Burgundy Wine

Burgundy is divided into five major sub-regions, each with distinct geography, history, and wine traditions. Together, they form a narrow strip of vineyards running from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south.

Located in northern Burgundy, closer to Champagne than to Dijon. Known for limestone-rich soils and a cool climate that produces some of France’s most distinctive white wines.

Stretching south from Dijon, this area is the heartland of red Burgundy. It includes many of Burgundy’s most famous villages and most of the region’s Grand Cru vineyards, making it the core of the region’s prestige for Pinot Noir.

Just south of the Côte de Nuits, this area is equally important for both reds and whites. Villages such as Pommard, Volnay, and Aloxe-Corton are known for red wines, while Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet are among the best-known white wine names in Burgundy.

South of the Côte de Beaune, this area has fewer Grand Cru vineyards but offers excellent value. Villages such as Mercurey and Givry are known for approachable reds and whites with strong character.

Further south, the Mâconnais produces mostly white wines, particularly from Chardonnay. Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran are among its most recognized appellations.

Technically part of Burgundy but often considered its own region. Known for red wines made primarily from Gamay, especially the light and fruity Beaujolais Nouveau and the more structured Beaujolais Crus such as Morgon and Fleurie.

For detailed maps and appellation profiles, visit the official Bourgogne Wines website by the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB).

Burgundy is unique in its focus on just a few grape varieties. Rather than blending many grapes, Burgundy wines are usually varietal expressions that highlight terroir — the combination of soil, climate, and vineyard site.

Black (Red) Grapes

The dominant grape of Beaujolais. Known for fresh, fruit-driven wines with notes of cherry, raspberry, and spice. While often lighter in style, Gamay from Beaujolais Crus can be structured and age-worthy.

White Grapes

Burgundy’s reputation comes from its focus on terroir, with wines often labeled by village or vineyard rather than grape. The region produces some of the world’s most sought-after reds and whites, alongside approachable styles from lesser-known areas.

Red Wines

The heartland of Pinot Noir, producing powerful, complex wines in villages such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, and Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Pinot Noir from villages like Pommard and Volnay is known for elegance and aging potential.

Villages like Mercurey and Givry produce more approachable Pinot Noir, often at better value than Côte d’Or wines.

Made from Gamay. Styles range from light, fruity Beaujolais Nouveau to structured Cru wines like Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, and Fleurie.

White Wines

Chardonnay from Chablis is mineral-driven, crisp, and unoaked, reflecting the region’s limestone soils.

Home to Burgundy’s most famous white wines, including Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet, which produce rich, complex Chardonnays with aging potential.

Known for approachable, fruit-forward Chardonnay, particularly from Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran.

Crisp, light, and refreshing, Aligoté is often consumed young and locally.

Sparkling Wines

A traditional-method sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other permitted varieties. Offers excellent value compared to Champagne, which lies just to the north.

Unlike Bordeaux, where classifications are based on entire estates, Burgundy ranks its wines by vineyard site. The hierarchy moves from broad regional wines to the most prestigious single vineyards, reflecting Burgundy’s deep emphasis on terroir.

This is the broadest level in Burgundy’s quality hierarchy. The main regional appellations are:

• Bourgogne
• Bourgogne Aligoté
• Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains
• Bourgogne Mousseux
• Coteaux Bourguignons
• Crémant de Bourgogne
• Mâcon

Some also appear with more specific geographical names, such as:

• Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits
• Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune
• Bourgogne Chitry
• Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre
• Bourgogne Épineuil
• Bourgogne Tonnerre

While Bourgogne Côte d’Or is a complementary mention within the Bourgogne appellation rather than a separate top-level regional AOC.

These wines can be made from grapes grown across a wide area of Burgundy rather than from one named village or vineyard, so they are less site-specific than village, Premier Cru, or Grand Cru wines. They offer an accessible introduction to Burgundy’s main grapes and styles, especially Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Aligoté.

These wines sit above the regional level and identify a more specific place of origin. In the Côte d’Or and Côte Chalonnaise, that usually means a true village appellation named for a commune, such as Gevrey-Chambertin or Meursault. In Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois, the comparable local appellations include Chablis, Petit Chablis, Saint-Bris, Irancy, and Vézelay. In the Mâconnais, the village appellations are Pouilly-Fuissé, Pouilly-Loché, Pouilly-Vinzelles, Saint-Véran, and Viré-Clessé, while the separate Mâcon family includes Mâcon, Mâcon-Villages, and Mâcon followed by one of 27 geographical denominations. These wines are more site-specific than regional bottlings and usually show more character and distinction.

In the Côte de Nuits, the village appellations are:

• Marsannay
• Fixin
• Gevrey-Chambertin
• Morey-Saint-Denis
• Chambolle-Musigny
• Vougeot
• Vosne-Romanée
• Nuits-Saint-Georges
• Côte de Nuits-Villages

In the Côte de Beaune, they are:

• Ladoix
• Aloxe-Corton
• Pernand-Vergelesse
• Savigny-lès-Beaune
• Chorey-lès-Beaune
• Beaune
• Pommard
• Volnay
• Monthélie
• Auxey-Duresses
• Saint-Romain
• Meursault
• Blagny
• Puligny-Montrachet
• Chassagne-Montrachet
• Saint-Aubin
• Santenay
• Maranges
• Côte de Beaune
• Côte de Beaune-Villages

In the Côte Chalonnaise, the village appellations are:

• Bouzeron
• Rully
• Mercurey
• Givry
• Montagny

In the Mâconnais, the village appellations are:

• Pouilly-Fuissé
• Pouilly-Loché
• Pouilly-Vinzelles
• Saint-Véran
• Viré-Clessé

The Mâcon appellation is further divided into:

• Mâcon
• Mâcon-Villages
• Mâcon-Lugny
• Mâcon-Chardonnay
• Mâcon-Péronne
• Mâcon-La Roche-Vineuse
• Mâcon-Azé
• Mâcon-Igé
• Mâcon-Charnay-lès-Mâcon
• Mâcon-Pierreclos
• Mâcon-Chaintré
• Mâcon-Verzé
• Mâcon-Milly-Lamartine
• Mâcon-Fuissé
• Mâcon-Uchizy
• Mâcon-Cruzille
• Mâcon-Solutré-Pouilly
• Mâcon-Bussières
• Mâcon-Vinzelles
• Mâcon-Prissé
• Mâcon-Serrières
• Mâcon-Mancey
• Mâcon-Loché
• Mâcon-Davayé
• Mâcon-Vergisson
• Mâcon-Bray
• Mâcon-Burgy
• Mâcon-Saint-Gengoux-le-National
• Mâcon-Montbellet

Premier Cru vineyards are sites officially recognized for higher quality within specific Burgundy appellations. In the Côte d’Or, Premier Cru is attached to village appellations, so bottles usually combine the village name and the climat name, such as Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Outside the Côte d’Or, the system is broader: Chablis Premier Cru is a regional appellation built around named climats rather than village appellations, while in the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Premier Cru applies to selected appellations in those regions. In general, these wines sit above village level in structure, depth, and aging potential.

In the Côte de Nuits, Premier Cru vineyards are concentrated in the central run of famous red-wine villages, where the category covers some of the most established Pinot Noir sites in Burgundy. The village appellations with Premier Cru vineyards are:

• Fixin (6)
• Gevrey-Chambertin (26)
• Morey-Saint-Denis (20)
• Chambolle-Musigny (24)
• Vougeot (4)
• Vosne-Romanée (14)
• Nuits-Saint-Georges (41)

In the Côte de Beaune, Premier Cru vineyards are spread across both red- and white-wine villages, from the Corton hill in the north to the southern end of the Côte. The village appellations with Premier Cru vineyards are:

• Ladoix (11)
• Aloxe-Corton (14)
• Pernand-Vergelesses (8)
• Savigny-lès-Beaune (22)
• Beaune (42)
• Pommard (28)
• Volnay (29)
• Monthélie (15)
• Auxey-Duresses (9)
• Blagny (7)
• Meursault (19)
• Puligny-Montrachet (17)
• Chassagne-Montrachet (55)
• Saint-Aubin (30)
• Santenay (12)
• Maranges (7)

In Chablis, Premier Cru works differently because it is centered on the Chablis Premier Cru appellation rather than village appellations. The region has 40 officially recognized Premier Cru climats, attached to the Chablis appellation and known for some of the area’s most highly regarded Chardonnay sites.

In the Côte Chalonnaise, Premier Cru vineyards appear in a smaller group of appellations that extend Burgundy’s hierarchy beyond the Côte d’Or. The appellations with Premier Cru vineyards are:

• Rully (23)
• Mercurey (32)
• Givry (38)
• Montagny (49)

In the Mâconnais, Premier Cru is a newer and more limited part of the classification, focused on selected white-wine appellations. The appellations with Premier Cru vineyards are:

• Pouilly-Fuissé (22)
• Pouilly-Loché (1)
• Pouilly-Vinzelles (3)

Grand Cru is the highest tier in Burgundy’s hierarchy and is reserved for the region’s most highly regarded vineyard sites. These wines are labeled by the Grand Cru appellation itself, not by a village name plus vineyard name. Burgundy has 33 Grand Cru appellations, found only in Chablis, the Côte de Nuits, and the Côte de Beaune. There are no Grand Cru appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise or Mâconnais.

In Chablis, the top tier is Chablis Grand Cru, which includes the seven named climats Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur, and Vaudésir.

In the Côte de Nuits, the Grand Cru appellations are Chambertin, Chambertin-Clos de Bèze, Mazis-Chambertin, Chapelle-Chambertin, Charmes-Chambertin, Mazoyères-Chambertin, Griotte-Chambertin, Latricières-Chambertin, Ruchottes-Chambertin, Clos de la Roche, Clos Saint-Denis, Clos des Lambrays, Clos de Tart, Bonnes-Mares, Musigny, Clos de Vougeot, Échezeaux, Grands Échezeaux, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant, La Romanée, La Tâche, Romanée-Conti, and La Grande Rue. These are concentrated in the communes of Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-Saint-Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot, Vosne-Romanée, and Flagey-Échezeaux.

In the Côte de Beaune, the Grand Cru appellations are Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Charlemagne, Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, Montrachet, and Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet?

The full Côte de Beaune Grand Cru list is Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Charlemagne, Bâtard-Montrachet, Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet, Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet, Chevalier-Montrachet, and Montrachet. These are centered on the Corton hill and the Montrachet sector across Aloxe-Corton, Pernand-Vergelesses, Ladoix-Serrigny, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet.

These wines are Burgundy’s rarest, longest-lived, and most expensive bottles, and they sit at the top of the region’s global reputation.