Why Gamay was expelled from Burgundy
Today, the red grape variety Gamay would probably dominate Burgundy for red wines - and not Pinot Noir. This is because, in the Middle Ages in particular, the uncomplicated yet high-quality grape was in great demand. But on July 31, 1395, Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, issued a decree banning the vine in Burgundy because it was supposedly not good for consumption. This is how Pinot Noir came to dominate. On the other hand, Philip the Bold was also very committed to quality wine production in Burgundy. For example, he banned the fertilization of the vineyards because the yield was far too high. This made it possible to significantly increase the quality even in the Middle Ages.
Incidentally, in 1443, Nicolas Rolin, the Duke's chancellor, had the Hospices de Braune, also known as the Hôtel-Dieu, built, which is still famous today. The former hospital now produces world-famous wines, which are sold under the hammer on the "Trois Glorieuses", the "three glorious days", among other things as bulk wine. This auction is considered a benchmark for the economic situation of a Burgundy vintage. If high prices are achieved here, then the entire Burgundy vintage will be expensive.
Bourgogne-Négociants
In the 17th century, many monasteries sold their vineyards to the citizens of Dijon. This encouraged the establishment of numerous trading houses, so-called négociants, which bought finished wine by the barrel, bottled it and then sold it, first in France, then throughout Europe and finally throughout the world. On the other hand, many négociants still produce their own wines using purchased grapes or base wines. No other wine-growing region in the world has as many négociants as Burgundy!
Fall and rise of Burgundy in the 20th century
At the end of the 19th century, Burgundy was not spared from phylloxera, which destroyed a large part of the cultivated area. The region was unable to recover from this, as the First World War cast its shadow ahead. In the 1930s, Burgundy - and especially the Côte d'Or - was economically at its lowest point. In 1934, however, the classification system for Burgundy wines as we know it today was developed. In addition, the brotherhood of wine tasters was founded - the Chevalier du Tastevin, which only allows people to join if they have made a great contribution to Burgundy wine in some way. The Chevalier du Tastevin promoted Burgundy wines all over the world. But only for a short time.
Because of the Second World War, Burgundy was under German occupation for a long time and was literally fleeced. After the war, however, the economic situation quickly stabilized. Burgundy wines were in great demand all over the world, which resulted in a very impressive increase in prices. However, due to globalization, this growth came to a halt in the 1990s, when New World wines began to enter the market. You can read what the market for Burgundy wines looks like today in the last section. Now let's take a closer look at the geography, the classification system and the sub-regions.