''Climats'', ''terroirs'' of Burgundy is a cultural landscape and a series of sites that exemplify the

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

practices of the

Burgundy wine Burgundy wine ( or ') is made in the Burgundy region of eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here, and those commonly referred to as "Burgundies", are dry (wine), ...

region. The climats are small, precisely delimited land parcels that differ from each other in microclimate, geography, soil, and grape type. The Burgundy climats are the birthplace of the ''

terroir (; ; from ''terre'', ) is a French language, French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, th ...

'' system of French wine, where each geographical region has its own unique wine. The region was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

in 2015 because of its historic significance and its importance in the production and development of wine.

Description and History

The world heritage site consists of two parts: The first is the historic center of Dijon, where the precisely parceled climats have been defined and regulated since the Middle Ages. The second part of the site encompasses the vineyards and wine production sites near the town of

Beaune Beaune (; in Burgundian: ''Beane'') is widely considered to be the wine capital of Burgundy in the Côte d'Or department in eastern France. It is located between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of the key wine centers in France, and a major ...

and the

Côte de Nuits The Côte de Nuits () is a French wine region located in the northern part of the Côte d'Or (escarpment), Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is at the heart of the Burgundy wine region. It extends from Dijon to just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges ...

and

Côte de Beaune The Côte de Beaune area is the southern part of the Côte d'Or (escarpment), Côte d'Or, the limestone ridge that is home to the great names of Burgundy wine. The Côte de Beaune (France) starts between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune, and exten ...

regions south of

Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...

. The region is dominated by clay-limestone soils, but the extreme variance in soil composition, microclimate, and geography has led to a wide diversity of wines. In total, roughly 1247 different Climats exist, each with their own particular definition and certification by the '' Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC)''. Many of the boundaries of these parcels (marked by paths, stone walls, or fences) were built in 1938 and are still visible today. In the 5th and 6th centuries, with the spread of Christianity to the region, vineyards were established on the slopes of the Côtes. The development of

Cistercian order The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...

in the 11th century and the ownership of vineyards by members of the bourgeoisie in the 12th and 13th centuries contributed to the highly parceled nature of the landscape. In the 16th century, the concept of the ''climats'' was developed, with each parcel boasting its own wine. This system developed into the AOC and the current concept of describing wines from the precise location where they were produced.

References

{{World Heritage Sites in France World Heritage Sites in France