Lesson 1

Question 1

Burgundy is only ___% of France’s vineyards, yet has ___% of it’s AOC’s

This, in part show’s what about the region?

Answer 1

3%

20% of wine AOC’s

How complex it is.

Question 2

How many Domaine’s (Estates) are in Burgundy?

What do they do?

Answer 2

3800

They grow grapes, and many also make wine.

Question 3

How many Cooperatives are in Burgundy?

What is a Cooperative?

Answer 3

23

Many Domaine’s who don’t make their own wine, but are part of a Cooperative who makes the wine.

Question 4

How many Negociants are there in Burgundy?

What are Negociants and what do they do?

Answer 4

250

Mostly major/significant businesses who buy grapes or wine from growers and blend them, age them and market them.

Question 5

What is a Commune in Burgundy?

What is it also known as?

Answer 5

The smallest subdivision of the administration structure of France: under the Departments.

Also known as Village

Question 6

What is Climat?

How is it pronounced?

Answer 6

Uniquely Burgundian term used to describe a unique piece of ground, usually associated with classified vineyards (certainly w/ Premiere and Grand Crus). The term is essentially the cradle of Terroir in Burgundy. A Climat has certain conditions which are Terroir related that impact on the style of the wine.

It is sometimes confused with Lieu Dit

Klee-muh

Question 7

What is a Lieu Dit?

Answer 7

Literally Place names.
Historically the vineyard land of Burgundy has been broken down into individual pieces, and each of these pieces have a name, and that name is registered at the village town hall in what they call the Cadastrar. These names are called Lieu Dit’s

Sometimes a Lieu Dit is part of a Climat and sometimes a Climat is part of a Lieu Dit, but they are 2 separate terms.
Climat being usually very specific Terroir related,
a Lieu Dit can be terroir related, or it can also justbe arbitrary names assigned to certain pieces.

When there is a sale of land, it is normally the Lieu di that specifies the precise boundaries of the parcel that was sold or purchased.

Question 8

What did France do away with Post Revolution?

What did they replace it with?

What area did this technically remove from the Bourgogne?

What year did this happen?

Answer 8

The Provence’s of France.

Another administrative sub-division called Departments

Beaujolais

1789

Before 1789, Bourgogne was a Provence that did include Beaujolais, today Beaujolais is included in the Rhone Department.

Question 9

What are the 3 Post Revolution Departments of Burgundy?

Answer 9

1) The Yonne
- Chablis

2) The Cote d’Or
- Cote de Beaune
- Cote de Nuits

3) Saone-et-Loire
- Cote Chalonnaise
- Maconnais

Question 10

What does Bourgogne mean today?

Answer 10

A metropolitan region that collects the 3 Departments under it’s control.

Due to this, for the course, we will not include the numbers of Beaujolais when referring to Burgundy.

They each have separate marketing entities that are responsible for marketing them

Burgundy = BIVB

Beaujolias = Inter Beaujolias

Question 11

Approximate Travel Distances between areas:

Paris to Chablis:

Chablis to Beaune:

Answer 11

Paris to Chablis = 120 miles (2 hours)

Chablis to Beaune = 99 miles (1.5 hours)

Beaune to Macon: 58 miles (50 min.)

Question 12

Distance in miles of each of the regions:

Chablis:

Cote de Nuits:

Cote de Beaune:

Cote Chalonnaie:

Maconnais:

Answer 12

Chablis = 9 miles long

Cote de Nuits = 13 miles long

Cote de Beaune = 18 miles long

Cote Chalonnaise = 26 miles long

Maconnais = 35 miles long

Question 13

What are the Sub-regions of Burgundy, starting with Chablis and heading South?

Answer 13

1. Chablis, Grand Auxerrois (ow-zer-wa) & Chatillonais (on BIVB map, though is actually in the Cote d’Or, not the Yonne dept.)
2. Cote de Nuits & Hautes Cote de Nuits
   - most famous for Pinot Noir
3. Cote de Beaune & Hautes Cotes de Beaune
   * the Hautes Cote de Nuits and Hautes Cote de Beaune are both at higher elevations on lesser soils, so the lesser areas of the 2.
4. Cote Chalonnaise & Cotes-du-Couchois (not very impt.)
5. Macconais

Question 14

Vineyard Acreage and % of total

BIVB Key Figures 2011

Answer 14

Sub-region Acres % of Total

Chablis: 12,100 17.5

Grand Auxerrois: 4,150 6

Catillonnais 345 .5

Cote de Nuits/ 9,330 13.5
Hautes Cotes

Cote de Beaune/ 14,860 21.5
Hautes Cotes

Cotes Chalonnaise/ 11,060 16
Couchois

Maconnais 17,275 25

TOTAL: 69,120 100

Question 15

Wine Production

Answer 15

Sub-Region % Red / % White Million Bottles

Chablis 0 / 100 37

Grand Auxerrois 39 / 61 2

Cote de Nuits 89 / 11 8.5

Cote de Beaune 57 / 43 20

Cote Chalonnaise 45 / 55 9
*used to have more Red than White

Maconnais 15 / 85 46

Question 16

Total Wine Production (Pitiot 2008)

% of White

% of Red

Answer 16

Total = 16.67 million cases

White = 63%

Red = 37%

Question 17

Chablis(ien) & Grand Auxerrois Overview

Vineyard Acres?

