Where it is
Burgundy (Bourgogne) stretches from Chablis in the north-west to the Beaujolais hills near Lyon in the south. The heart is the Côte d'Or, a limestone slope south of Dijon that divides into the Côte de Nuits, mainly red, and the Côte de Beaune, famous for both red and white. Further south come the Côte Chalonnaise (Mercurey, Rully, Givry) and the Mâconnais.
Land and climate
The climate is continental, with cold winters and hot, sometimes stormy summers; frost and hail are real risks. Burgundy is a study in terroir: slopes of limestone and clay, in plots classified over centuries by site, so that a few metres can change a wine's ranking.
Grapes and wines
Pinot Noir is the red grape and Chardonnay the main white. Aligoté makes a sharper white, and Gamay dominates in Beaujolais. Chablis is a crisp Chardonnay, the Mâconnais and Pouilly-Fuissé are richer and sunnier, and the Côte de Beaune produces Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Corton-Charlemagne.
Classification
Wines are ranked by place: regional Bourgogne, then village wines, then premier cru vineyards, then grand cru at the top. Romanée-Conti, Chambertin and Montrachet are grand cru names. Beaune hosts the annual Hospices de Beaune charity auction each November.