Burgundy

“Burgundy – friendly wine country,” wrote the historian Michelet. A lover of good wine I do not agree with these words?

Along with Bordeaux and champagne, Burgundy brings to the world the most prestigious and famous wines of France combined with a very rich culinary traditions. This diversity can satisfy any taste, and each wine you will find a suitable dish.

In Burgundy, compared to other wine regions, the wine world even stronger
associated with daily life to the rhythm of the work in the vineyards.

The history of Burgundy wine

From the borders of Serua to the mountains of Beaujolais, in the entire territory of the province, connecting Paris and Lyon, in ancient times, people lived well at the expense of winemaking. If you believe the Burgundian writer Gaston Roupnel, author of the History of the French province, who himself was a wine-grower in Gevrey-Chambertin (Gevrey-Chambertin), the grapes appeared in Gaul in the sixth century BC, “passing through Switzerland and the Jura gorges”, and soon it began to grow on the slopes of the valleys of the Rhone and the saône.

But even if the right other sources claim that the culture of wine growing came from the South and it was brought by Greeks, no one will dispute the prominence it since time immemorial found for Burgundy. This is evidenced by and stored in the Dijon Archaeological Museum stucco image. And in an address to the Emperor Constantine in Otane he Aumen is talking about the vineyards in Beaune, calling them already “great and ancient”.

In Burgundy, changing under the influence of that brilliant, the most tragic periods of history, dependent on climatic conditions and post-reform agricultural practices (the main role is played by the monks of the abbeys of Cluny and Citeaux), gradually formed the climate control and CRU has constantly continued to develop the advantages and characteristics of its unique wines. Instilled, ensuring high quality, was introduced during the reign of four of the Dukes of Burgundy (1342-1477 gg.).

The boundaries of the wine region Burgundy

However, it is necessary to clarify what the wine of Burgundy is not exactly the administrative territory of the province: the Department of nièvre (part of Burgundy together with the regions of Cote d’or, Yonne and Saone-et-Loire) refers to the vineyards of the Central Region and extensive of the Loire valley (the vineyards of Pouilly-sur-Loire).

Wine Burgundy – the vineyards of the Yonne (lower Burgundy), côte d’or and saône-et-Loire. However, some wines of Beaujolais can also be sold under the regional appellation Bourgogne.

In simpler and more General geographical approach in the wine of Burgundy, decided to allocate 4 main zones from North to South: the vineyards of the Yonne (or lower Burgundy), côte d’or (comprising the côte de Nuits and côte de Beaune), Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais.

Grapes

Ampelographic uniformity of Burgundy, excluding Beaujolais, is planted with Gamay Noir, is obvious: here is dominated by Chardonnay (for white wines) and Pinot Noir (for red wines).

However, in 2011 Gamay Noir was awarded recognition as significant to the Burgundy variety, and he was allocated a personal appellation Bourgogne Gamay (Gamay Bourgogne).

Meet and associated species, remnants of past cultures or specific, adapted to the individual terroirs.

Aligoté – a white grape variety from which the famous wine of Bourgogne aligoté.
It is commonly used to make the aperitif “Kir” white wine and blackcurrant liqueur.

Red variety Cesar (Caesar) had grown mainly in the area of Auxerre, but now it disappears.

From Sasi produced in the Yonne Bourgogne-Grand-ordinar, but increasingly it replaces Chardonnay.

Gamay Noir also gives Bourgogne-Grand-ordinar, and in combination with Pinot Bourgogne, pastures.

And finally, Sauvignon, znamenitij aromatic variety from the vineyards of Sancerre and Pouilly-sur-Loire are grown in the region of Saint-Bris-Le-Fault in the Yonne, where it is obtained from wine Saint-Bris, which received AOC status in 2002.

Burgundy climate

Due to the relatively smooth Burgundy climate in General, mid-continent, with the oceanic influence, reaching the borders of the Paris basin, – from soil depend on the special properties produced numerous wines.

Everywhere, land is extremely fragmented, which for the most part, due to the presence of different geological rocks, coming to the surface, which explains the rich and aromatic palette of Burgundy CRUs.

In the concept of climate and soil diversity is even more important than weather conditions, because it determines the specificity of the wine inside one of the appellation and yet, as if on purpose, complicates the classification of the great wines of Burgundy.

Some climate have particularly imaginative names: Le Renard (Le Lenard) – “the Fox”, Le-Kai (Les Cailles) – “Quail” Clos des Ormes “Clos under the elms”, Montreux-Kyu (Montre Cul) – “Show my ass”…

At least from the XVIII century, the word climate began to designate areas of several hectares or even several “ouvre” (1 uwra meets 4,28 Ara) corresponding to the “natural territorial units” which is defined by the homogeneous nature born her fault.” (by A. Wedell).

