This document summarizes key information about the Burgundy wine region of France, including its 2000 year history of wine production, 3800 wine estates, 101 appellations, and role as a model for pinot noir and chardonnay. Burgundy generates $1.8 billion annually from wine exports that account for 50% of its production. The concept of "terroir" describes how certain Burgundy vineyards consistently produce better wines than others due to identifiable characteristics that appear in wines vintage after vintage, influenced by soil, climate and winemaking practices. Burgundy soils were formed from the remains of shellfish and sea lilies in a shallow sea 135-195 million years ago.

1. La Cote d’Or

2.  Terroir, the Soul of Burgundy
 Tasting “terroir”
-- 9 Villages
-- 9 Wines
-- 4 Vintages
-- 8 Producers

3.  2000 years of wine production.
 Generates $1.8 Billion annually.
 Expor ts 50% of wine production.
 A recognized role model for pinot noir
and chardonnay wines.

4.  3800 Wine Estates (Domaines)
 250 Negociants
 23 Cooperatives
 101 Dif ferent Wine Appellations

5.  Abbey of St-Benigne (587 AD)
 Clos de Beze (630 AD)
 Cluny (910 AD)
 Citeaux (1098 AD)

6.  Cultivation of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
 Quality delineation of the land

7. Pinot Fin cluster
Burgundy

8. The Soul
of
Burgundy

9. --an explanatory concept based upon
accumulated observations.
1. Some vineyards consistently produce
better wines than other vineyards.
2. Identifiable vineyard characteristics
re-appear in the wine vintage af ter
vintage.

10. Terroir
Human
Influence
Soil Climate Vineyard Winemaking

11. --represents a potential, rather than a
guarantee,
a promissor y note, rather than a receipt.
--the aim of the Bourgogne vigneron is to
attain the maximum expression of “terroir”.
--the vigneron’s credo: suppor tive yet
respectful, sensitive yet guiding, vigilant
,but minimally inter fering.

12. Grand Cru 2%
Premier 10%
Cru
Village
36%
52%
Regional

14.  Burgundy's finest soils were formed during the
Jurassic period, 135-195 million years ago.
 During this period, Burgundy was a shallow sea.
 Temperatures were semi-tropical, similar to those of
south Florida today.

15.  The petrified remains of the multitude of shellfish and sea
lilies created the limestone rock which are today the best
of Burgundy's soils.
 The sea finally withdrew from Burgundy 70 million years
ago. Roughly 35 million years ago, the great Alpine
upheaval occurred. This is when the Burgundy landscape
as we know it was sculpted.

16.  The Saône fault line, running from Dijon to Beaujolais,
exposed many Jurassic strata along the resulting slopes.
 Over the past 10,000 years, the weathering of these
Jurassic limestone strata have created some of the
world's greatest vineyards.

18. Calcaire a entroques: CdN bedrock (Bajocian)
(Crinoidal Limestone)
Ostrea acuminata: CdN (Bajocian)
Premeaux Limestone: CdN bedrock (Bathonian)
White oolites: CdN (Bathonian) (calcium
pellets)
Comblanchien limestone: CdN caprock (Bathonian)
Dalle nacree: CdB (Callovian) (Pearly flagstone)