Make sure you use the audio recording to learn the pronunciation of the names of the Burgundy villages.
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There are many reasons for this, their (usually) high prices, their relatively limited availability, their "funny"(ie. incomprehensible) names.
I can't help you afford to buy them, but perhaps I can help you to understand them a bit better.
To understand the wines of Burgundy, it is necessary to know -in some detail- the geography of the region, for the key to understanding the wines is to understand the specificity of place (much more about this later).
Burgundy is located east and south of Paris. It is about a 2 1/2 hour ride via TGV (gare de Lyon).
Almost the entire major wine growing area of Burgundy is located in a 35 mile strip, from just below Dijon in the north, to just above Lyon in the South.
Burgundy wine factoid #1
This 35 mile area is known as the Côte D'Or (golden coast, golden hills).
Burgundy wine factoid #2
The Côte D'or is further divided into the Côte De Nuits(in the North), and the Côte de Beaune (in the South).
Burgundy wine factoid #3
The division between these two areas is the town of Beaune, the epicenter of Burgundy.
Beaune should be on every wine lover's short list of places to see.
You must know, or at least be able to recognize the major village names in the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune.
In the Côte de Nuits:
- Marsanay
- Fixin(even people in the wine trade cannot pronounce this village, but I know all of you can, thanks to Camille. Hint: it is NOT "fix... in")
- Gevrey Chambertin
- Morey-St.-Denis
- Vougeot
- Chambolle Musigny
- Vosne-Romanée
- Flegey-Echezeaux
- Nuits -St.- Georges
In the Côte de Beaune:
- Pernand-Vergelesses
- Beaune
- Savigny Les Beaune
- Aloxe-Corton
- Meursault
- Volnay
- Pommard
- St.-Romain
- Chassagne Montrachet
- Puligny Montrachet
- St.-Aubin
- Santenay
These Burgundy village names, arguably the most famous in all of France are crucial to an understanding of the wines of Burgundy.
Study these well, and next time I will provide you with the single most important bit of information about the wines.
