Burgundy wines from the domaines that define the appellation

Appellations and grape varieties of Burgundy

Burgundy is divided into five main sub-regions: Chablis, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâconnais. Each operates under its own appellation rules, and the hierarchy runs from regional AOC at the base through village, premier cru, and grand cru at the top. There are 33 grand cru appellations in Burgundy — all but one located in the Côte d'Or. Pinot Noir is the only red grape permitted across the main Côte d'Or appellations. Chardonnay dominates whites, from the steely mineral expressions of Chablis to the rounder, oak-influenced styles of Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet. Gamay is the primary grape of Beaujolais, which sits at Burgundy's southern tip and operates largely under its own logic — ten crus, granite soils, and a winemaking culture distinct from the Côte d'Or. Aligoté, Burgundy's secondary white grape, produces wines under its own AOC and is the traditional base for Kir. A single vineyard in Burgundy — a climat — can be divided among dozens of producers, each farming as little as a few rows. That fragmentation is structural, not accidental: it traces back to post-revolutionary land redistribution in the early 19th century.

Terroir, climate, and what shapes a Burgundy vintage

Burgundy sits at roughly 47 degrees north latitude, making it one of the northernmost major red wine regions in France. The continental climate — cold winters, warm summers, unpredictable springs — means vintage variation is wider here than in most of France. Late frost in April and hail in summer are recurring risks; the 2016 and 2021 vintages both saw significant crop losses from frost. Soils along the Côte d'Or are primarily limestone and clay, with the ratio shifting as you move down the slope. Grand cru vineyards tend to sit at mid-slope, where drainage is optimal and sun exposure is maximised. Climate change has shifted the Burgundy harvest forward by roughly 18 days on average since the 1980s, pushing sugar levels higher and altering the structural profile of both reds and whites. Producers are responding differently — some harvesting earlier to retain acidity, others working with vine age and canopy management to moderate ripening. The differences between a village-level wine and a premier cru from the same commune often come down to a few hundred metres of elevation and a shift in soil depth, not to different farming methods or producers.

How Burgundy producers work with Free Grape Society

Burgundy is not a region where volume defines quality. Many of the domaines listed here farm between two and ten hectares total, across multiple appellations and climat parcels. Producers on Free Grape Society set their own prices. No intermediary adjusts the margin. No import chain adds a markup before the bottle reaches you. Samples are sent to our Head of Product, who tastes every wine before it goes live on the platform. Independent wine experts Rate & Review individual wines on the platform — their assessments are visible on the individual wine pages and on each expert's profile. These are not the wines your supermarket carries. They are the wines your supermarket cannot carry, because the volumes are too small and the logistics too direct. You can browse white Burgundy separately, or look at the full range of French red wines if you want to compare Burgundy against other French regions. Producers, experts, restaurants, and wine lovers on the same platform, on the same terms. That is what Free Grape Society is.