Indeed, sometimes between two vineyards separated by hundreds of metres, but are in the same climate, revealed fewer differences than between neighboring, but different climate.

In the hierarchy of wines there are four levels of appellations: regional appellation (56% of
output), the utility of Burgundy appellations villages, premiers CRUs (12% of the volume of production) and Grand CRU (2% of total production – which includes the 33 Grand CRU in côte d’or and Chablis).

The number of terroirs with legally established boundaries, or a variety of climate is very large: only in the commune of Nuits-Saint-Georges, for example, there are 27 names of the CRUs – and it’s only a hundred acres!

The relationship between soils and the names of places that lie at the basis of the names –
appellations, CRUs and climate, often established empirically, and has now received scientific confirmation.

So, in the côte de Nuits there are 59 types of soil with different characteristics (slope, kamenistoe, the level of clay content, etc.), the location of which coincides with the appellations Grands CRUs, premiers CRUs, villages and regional appellations.

The vineyard of Chablis (Chablis) is the most famous in the Yonne. In the Middle ages, its wines were highly appreciated at the court in Paris. River transport is simplified trade with the capital, and long time wine Yonne associated with Burgundy wines in General.

The Chablis vineyard is nestled in a charming valley of the river serein, where the city of Noyer – a real jewel of the middle ages. It dispersed areas occupy more than 4 500 hectares on the hills facing the different directions of slopes, where “a constellation of villages and a lot of owners-winemakers to create this wine: dry, light, lively, with a delicate fragrance that strikes the eye with its transparency, with a subtle green-Golden hue” (p. Poupon).

District Oberoi ohvatyvaet the ten communes of the South of Auxerre. In the vineyard Irancy a few acres still planted with a variety Cesar. it gives a very tannic wine. This vineyard, like the coulanges La Vineuse, is now expanding. In Saint-Bris-Le-Fault main variety Sauvignon. As in Sitri, it produces white wines.

Speaking of the Yonne, it is necessary to mention about the existence of three vineyards almost completely devastated by phylloxera, which is now trying to revive. In the North of the Yonne and the Northwest of Burgundy is the Joigny vineyard, perfectly situated around the city hills, with an area not exceeding 10 ha. mainly produces wine Gris appellation Bourgogne for local consumption, but there are also red and white wines.

In the vicinity of Epinay restore the vineyard of Tonnerre (here it is allowed to use the appellation Bourgogne-Apina), once as famous as the vineyard of Auxerre.

And finally, near the Morvan massif, on the slopes of the famous hill of Vézelay, where the great Dukes of Burgundy had its own Clos, is reborn a small vineyard, producing crops since 1979

Local wines also belong to the appellation Bourgogne, and it is to the benefit of the glory of this tourist centre, which attracts pilgrims and tourists who want to visit the Romanesque Basilica.

Who makes wine in Burgundy

There are about 3,500 households living only by vineyards. They handled two-thirds of the 24 400 hectares of vineyards from AOC. Nineteen of the cooperatives have declared themselves: the cooperative movement is active in the area of Chablis, the Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais especially in (13 cooperative wineries). Their products is about 25% of the total.

Merchants-producers play an important role from the XVIII century. They sell over 60% of the total volume of wines and own over 35% of the total area of Grand CRU vineyards in the côte de Beaune. In their domains negotiators produce 8% of the total production of Burgundy, which is 180 million bottles (105 million bottles of red wine and 75 million white) and provides a turnover of 760 million euros. Total production of AOC wines of up to 300 000 HL.

The importance of the process of maturation of wine (“doing” of wine from his birth until the time of manifestation of optimum quality before bottling) emphasizes the role of the negociant-producer: it is responsible not only for the commercial side of the business but also for production. And it is clear that between growers and merchants, develop harmonious professional relationships.

Interprofessional Bureau of Burgundy Wines (BIVB) has three representative offices: Macon, Beaune and Chablis. BIVB operates in the field of engineering, Economics and sales promotion.

University of Burgundy – the first higher education institution of France, which started teaching the oenology and to issue the diploma of technician in 1934

This year also was founded the brotherhood of the Knights of the Tasting Cup, which is making many efforts to increase international prestige wines of Burgundy. Located in the castle of Clos Vougeot it, along with other local fraternities maintains traditions and supports their life.

One of the most remarkable – of course, the auction in the famous Bon Hospice, held since 1851 and collecting all of the international wine elite. This kind of “exchange” set the base price for Grand CRU. Along with the Chapter fraternity and wine festival “La Box de Meursault”, this auction is part of the celebrations of the “Three Glorious Days”. And throughout Burgundy the wine is honored in the fun – before Burgundy barrel “pieces” (228 l) or a bottle of wine. But Burgundy and its wines like not only that: it said that it “territory, which can be carried out in a glass.”