Burgundy is known for the quality and prestige of its wines as much as for its historical and architectural heritage. Three of its wine regions located in Côte-d'Or and Yonne stand out for their exceptional Grands Crus: the Chablis terroir for dry white wines and the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune for red and white wines. Around the town of Nuits-Saint-Georges in the south of Côte-d'Or, the Côte de Nuits vineyard alone produces 24 Burgundy Grands Crus out of the 33 existing appellations! This know-how goes back to ancient times thanks to the monks of the region, who worked the vineyards in the Middle Ages.
The great wines of Burgundy are made from two exceptional grape varieties: Chardonnay for the white wine, with its notes of citrus and dried fruit, and Pinot Noir which gives an aromatic and fruity red wine. They produce some fine Grands Crus including Chablis, Chambertin, Clos-de-Vougeot, Romanée-Conti, Corton-Charlemagne and Chevalier-Montrachet. We should also mention aligoté, a white grape variety offering an excellent first growth (Premier Cru), for instance Clos des Monts Luisants from Domaine Ponsot.
To showcase this exceptional heritage, the Grands Crus Route is a wine route of around 60 kilometres that passes through 38 villages in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune wine regions. As you travel along this incredible itinerary, not only can you discover Burgundy's greatest wines, you can also visit famous historic monuments such as Clos de Vougeot Castle and the fortified Gevrey-Chambertin Castle.
In the last weekend in January, a big traditional celebration is organised by the Fraternity of the Knights of the Wine-Tasters' Cup: La Saint-Vincent Tournante. It takes place in a different Burgundy wine village each year and offers a chance to sample the region's best wines.
