Burgundy History

 Burgundy has a surface area of 31,500 square kilometers and a population of about 1.6 million. It is divided into 4 administrative departments: Côte d'Or, Nièvre, Saône, and Loire Yonne.

The capital of the region is Dijon. Beaune, the heart of Burgundy, is around 250km from Paris-a 2-hour TGV train ride and a 4-hour drive via the autoroute. Beaune is about 150km from Lyon, a 1-hour train ride or drive via the autoroute. Burgundy is dominated by the variations of western weather that characterize the whole of Western Europe. In winter, there are frequent spells of fine, cold weather. In the summer, it is hot with a few welcome showers. Autumn (with the grape harvests!) is generally a pleasant, sunny season, probably one of our most beautiful times, when the colors of nature blend harmoniously with the gentle blue of the sky.

In Burgundy, everything combines to make the table a warm and a welcoming place. Burgundians know how to use their local products to best effect. They are always ready to share a new type of cooking, keeping you company with wit and a genuine love of food as you taste their wines and their cuisine, both of which have a reputation that is second to none. Burgundy's range of culinary experiences includes ordinary inns on the banks of a river and prestigious restaurants (there are 32 restaurants with Michelin 'stars', including four with 3 stars!), serving Bresse chicken or Charolais beef, pungent mustard, or succulent gingerbread.

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No one who spends time in Burgundy can miss visiting the wine cellars. These can be truly theatrical moments with unforgettable scenes played by structured Crus and wine producers devoted to their craft.

The most famous of Burgundy's products-and its best ambassador-is its wine. Throughout the province, from north to south, are prestigious appellations: Chablis, Coteaux de l'Auxerrois, Côte-de-Nuits, Côte-de-Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais, not forgetting the vineyards of Pouilly sur Loire. Over 150 wine producers, wine traders, small cellars in which you can sample the wine, and wine centres are all ready to welcome you to their cellars.