Burgundy vines in the sun at Richbourg( photo by Carol Fletcher)
BURGUNDY: aprimer
By Mike Muirhead, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CSW
The first archaeological evidence that wine was grown in the Burgundy region dates back to the second century CE. Bendictines were the first monks to own a large Burgundy vineyard in 910. Within a couple of centuries, Cistercian monks had amassed a large tract of vineyard land. They were the first to truly develop the potential of Burgundian vineyards. Through centuries of manual labour and fastidious record keeping, the Cistercian monks discovered that different vineyards yielded different kinds of fruit, and this translated to different levels of quality in wine. The monks built stone walls around the most exclusive vineyards to ward off the theft of their prized fruit. Over time, a hierarchy developed, and the classifications exist yet today. There are four tiers of Burgundy wines: Basic Burgundy( Bourgogne), Village Burgundy, Premier Cru Burgundy, and Grand Cru Burgundy.
The primary grapes grown in Burgundy are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Gamay makes an appearance only in the under-appreciated Beaujolais region, and you can find various small production of the white grape Aligoté( the classic white wine used in Kir) all over Burgundy. Burgundy has always baffled even the most studious wine lovers. Soil and topography change abruptly, resulting in different characteristics and levels of quality in wines that grow up just across the street from each other. The region is also unique in that, due to a couple of centuries of adherence to Napoleonic law, vineyards have been subdivided to the point where is not uncommon for a winery to own only a few of rows of vines.
UNDERSTANDING THE TERROIR To really illustrate the intricacies of Burgundian terroir, we should bring the context closer to home. Let’ s start at our store. Drive south to the Perimeter, and turn west; in just over 37 kilometers you will be in Headingley. Look both ways as you travel on the Perimeter. On a normal day, you can see at least 1km in each direction. This whole trip takes you about 30 minutes. Now, take that 30 minute drive, add a French accent, and you have just travelled past 100 Appellations and 600 different terroirs. This is the heart of Burgundy.
To fully explain the types of designations( or Appelations) used in Burgundy, we’ ll have to drive back to Winnipeg.
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