First of all, let's remember what a climate is. In Burgundy, a climate designates a wine-growing region that combines plots, grape varieties and know-how. So you shouldn't get the term wrong. As Bernard Pivot says: "In Burgundy, when we talk about the climate, we don't raise our eyes to the sky, we lower them to the earth".
The climate is therefore a whole and it is the whole of the very nature of the Burgundian model of viticulture.
A little summary
You should know that the climats of the Burgundy vineyard are small pieces of vineyard land. These lands are spread over the Côte de Nuits as well as the Côte de Beaune. These climates are the cradle of the archetype of terroir vineyards. They prevail of a high taste quality of their production. Since the Middle Ages, under the order of the Benedictine and Cistercian monastics as well as the Dukes of Burgundy, the identification of wine has given rise to an exceptional plot. This mosaic gives birth to many crus from two unique grape varieties (Chardonay and Pinot Noir).
Therefore, the 1247 different climates are delimited with respect to their geological, atmospheric and hydrographic characteristics. They are ranked in the Appellation d'Origine Controlée or AOC system. These are the fruits of natural conditions as well as the winegrower's experience accumulated over nearly two millennia. It is the translation in an exceptional way of the antiquity of local human communities and their land.
Elements that are listed as UNESCO heritage
It should be noted that the climats are exceptional representatives of local viticulture. They inspire other wineries around the world. They represent a unique cultural site shaped by more than a thousand years of history. This heritage is built exceptionally whether monumental or vernacular.
The climates of the Burgundy vineyard were inscribed on the UNESCO heritage list on July 4, 2015. This was during the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Germany.
Visit a vineyard in Burgundy
The climates of the Burgundy vineyard form a unique landscape of its kind. You can explore it in a thousand possible ways: on foot, by bike, in a horse-drawn carriage, in a 4×4 or even by helicopter. The Route des Grands Crus crosses the most popular part of the Burgundy vineyard. There are 38 beautiful wine villages in the Côtes de Beaune and Côtes de Nuits. This is between Dijon and Beaune, then up to Santenay with a length of about 60 km. This is surely the best way to discover the climates of Burgundy and its surroundings.
At the heart of wine production, each wine-growing village has significant heritage elements: wine-growing complexes, wine-growers' habitats, and many cellars, presses and fermentation rooms. Some of them date back to medieval times. You can walk the old streets and pass the door of the vaults. You can also take part in authentic festivals to the rhythms of the 4 seasons of vines and wine, paying homage to Bacchus.
