On Aug 4, 12:49�pm, "Nils Gustaf Lindgren"
> wrote:
> 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 C�te de Nuits and C�te de Beaune
> (together forming C�te d'Or), C�te Chalonnaise, and C�te M�connaise.
>
> Varietals of primary importance are, for red wines Pinot Noir, for white
> Chardonnay; secondary varietals are Gamay for reds, and Aligot� 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 Controll�e, 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 C�te d'Or.
>
> Premier cru (first growth) is a subclassification of superior vineyards in
> the village appellations. This level does not exist in C�te M�connaise.
> There are 562 1er crus: 39 in Chablis, 129 in C�te Chalonnaise, the rest in
> C�te 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 C�te d'Or (31)
> and Chablis (1).

Very nice, thanks Nils Gustaf. You might want to start off with
"Bourgogne (aka Burgundy)"
I know it seems self-evident, but these things are geared towards
newbies.
Thanks for your work!