Million cases?

% White?

% Red?

% Chablis?

% Grand Auxerrois?

Answer 17

Vineyard Acre = 16,309

Cases = 3.08 Million

White = 92%

Chablis = 85%

Grand Auxerrois = 15%

Question 18

Cote De Nuits Overview

Miles long?

of cases?

% in Pinot Noir?

How many of the 33 grand Crus?

Answer 18

miles long = 13 miles

cases = 862,400 cases

% in Pinot Noir = 97%

Grand Crus = 24

Question 19

Cote De Beaune Overview

Miles long?

of cases?

% Red wine?

% White wine?

Answer 19

miles long = 18

cases = 2 million

Red wine = 57 %

White wine = 43 %

Question 20

Cote Chalonnaise Overview:

Total vineyard acreage?

% white?

% Red?

Bouzern is known for?

Rully is known for?

Mercurey and Givry is known for?

Montagny is known for?

Answer 20

Vineyard Acreage = 11,060

White wine = 55 %

Red Wine = 45%

Bouzeron = known for its Aligote wine

Rully = known for its acclaimed whites and Cremants

Mercurey & Givry = known for their white wine

Montagny = known for its white wine.

Question 21

Maconnais Overview

of acres?

of cases?

% of white wine?

Answer 21

Acres = 17,275

Cases = 3.6 million

White wine = 85%

Question 22

Who is the origin of wine in Burgundy believed to have come from?

When did they arrive?

Answer 22

The Roman period

They conquered Gaul in 52 BC

Question 23

Where did the name Burgundy come from?

Answer 23

The Burgundians (“Les Burgondes”) who settled in the region in 456 AD. They only lasted there until 534 AD, when they were defeated by the Franks, but the name for the area stuck.

The Burgundians were from Scandanavia and had migrated to Germany, and then were moved by the Romans to the area now known as Burgundy.

Question 24

When did was wine first tasted in Burgundy?

Answer 24

Most believe the Phoenicians probably were the first top bring wine to Burgundy as far back as 1300 BC. They had wine and they used it for barter to travel to areas they wanted to get to. Specifically the Cornish mines in England had tin, which they needed. Believed they came up the Rhone valley, into Burgundy and prob gave wine as toll to the Celts for safe passage as they traveled through Burgundy.

Possible proof. A huge vase, thought to be a wine jar of Etruscan design. and a Greek wine service, dated to 500BC was unearthed at Vix, near Chatillon-sur-Siene

Lends evidence that the Celts living in Burgundy did taste wine.

Question 25

The First Wine Production.

Answer 25

Might have come from the Aedui Celts who had invaded Northern Italy (near Lake Como and Milan) and had lived there for a couple hundred years. Probably learned wine making while they were there. Then when they were forced out and came back around 200 BC, it’s reasonable to think they probably planted grapes and produced wine.

But, the more certain hard evidence is during the Roman Occupation of Gaul from 52 BC to 400 AD Commercial wine production was taking place.

Question 26

Who were the 2 major Monastic groups who had an impact in Burgundy. When and where were they located?

Answer 26

Benedictines in Cluny (in the Maconnais) (910 AD)
*wore black robes (black monks)

Cistercians in Citeaux (1098 AD)
*wore light grey robes (white monks)

Cistercians were Benedictines first. The Benedictines had a close relationship with the Royals. The only 2 educated groups at this point in the middles ages, were the Royals and the Monks. They were given land by the Royals. There was socialization between the two and possibly some corruption of the strict guidelines that St. Benedict had laid out for the Benedictines. The Cistercians were not happy about this, so about 20 of them went to some land they had in Citeaux and started their own order.
They were very much into wine and vineyard management. They had the biggest impact in the Cote d’Or, though both were very influential..
* Cistercians established the vineyard at Clos Vougeot between 1110-1336 AD

Question 27

When was the Monastic Period?

Vineyard land was given by the King of the Franks to who and when?

Land was given by the local lord to Clos de Beze when?
What did these vines eventually become?

Answer 27

587-1789 AD
*about 1200 years, up until the French Revolution.
Wine making and viticulture was involved the whole time. They were educated, organized, lived on the land, had a quality orientation. They were the leaders of the quality movement.

Abbey of St-Benigne, near Dijon (587 AD)

Clos de Beze (630 AD) They planted vines, that eventually became Chambertin Clos de Beze

Wasn’t until the Benedictines came in that things really took off. They were much stronger and much more powerful. At their height they had 1450 monasteries in 5 countries and had control over 10,000 monks.

