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BURGUNDY
The area from which the \vines of Burgundy come, is
really a series of small areas which lie over to the east of
France, of which there are five in number.
1. The Cote D'Or
2. The Cote Chalonnaise
3. The Cote Maconnaise
4. The Beaujolais
5. Chablis.
1. The C6te D'Or.
This area is named after the range of hills (Golden
Hillsides) which run from Dijon (famous for its mustard
and blackcurrants) to Chagny,a distance of about 36 miles.
The vineyards lie on either side of the main road to the
south. The best wines are to be found from the slopes
of the hillsides.
Of the grapes which grow in the Burgundy area there
are two varieties, the Pinot and the Gamay. The Pinot
giving the better quality wine while the Gamay, a hardier
but more prolific grower, gives more quantity than
quality. The Gamay can be said to produce approximately
twice as much \vine per acre as the Pinot.
The Cote D'Or again is divided into two smaller areas,
the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune, named after
the two towns of Nuits and Beaune respectively.
The vineyards of these areas are quite small and are not
to be compared in size with those of the Bordeaux region
for example. Many are in the hands of small farmers,
whose families have tended the vineyards for hundreds
of years.
Some of the wines take their names from the commune
or village in which the vineyard is situated. Some wines
take their names from the actual vineyard, e.g.. Close de
Vougeot (Clos meaning enclosure) from the commune of
Vougeot in the Cote de Nuits. Others take their names
from the commune and attach the name of the best knovra
vineyard of the commune to it, e.g., Gevrey-Charnbertin
(Chambertin being the best known vineyard of the district).
This has now become a habit from long usage.
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