Hello,
After discussion with the esteemed Herr Professor Lipton, I managed to weed,
cut down, and prune my presentation of Bourgogne (or Burgundy, if you so
prefer) to 192 words, approximatively.
Here it follows:
Bourgogne as a wine making region is, mostly, a long escarpment of Jurassic
lime mixed with clay, stretching from Dijon in the north to northern
Beaujolais in the south. Separated from it are the vineyards of Yonne,
centered on Chablis. The escarpment is divided in separate subregions due to
differences in soil and climate: From north to south Cote de Nuits and Cote
de Beaune (together forming Cote d'Or), Cote Chalonnaise, and Cote
Maconnaise.

Varietals of primary importance are, for red wines Pinot Noire, for white
Chardonnay; secondary varietals are Gamay for reds, and Aligoté for whites.
Other varieties have local importance.

In terms of quality, the ladder of appellations starts with the region,
Appellation Bourgogne Controllé, with subclassifications due to geographical
provenance and differences in vinification.

Next step would be commune, or village. This level exists in all the
mentioned subregions. Premier cru (first growth) is a subclassification of
superior vineyards in the village appellations. This level does not exist in
Cote Maconnaise. Grand cru (great growth) is the top level growth place of
grapes for the best wines, with prices to match. Grand cru exists only in
Cote d'Or and Chablis.



Your opinions are eagerly sought.



Cheers



Nils