Burgundy is built on a single narrow limestone ridge, the Côte d'Or, split into the Côte de Nuits (red-focused, home to Gevrey-Chambertin and Vosne-Romanée) and the Côte de Beaune (both colours, home to Meursault and Montrachet). What makes Burgundy unique is its obsession with place: identical Pinot Noir vines a few hundred metres apart, on subtly different limestone and marl, are classified separately as village, premier cru, or grand cru, and taste distinctly different. Further south, the Côte Chalonnaise offers similar wines at a fraction of the price.

Key grapes: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligoté