The time of the Dukes of Burgundy

The first Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold (1363–1404) recognized the commercial importance of wine for export and tried to launch a quality offensive. Among other things, he allows the cultivation of Gamay to be banned by decree on the grounds that it is harmful to human health . He also forbids the fertilization of the vineyards, since the yields were obviously far too high. The Duke's Chancellor, Nicolas Rolin , had the famous Hospices de Beaune , also known as Hôtel-Dieu , built in 1443 .

The modern times in Burgundy

After the fall of the Duchy of Burgundy, the French monarchy gained power and weakened the position of the Church. In the 17th century many of the famous vineyards were sold to the Dijon citizens. At that time, the trading houses, the Négociants , were founded, which took care of both the selection of wines and the commercial freight transport. Some of these houses still exist today, e.g. B. Champy (founded 1720) and Bouchard (founded 1731).

Development before and after World War II

In the 1930s, Burgundy, and in particular the Cote d'Or, was economically depressed. Hardly anyone wanted to deal with Burgundy wines. At this time (1934) the main features of the classification of Burgundian vineyards , which are essentially still valid today, were laid down by law.

At that time, an initiative of winemakers, traders, politicians and interested parties arose to promote high-quality Burgundy wine and tourism in Burgundy. To this end, the "Brotherhood of Wine Tasters", the Chevalier du Tastevin, was founded . The brotherhood promotes wine from Burgundy with great festivities, for example Saint-Vincent tournante and the "Trois Glorieuses". You will be accepted into this truly exclusive group after you have made a name for yourself in Burgundy wine as a winemaker and owner of Grand Cru vineyards, or when the brotherhood expects politicians or stars to upgrade Burgundy.

year Production
in million hl		 year Production
in million hl
2002 1.53 2003 1.10
2004 1.57 2005 1.50
2006 1.48 2007 1.53

Burgundy, too, has now suffered from the general developments in the wine markets since the mid-1990s: Wine from Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and the USA, produced using agro-industrial techniques, is penetrating all markets. The expensive work and the high costs of first-class French origins are less and less appreciated in the market. This creates pressure on prices and volumes that the winegrowers in Burgundy are also feeling. A wine lover must have gotten into the peculiarities of Burgundy in order to accept the high price level of Burgundy in relation to some of the highest qualities. Quite a few wine lovers will end up storing a few bottles of excellent Burgundy for special occasions, but will cover their normal need for wines from other regions. The table on the right shows the development of the production volume in recent years.

literature

Web links

Commons : Viticulture (Burgundy)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

swell

  1. ↑ Archives climatologiques mensuelles - for Auxerre (1961–1990)
  2. ↑ Archives climatologiques mensuelles - for Dijon (???? - 1990)
  3. ↑ Archives climatologiques mensuelles - for Mâcon (1961–1990)
  4. ↑ a b Terroirs et vins de France. Itinéraires œnologiques et géologiques . Editions BRGM
  5. ↑ http://www.vins-bourgogne.fr/index.php?p=32&art_id=108 Vins bourgogne website (HTML), last page accessed on July 2, 2009
  6. ↑ The Origin of Chardonnay, in English ( Memento of November 30, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Meredith Carole, Bowers, Boursiquot JM and others
  7. ^ John Winthrop Haeger: North American Pinot Noir . University of California Press, September 14, 2004, ISBN 0-520-24114-2 . Archived from the original on May 16, 2008 (Retrieved July 2, 2009).
  8. ↑ http://www.vins-bourgogne.fr/index.php?p=32&art_id=108 Vins bourgogne website (HTML)
  9. ↑ LES CEPAGES BLANCS (B) DANS LE VIGNOBLE ( Memento from March 1, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Les cépages noirs dans le vignoble (PDF), statistics from the ONIVINS organization, last accessed on July 2, 2009
  10. ↑ Olmer Fabienne - Les amphores de Bibracte, 2. Le commerce du vin chez les Eduens d'après les timbres d'amphores . Glux-en-Glenne: Bibracte, 2003, 375 pages; 1150 illustrations
  11. ↑ Karl Christ : History of the Roman Empire, p. 279. 4th actual. Beck, Munich 2002, ISBN 3-406-36316-4
  12. ↑ Gerald Kreucher: The Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus and his time . Steiner, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-515-08382-0 (Historia individual writings 174).
  13. ↑ Histoire du vin de Bourgogne, by Jean-Francois Bazin, p. 44
  14. ↑ Didier Hugue: Vendanges: les viticulteurs bougruignons soulagés in: Les Echos of September 18, 2008, p. 20