Burgundy Explained: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and the Power of Place

In this episode of The Wine Lab, we continue our series on the great wine regions of the world with Burgundy, or Bourgogne, one of France’s most influential and fascinating wine regions.

Burgundy is famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but its true identity is built around place: villages, vineyards, slopes, soils, and precisely delimited parcels known as Climats. This episode explains the major Burgundy regions, from Chablis and the Côte d’Or to the Côte Chalonnaise and the Mâconnais, while exploring how Burgundy’s appellation hierarchy, monastic history, grape varieties, and wine styles shaped its global reputation.

We also compare Burgundy and Bordeaux as color names and as wine cultures, discuss the role of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, explain terms such as Premier Cru and Grand Cru, and consider how climate change is affecting one of the world’s most place-sensitive wine regions.

Glossary

Bourgogne
The French name for Burgundy. You will often see “Bourgogne” on wine labels instead of “Burgundy.”

Burgundy
A historic wine region in eastern France, best known for Pinot Noir-based red wines and Chardonnay-based white wines.

Bordeaux
A major wine region in southwestern France, often associated with blends based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and related varieties. Also used as a color name for a deep wine-red shade.

Climat
In Burgundy, a precisely delimited vineyard parcel with its own identity, shaped by soil, slope, exposure, history, and human cultivation.

Terroir
The combined influence of place on wine, including soil, climate, topography, vine material, farming, and human decision-making.

Pinot Noir
Burgundy’s main red grape variety. It is thin-skinned and often produces wines with red fruit, floral, earthy, and spice notes.

Chardonnay
Burgundy’s main white grape variety. It can produce wines ranging from crisp, citrusy, and mineral to broad, creamy, and layered.

Aligoté
A traditional white grape of Burgundy, often producing crisp, fresh, high-acid wines. It has been receiving renewed attention from producers and consumers.

Gamay
A red grape associated most strongly with Beaujolais, but also present in some Burgundy-related appellations and blends.

Chablis
A northern Burgundy wine area known for Chardonnay wines with bright acidity, citrus character, and often mineral or saline impressions.

Côte d’Or
The central and most famous part of Burgundy, divided into the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.

Côte de Nuits
The northern part of the Côte d’Or, especially famous for Pinot Noir-based red wines.

Côte de Beaune
The southern part of the Côte d’Or, known for both Pinot Noir and some of the world’s most famous Chardonnay-based white wines.

Côte Chalonnaise
A Burgundy subregion south of the Côte d’Or, producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté, and sparkling wines, often with strong value.

Mâconnais
A southern Burgundy subregion especially known for Chardonnay-based white wines, including wines from Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, and Mâcon-Villages.

Regional appellation
A broad Burgundy appellation category, such as Bourgogne Rouge or Bourgogne Chardonnay. These wines usually come from wider geographic areas.

Village appellation
An appellation named after a specific commune or village, such as Meursault, Pommard, or Nuits-Saint-Georges.

Premier Cru
A classification for recognized high-quality vineyard sites within a village appellation.

Grand Cru
The highest vineyard classification in Burgundy. Grand Cru wines come from the most prestigious vineyard sites, where the vineyard name itself is the appellation.

Crémant de Bourgogne
Traditional-method sparkling wine from Burgundy, made from approved regional grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Aligoté, and Gamay.

Whole-cluster fermentation
A red winemaking technique in which some or all grape clusters are fermented with stems included. It can influence aroma, tannin, structure, and spice character.

Bâtonnage
The stirring of lees during wine aging, often used in white winemaking to influence texture, mouthfeel, and aromatic complexity.

Malolactic fermentation
A microbial conversion of malic acid into lactic acid. In white Burgundy, it can contribute to a softer texture and buttery or creamy impressions, depending on style and conditions.