Living in France, le blog

The next stop on our regional tour of French wine-producing regions is Bourgogne, often called Burgundy in English. Home to some of the oldest and most respected wines in the world, this region is crucial to an understanding of French wine. Like its counterpart in Bordeaux, it is a region where world-class vineyards and grapes destined for more modest bottles grow side by side, and where wine production strongly influences the rhythm of daily life.

France is famous for many things, from the magnificent (the Alps, Paris, fine arts, etc.) to the forgettable (rude waiters, dog-poo-covered sidewalks, and the Maginot Line all come to mind). French wine belongs unmistakably on, if not at the very top of, the list of all things magnificent in a country overflowing with tasty treats. Unfortunately, the French system of classifying these liquid national treasures is both complicated and very different from wine classification systems in non-European countries; this post is designed to familiarize the reader with this system, making later posts on specific wines and wine-growing regions easier to understand.

I highly recommend reading this and all further wine-related posts over a nice glass of Burgundy.