Burgundy

Where it is

Burgundy is in France, with vineyards running between Auxerre and the Mâcon region. The wine board describes these areas:

• Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois. Chablis sits roughly midway between Beaune and Paris; the Grand Auxerrois is centred on Auxerre.
• Côte de Nuits. A narrow hillside about 20 km long between Dijon and Corgoloin, mainly red wine.
• Côte de Beaune. About 20 km from Ladoix-Serrigny to the Maranges: Pinot Noir around Beaune, Chardonnay from Meursault on.
• Côte Chalonnaise. Between the Côte de Beaune and the hills of the Mâconnais.
• Mâconnais. The most southerly part: about 35 km of vines between Sennecey-le-Grand and Saint-Vérand.

Sources: BIVB, our vineyards and its area pages, read 16 October 2026.

Two grapes do the heavy lifting

Pinot Noir built the reputation of Burgundy's great reds. Chardonnay is behind the great whites of the Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Chablis.

Then the supporting cast: Aligoté for Bourgogne Aligoté (and some Crémant de Bourgogne), Gamay in the Mâconnais, plus small plantings such as Sauvignon in Saint-Bris and César in Irancy.

Source: BIVB, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, read 16 October 2026.

Climats, and why UNESCO cares

A climat is a plot of vines, precisely marked out by people over centuries, often with a name known since the Middle Ages; the wine from it carries that name.

In 2015 UNESCO put "The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy" on the World Heritage List: 1,247 climats on the slopes of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, with their villages, the town of Beaune and the historic centre of Dijon.

Sources: BIVB, climats and lieux-dits; UNESCO, list 1425; read 16 October 2026.

Read the label like a pro

Source: BIVB, decoding the AOCs, read 16 October 2026.