BURGUNDY The Essential Guide

The Study Library · The Cellar Journal

Burgundy is often introduced as one of the most complicated wine regions in the world. The number of appellations, villages, vineyards and producers can certainly make it appear that way, but the principle underneath this complexity is remarkably coherent: Burgundy is organized around place.

As geographical origin becomes more precise, the identity of the wine becomes more specific. A regional Bourgogne may come from a relatively broad territory. A Village wine narrows that origin to a commune. A Premier Cru usually identifies a recognized vineyard within that village, while at Grand Cru level the vineyard itself generally becomes the appellation. This progression from region to village to individual site provides the framework through which Burgundy can be understood.

The complication is that geography never tells the entire story. Two producers working within the same vineyard may make wines that show noticeably different personalities, while two vintages can alter the expression of that site again. Vine age, farming, harvest decisions, extraction and élevage add further variables. Burgundy is therefore not simply a hierarchy of vineyards. It is a continuing dialogue between place, vintage and people.

Understanding that relationship is considerably more useful than trying to memorize hundreds of names.