The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy Historical Site

Website: https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/

The Climats, terroirs of Burgundy are a cultural landscape of vineyard parcels in the Burgundy region of eastern France where small, precisely delimited plots known as ‘climats’ reflect centuries of viticultural and social organisation. The property is recognised for the systematic subdivision of land into named plots that express local terroir differences.

The landscape is composed of thousands of named plots on the slopes and foothills around the towns of Dijon and Beaune, where individual climats are associated with particular grape varieties, soil types and microclimates. Winemaking villages, cellars and historical viticultural infrastructures are interwoven with the vineyards.

These climats were defined and consolidated over many generations by local landholders, religious institutions and wine merchants; their boundaries and names are integral to Burgundy’s classification and wine labelling systems. The pattern of small holdings and parcelled vineyards is a principal cultural feature of the region.

The Climats lie in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté administrative region of eastern France, occupying the slopes of the Côte d’Or and adjacent lowlands near major wine towns such as Beaune.

• Definition of climats: The term ‘climat’ refers to precisely delimited vineyard plots whose boundaries and ownership histories have been recorded over centuries and that produce distinct wines.

What to See#

• Côte de Nuits: The Côte de Nuits - a principal northern escarpment of vineyards noted for red Burgundy production and tightly parcelled climats.
• Côte de Beaune: The Côte de Beaune - the southern continuation of the escarpment with mixed red and white wine producing climats and historic winemaking villages.

Burgundy is accessed via Dijon (TGV connections) and Beaune. Regional roads and small secondary routes connect climats and villages; renting a car or hiring a local driver is the most efficient way to visit multiple vineyards and appellations.

• Book winery visits ahead, especially in autumn harvest months, to taste cru wines and see barrel cellars.
• Explore lesser-known climats on foot or by bicycle - many vineyards are clustered and walkable between small villages.
• Visit early in the morning to watch winery workers in the vineyards and to avoid afternoon tourist buses.