Appellations

Each wine region in France has its own wine classification system. In Burgundy the system is founded on the concept of terroir, a term that roughly means « earth » or « soil », since the wine takes its name from the soil (in the Alsace region the wine owes its name to the grapes and in Bordeaux to the domain…). Indeed, each soil has a unique character that determines the character of the wines. And since 1937 formal appellations have been designed. Burgundy accounts 100 Appellations of Controlled Origin (A.O.C.), divided into four levels of appellation:

> Click here and discover the Côte de Beaune and its appellations
> Click here and discover the Côte de Nuits and its appellations
Regional appellations:
Wines produced over the entire Burgundy wine-growing area. On the label figures the word
« Bourgogne ».
Examples: Bourgogne aligoté, Bourgogne Hautes côtes de Beaune, Crémant de Bourgogne…

Village or Communal appellations:
44 village appellations. These are wines grown on the territory of wine-growing villages and bearing their name.
Examples: Beaune, Savigny les Beaune, Auxey-Duresses, Saint-Romain…