Cluny (910 AD)

Citeaux 1098 AD

Question 28

2 Enduring Legacies of the monks

Answer 28

1) Their choice of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the cultivation of it. (Not the easiest to deal with, but made the best quality wine, and that’s what they were interested in).

2) Quality delineation of the land
Over the years they were able, through trial and error to figure out which parcels of land produced the best grapes.

This led to, in modern times, the qualification of the land and the classification system.

Burgundy had a head start on any other wine region in the world, thanks to the work of the Monks

Question 29

The Valois Dukes 1363-1477 (there were 4)

What did the Plague of 1349 bring about in terms of wine?

Answer 29

The Royals definitely supported the production of quality wine.

Plague of 1349 devastated the area and much of Europe. Many lives were lost, and the maintenance in the vineyards wasn’t done. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay require attention and weren’t getting it. The grape Gamay was discovered (named after a hamlet in the Cote de Beaune). It could be grown without many of the disease problems as Pinot and produced 3 times the yield.
It became so popular, people began planting it everywhere.

The first Duke came to Power on the heals of this Plague

Question 30

What is the 1st Valois Duke, Philip the Bold responsible for?

Answer 30

Initiated the Edict of 1395 to “uproot the evil gamay”

Unfortunately it didn’t get done b/c he didn’t have the means to enforce his edict, and the wine merchants were making a lot of money selling gamay, so didn’t support this.

But, this shows the feeling that gamay dilluted the quality of Burgundy. There was still Pinot however, and Chardonnay came along later.

Question 31

What happened in 1693?

Answer 31

Louis XIV converts from Champagne to Burgundy, when his doctor, who came from Burgundy recommended drinking Burgundy wines insted to cure the Gout he had. Apparently it was successful, b/c he started supporting Burgundy wines.

Burgundy has a lot of Royal support. Many of the coronations (up in Reims) were celebrated with Burgundy wines.

Question 32

What were the first 3 wine Negociants, and when were they formed?

Answer 32

Champy (1720)

Bouchard Pere (1731)

Chanson (1750)

These were established as Burgundy became more famous and exports became a bigger reality.

Question 33

The taking of the Bastille in 1789

What happened to wine in Burgundy as a result of the French Revolution and what did it lead to that still remains today?

Answer 33

The lands of the clergy and nobility were confiscated. They became national properties and were sold at auction. Ultimately, this led to the fragmented nature of vineyard ownership that we see today.
In some cases it didn’t happen right away because the people who bought the land were the Bourgeois, the richer wine merchants. In some cases, the nobility who weren’t killed during the revolution were able to buy back some of their property. The clergy were out, but the revolution was designed to benefit the peasants, but they were shoved aside, as they didn’t have enough money for good land.
But, they worked hard, grew Gamay, made money (a tremendous economic boost came along with the Rev, and the demand for wine was greater), and they were able to be frugal, and slowly but surely were able to buy small pieces on the slope. This led to the fragmented nature of vineyard ownership.

Question 34

What are the 3 biggest impacts on that the French Revolution on Burgundy?

Napolean became First Counsel around 1800 and what did he do that also led to the fragmentation of land, though in a smaller way?

Answer 34

Nationalization and Sale of Lands

Growth in demand of Wine

Institution of “Code Napoleon”, which changed the inheritance laws to equal division of propert among all your children (male and female), instead of just the first born, as was the previous way.
*

Question 35

Example of Fragmentation

Clos Vougeot has how many acres and owners today?

Batard-Montrachet has how many acres and owners today?

Multiple ownerships guarantee what, and what does this lead to?

Answer 35

Clos Vougeot has 125 acres, 90 owners

Batard-Montrachet has 27.8 acres and 49 owners

Multiple ownerships guarantee multiple quality standards, this leads to inconsistency (a rap that Burgundy kind of has)

Question 36

What is the key to quality in Burgundy?

Answer 36

The producer, not necessarily the vineyard.

Question 37

The Scourge of Vine Diseases include?

Answer 37

1852: Oidium (powdery mildew). They came up with a solution using a Sulfur powder to combat it.

1878: Phylloxera reaches Meursault. Started in the Gar, South of France, then moved into Beaujolais and then into Meursault.
While other parts of France has discovered the solution, grafting onto American rootstocks. It wasn’t accepted in Burgundy. They were using other treatments. It wasn’t until 1886, that they were allowed to graft. So, it was a very difficult period in Burgundy.

Question 38

When was the AOC system formally established?

Why was it created?

Answer 38

1935

With the attack of Phylloxera the demand for quality wine was great and the vineyards were not capable of producing it, so there was a lot of fraud going on. The mixing of wines and selling them under prestigious lables.
This led to the implementation of the AOC system.

It was designed to prevent the fraud and to ensure and guarantee the authenticity of what was on the label.

Burgundy had an advantage b/c of all the work the Monks had done. When it was implemented in Burgundy in the 1930s, it came along with a Classification system and that classification system classified the land.

This introdeced the modern era of what we know as Burgundy wine