The mysteries of Burgundy
by Brenda Francis
To most Americans, Burgundy is a mysterious place that offers no clue as to what is in the bottle. Like most French producers, Bourgogne as the locals call it, names its wines after the village, not the grape. Fortunately for American shoppers, Bourgogne only grows two grapes. Chardonnay represents white Burgundy and pinot noir is used to produce the red version. This is why almost all chardonnay and pinot noir produced in the world are bottled in Burgundy style bottles.
     So this clears everything up then, right? Nope. Burgundy's soil and climate are so special that the village plays the primary role in the quality and flavor profile of the wine. While knowing which grape was used to make the wine is now a no-brainer, figuring out where the village is and its stature is another task in itself.
     Burgundy consists of five basic regions Chablis, Côte d'Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Maconnais and Beaujolais. Chablis is a separate area to the north that produces only stainless steel chardonnay. Chablis never uses oak barrels. The Côte d'Or is a large area that contains the Côte de Nuit, known for its reds in the north and Côte de Beaune, known for its whites in the south. Côte Chalonnaise has not been awarded an appellation of its own, so it uses the larger Bourgogne name on its label. Maconnais produces mostly white wines, but about 20% of their production are red wines. The fifth region of Burgundy is Beaujolais, an area that grows neither pinot noir or chardonnay. Gamay is the only grape grown in Beaujolais, from which they produce red wines.
     Napoleonic Rule stipulates that each vineyard must be inherited in equal amounts between an owner's children. This practice has carved up Burgundian vineyards into small parcels. Some producers still control enough vines to produce small amounts of wine, which can be highly sought after. Those who are unable to produce enough wine to sell commercially often sell their grapes to negociants. These large producers buy grapes and use the appellation system to offer sometimes dozens of labels. Some well known negociants are Louis Latour, Bouchard Père & Fils, Mommessin, Louis Jadot, Joseph Drouhin, and the behemoth producer in Beaujolias, Georges Duboeuf.
     Understanding this neatly organized, yet perplexing area can become the study of lifetime. Those that know it can rattle off names of producers and villages like they were talking about their relatives. For the rest of us, an occasional glass of white Burgundy is a delight even though we struggle with the naming complexities.