The Burgundy Myth

Burgundy or, as the French call it, Bourgogne, is the region between Dijon and Lyon, which also includes Chablis and Grand Auxerrois, located to the north-west of Burgundy proper. It can be said to be the wine-growing region with the highest reputation, not only in Europe but worldwide.

Burgundy is to wine what haute couture is to fashion. The bottle can be sinfully expensive. Burgundy is one of the regions where winegrowing has been practised for the longest time. The oldest evidence dates back 600 years - before Christ. The foundation of the Cistercian monastery of Citeaux in Burgundy in 1098 and their work in Europe was the starting point for modern viticulture as we know it today. The three-tier Burgundian classification system is the model for many in Europe (the private system of the Verband der Deutschen Prädikatsweingüter, which is better known here, is also modelled on it).

Initially, a good half of the total volume is made up of wines from the entire ‘AC Bourgogne’ region. This is followed by around 35 per cent that are classified as local wines or Villages. Finally, at the top are single vineyard sites, classified as Premier Cru (around ten per cent) and the rarer sites classified as Grand Cru.

The demand for the best wines produced on the 40,000 hectares of Burgundy is high. The best wines from Burgundy often seem to be from another planet due to their depth, elegance, clarity, presence and minerality. They prove that the myth of Burgundy is no illusion. 

The photo shows Le Château or Berzé-le-Châtel in Burgundy. Berzé is family-owned and was built by the ancestors of the current owners to protect the abbey of Cluny. It dominates a marvellous panorama over the vineyards of the Solutré valley. The castle was built from the 11th to the 15th century around its Carolingian chapel and preserves its entire defence system, thirteen towers, its impressive entrance castle and its medieval halls. This makes it the largest and best-preserved fortress in Burgundy. The castle consists of three ramparts. Each of them contains various gardens, orchards and vegetable gardens as well as a French garden with box trees, statues, hornbeams and large yews cut like chess pieces. From the terraces you have a marvellous view of the Lamartinia Valley with its vineyards in the background.

That's quite something.