When Burgundy transformed into the Burgundian state under the Dukes, Charles the Rash expanded the state all the way up into Flanders. The action was one that angered the French king, and the state of Burgundy was, once again, taken over by French royalty. However, by this point, the French Renaissance was well under way, and the churches, monks, and monasteries faded away in importance. As the nobility rose, many of the vineyards once owned by these religious groups were sold off to the upper classes of Dijon.
Then comes Louis XIV, and he falls in love with the white wines of Mâcon, leading to the establishment of roads to open trade routes between Burgundy and other parts of France. As a result of this commercial prosperity, we begin to see the development of négociant houses in the 1720s and 1730s, many of which are still in business today. Terroir and single-vineyard wines became the darling of the region, but powdery mildew and phylloxera were on the horizon, and Burgundy had a great deal of replanting to do before the region returned to prominence in the 20th century.
On this episode of “Wine 101,” Keith closes out our Burgundy series, taking us through the region’s rollercoaster ride from prosperity and hardships to ending with silver linings. Tune in for more.
Listen Online
Follow Keith on Instagram @VinePairKeith. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there.
“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
*Image retrieved from tichr via stock.adobe.com
