The wines of Burgundy are well known for their high quality and Chablis in particular is popular around the globe, putting Burgundy firmly on the map when it comes to wine growing regions. Burgundy itself is split into five particular growing areas:
- Côte de Nuits
- Côte de Beaune
- Côte Chalonnaise
- Mâconnais
- Chablis
Beaujolais and Châtillonnais are also considered as part of the Burgundy area but aren’t listed as one of the main growing areas. The wine regions of Burgundy are made up of small-scale wineries, who make their own batches of red and white wines. The majority of wine producers in Burgundy use the production name Domaine before their specific winery name, which differs from other regions here Chateaux is standard.
The best wines produced in the Burgundy area are unblended and made from single grape varieties with the most common grapes used including pinot noir and chardonnay. You will find wines made from gamay and aligote grapes too but it’s the first varietals which are of the best quality and most popular.
The wines of Burgundy are split into four different classifications, as follows:
Regional Wines
These are the most common and lowest level of Burgundy wine. They are creates from a combination of vineyards in villages across Burgundy, rather than coming from a single village. They are usually labelled as a ‘wine of Bourgone’ and represent 50% of all the wines produced in the region. There are excellent wines available in this classification, mainly designed to be drunk immediately.
Village Wines
Village wines are much like regional wines except they are produced from grapes from several vineyards in a single wine growing village. The name where the grapes were sourced will appear on the bottle and these wines represent 36% of all wine grown across Burgundy. Village wines are renowned for offering excellent quality with less off putting prices than some of the Premiere and Grand Cru wines on the market.
Premiere Cru
Produced from vineyards which have been judged to offer premium quality, Premier Cru wines are just a small step down from the highest quality on offer – Grand Cru. Around 12% of all the vineyards in Burgundy are classified as offering Premiere Cru wines and though of optimal quality, prices can be quite high.
Grand Cru
The master of them all – Grand Cru wines are the stuff of dreams for wine collectors and receive the highest prices both on regular sale and at auctions. This classification is handed out only to the finest vineyards in Burgundy, with just 2% of the whole vineyard population classified as offering genuine Grand Cru offerings.
The wines of Burgundy are esteemed throughout the world and whether you choose the lower price or the highest value bottles, you’re sure to enjoy them.
Check out all the Burgundy on offer fromThe Drinks Cabinet.
