Burgundy

Burgundy’s winemaking story stretches back over two millennia, rooted in the ancient soils of eastern France. The Romans first cultivated vines in the region during the first century AD, recognizing that the limestone-rich hillsides of what is now the Côte d’Or offered exceptional growing conditions. But it was the Christian monasteries of the Middle Ages that truly shaped Burgundy into one of the world’s great wine regions.

From the 6th century onward, Benedictine monks — and later the Cistercians, who founded Cîteaux Abbey in 1098 — became meticulous viticulturists. They carefully studied the land, learning which plots produced the finest grapes, a concept they called climat. Their work laid the intellectual foundation for Burgundy’s famous classification system of individual vineyards, many of which still carry the names of those ancient abbeys today.

The Duchy of Burgundy, at its height in the 14th and 15th centuries, was a powerful political force, and its wines became symbols of prestige across Europe. The Valois dukes famously promoted Pinot Noir and banned the heartier Gamay grape in 1395, a decree that cemented Pinot Noir’s dominance in the region.

After the French Revolution, the Church’s great vineyard holdings were broken up and sold off, creating the intricate patchwork of small landholdings — domaines — that defines Burgundy to this day. A single famous vineyard like Clos de Vougeot can have dozens of different owners.

Burgundy produces two grapes above all others: Pinot Noir for reds and Chardonnay for whites. The region’s classification — from regional Bourgogne wines up through village, Premier Cru, and Grand Cru — reflects centuries of accumulated knowledge about terroir, the idea that place itself shapes the character of wine. Today, Burgundy’s climats are recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, honoring their unique cultural and agricultural legacy.

Walking Through Wine Country

There is no better way to understand Burgundy’s relationship with its land than on foot. The famous Grandes Randonnées trails — particularly the GR76 and GR7 — wind directly through the vineyards of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, passing stone walls, medieval châteaux, and village cellars along the way. Walking between villages like Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Beaune, hikers trace the same ground the monks once tended, reading the subtle shifts in soil and slope that separate one climat from the next. Many estates welcome walkers, making a tasting at the end of a morning’s hike a deeply earned and deeply local pleasure.