Bourgogne

   1) Region in central France, capital Dijon. The Burgundy region is made up of four departments, the Yonne, the Nièvre, the Côte d'Or and the Saône et Loire. It is bordered by the regions of Centre, Champagne, Franche Comté, Rhone-alpes and Auvergne. It is essentially agricultural, its most famous product being Burgundy wine. the northeast of the region includes the Morvan hills, the southwest covers the large flat expanse of the Saône valley. For further information see Burgundy region guide.

   2) the wine from the vineyards of Burgundy. The vineyards of the Burgundy region cover a narrow strip of land on the eastern slopes of the hills running south-east from the Burgundian Capital, Dijon. the heart of the Burgundy wine growing region is the small city of Beaune, where the autun wine sale in the historic "Hospices" building is one of the high points of the wine year. Burgundy wines are classified on four levels, the lowest being the generic "Bourgogne" appellation. Selected areas of the Burgundy vineyard have their own classifications, such as Côtes de Beaune. Within these, there are smaller areas, villages and groups of villages, reputed to produce higher quality wine, such as Pernand Vergelesse or Aloxe Corton. Finally, at the top of the pyramid, there are the estate wines, such as Clos Vougeot, with its mere 51 hectares of vineyard. Finding one's way around Burgundy wines is sometimes a daunting task. The most famous brands are the reds, the best of which can keep for a good 20 to 30 years. However, Burgundy also produces some top quality, though not too distinctive, whites.