Burgundy wine

Burgundy wine (French: Bourgogne or vin de Bourgogne) is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here—those commonly referred to as "Burgundies"—are dry red wines made from Pinot noir grapes and white wines made from Chardonnay grapes.

Red and white wines are also made from other grape varieties, such as Gamay and Aligoté, respectively. Small amounts of rosé and sparkling wines are also produced in the region. Chardonnay-dominated Chablis and Gamay-dominated Beaujolais are formally part of the Burgundy wine region, but wines from those subregions are usually referred to by their own names rather than as "Burgundy wines".

Burgundy has a higher number of appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOCs) than any other French region, and is often seen as the most terroir-conscious of the French wine regions. The various Burgundy AOCs are classified from carefully delineated Grand Cru vineyards down to more non-specific regional appellations. The practice of delineating vineyards by their terroir in Burgundy goes back to medieval times, when various monasteries played a key role in developing the Burgundy wine industry.

Burgundy

Burgundy (French: Bourgogne, IPA: [buʁ.ɡɔɲ]) is a historical territory and a former administrative region of east-central France. Since 1 January 2016, it is part of the new region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Burgundy comprises the following four departments: Côte-d'Or, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne and Nièvre.

Historically, "Burgundy" has referred to numerous political entities, including kingdoms and duchies spanning territory from the Mediterranean to the Low Countries.

Name

Burgundy takes its name from the Burgundians, a Germanic people.

History

Burgundy was inhabited in turn by Celts, Romans (Gallo-Romans), and in the 4th century, the Romans who were then allied with the Burgundians, a Germanic people possibly originating in Bornholm (Baltic Sea), who settled there and established their own kingdom. However, Agathias identifies Burgunds (Βουρουγουνδοι) and Ultizurs as Bulgaric people of Hunnic circle tribes, near relatives of Cotrigurs and Utigurs. This Burgundian kingdom was conquered in the 6th century by another Germanic tribe, the Franks, who continued the kingdom of Burgundy under their own rule.

Ulmus parvifolia 'Burgundy'

The Chinese Elm cultivar Ulmus parvifolia 'Burgundy' is a small American development.

Description

The tree rarely exceeds 6 m in height, and has a broad, rounded form. The leaves are relatively large, dark-green, turning a deep burgundy in autumn. The exfoliating mottled bark is a rich orange-brown.

Pests and diseases

The species and its cultivars are highly resistant, but not immune, to Dutch elm disease, and completely unaffected by the Elm Leaf Beetle Xanthogaleruca luteola .

Cultivation

'Burgundy' is not known to be in cultivation beyond North America.

Etymology

Presumably named for the colour of its autumn foliage.

Accessions

North America

Nurseries

North America

(Widely available)

External links

County of Burgundy

The Free County of Burgundy (French: Franche Comté de Bourgogne; German: Freigrafschaft Burgund) was a medieval county (from 982 to 1678) of the Holy Roman Empire, within the traditional province and modern French region of Franche-Comté, whose very name is still reminiscent of the title of its count: Freigraf ('free count', denoting imperial immediacy, or franc comte in French, hence the term franc(he) comté for his feudal principality). It should not be confused with the more westerly Duchy of Burgundy, a fiefdom of Francia since 843.

History

The area once formed part of the Kingdom of the Burgundians, which had been annexed by the Franks in 534 and incorporated into the Kingdom of the Franks. The Empire was partitioned in 843 by the Treaty of Verdun, with the area west of the Saône river being allotted to West Francia as the French Duchy of Burgundy, while the southern and eastern parts of the former Burgundian kingdom fell to Middle Francia under Emperor Lothair I. This Middle Frankish part became the two independent entities of southern Lower in 879 and northern Upper Burgundy under King Rudolph I in 888, of which the County of Burgundy formed the western part.