Bourgogne as a wine making region is 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 Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune
(together forming Côte d'Or), Côte Chalonnaise, and Côte Mconnaise.



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, such as, Sauvignon Blanc in St Bris,
and Caesar in Irancy.



In terms of quality, the ladder of appellations starts with the region,
Appellation Bourgogne Controllée, with subclassifications due to
geographical provenance and differences in vinification. There are at least
23 different sub classes.

Next step is commune, or village, of which there are 44. This level exists
in all the mentioned subregions; 30 are in Côte d'Or.

Premier cru (first growth) is a subclassification of superior vineyards in
the village appellations. This level does not exist in Côte Mconnaise.
There are 562 1er crus: 39 in Chablis, 129 in Côte Chalonnaise, the rest in
Côte d'Or.

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 Côte d'Or (31)
and Chablis (1).