Many wine geeks claim that Burgundy wines are the greatest red wines in the world, while others insist that Bordeaux wines hold that claim. No matter which side you are, but you can agree that nothing quite compares in aroma and flavor to a great red Burgundy.

Burgundy is a long and narrow wine region in east side of France, southeast of Paris. Burgundy is a fragmented region, consisting of four main sub-regions: Chablis, Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais. And another one, about 100km south of the other regions: Beaujolais.

Burgundy’s soil and climate

Because of its unique terroir the Burgundy region excels in both white and red wines. The soils are extremely varied, in richness and mineral content.

The climate in Burgundy is continental for the most part: warm summers and cold winters. The region is northerly enough and cool enough for  the grapes to ripen in most years. Not every year is a good vintage; some years bring too much rain, or are too cool. Fortunately, the grapes grown in Burgundy are suited to cool climates.

The two Burgundy grapes

Nearly all the red wines of the Burgundy region are  from a single red grape variety, Pinot Noir, while the whites are from Chardonnay.

The scale of Burgundy

Burgundy is a region of small vineyards, with a total vineyard area of 28,500 hectares. Burgundy produces a total of about 22 million cases of wine annually.

Burgundy  wines are expensive because the production is small, multiple brands of one wine are available and the name of a vineyard isn’t a reliable indication of a wine’s quality, because every vineyard has several owners and winemakers.

Enjoy our map and tell us: what do you think of Burgundy wines?