Bourgogne has applied some new math to count its AOCs. They have shed their claim to 100 AOCs and reorganized their appellations to fit within a count of 84.

Summary:  Barolo and Burgundy share many similarities. Their highest quality red grapes - Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir - are thin-skinned, late-ripening grapes that prefer mid-level altitudes. They produce wines pale in color yet high in perfume and acidity. These two regions also focus on terroir and talk with great reverence about their crus. They also like to dispute their crus. Barolo's

Summary:  Once thriving and celebrated around the world the Beaujolais wines are sometimes today looked down upon. Laying in between Burgundy and Côtes du Rhone this region still produces some amazing white, rosé and red wines and benefits from the culinary influences of the French Capital of Gastronomy: Lyon. Starting with Beaujolais Nouveau and travelling thru the different crus you

Burgundy is a very dynamic region in a constant state of flux. On one hand it’s a region deeply rooted in tradition. Just take a look at the Fête de la Saint-Vincent tournante – a festival celebrating the patron saint of winemakers – and you clearly see that this is a region with one foot in the past. On the other hand...

One of the most significant trends happening in Bourgogne today, is a movement towards sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticulture. Due to the warming of temperatures, increase in sunlight and shift in rainy season, there has been less vineyard mildew pressure, drier soil and earlier harvests. This change in climate, combined with the desire for a more ecologically sustainable growing model by Bourgogne producers, has led to the recent trend towards Green Farming.

Summary: The wines and terroirs from Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet are some of Bourgognes most legendary. But what are their similarities and differences? This WSG Live will explore some of the nuances between Bourgognes most renowned Chardonnay villages to help students better navigate between the three in terms of personality, wine style and terroir. Presenter: Robin Kick MW Originally from the Chicago area, Robin is a Master of

Presenter: Arnaud Valour, Gourmet Gourmand or Gourmand Gourmet Arnaud Valour describes himself as a gourmet gourmand or a gourmand gourmet. He is a lover of food, wine and travel. He has studied marketing and communications in both France and the U.K. and  worked for several years promoting small and medium sized enterprises in the Rhone-Alps region. Most recently, Arnaud was in charge

Summary:  Join Jay Youmans MW as he discusses the wines of Chablis. He will describe the characteristic aromas and flavors of the different levels of Chablis, ranging from Petit Chablis to Grand Cru. He will explain how terroir and winemaking impact this unique style of Chardonnay. Presenter: Jay Youmans, MW Jay has been involved in the wine

Summary: Aligoté has been getting increasingly more attention in the last 10 years or so in Bourgogne by producers and drinkers alike due to a combination of factors, including climate change and massale selections. This webinar will focus on Bourgogne’s ‘Second White Grape’ by delving into its history, attributes, viticulture, winemaking, appellations and producers

In 2024 Wine Scholar Guild proudly announced the Albert Sheen Memorial Scholarship in memory of our dear friend and dedicated wine traveler, Albert Sheen. The scholarship application invited applicants to discuss the challenges of climate change in Bourgogne. We received a number of truly exceptional submissions and thank all our participants for their in-depth essays and perspectives. The selection committee has selected Marek Zelewski and is pleased to share his winning essay below. Marek has been awarded a seat on our upcoming Bourgogne Masters Immersion taking place in May 2024. Albert would have been honored to witness the positive energy and enthusiasm that this scholarship has ignited. A medium-acidity, off-dry, full-bodied white with aromas of baked yellow apple, starfruit, mango and ripe pineapple, pronounced notes of lemon curd, vanilla and pie crust, paired with elevated alcohol lingering on the palate. While it sounds delicious if one’s looking for a fun wine substitute for a tiki cocktail, hardly anybody would place this Chardonnay on the map anywhere close to Burgundy. However, given the predicted increase in its average temperatures (1), fast forward to 2050 and it could well be a glass of Mâconnais. While certainly not great for those taking blind-testing exams, the consequences of climate change for the French wine industry will be way more far-reaching. 

Summary:  Before phylloxera, Chablis and the wine-producing villages that surround it (Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, Irancy, Coulanges-la-Vineuse, Chitry-le-Fort, Joigny, Tonnerre, Epineuil and Vézelay) was the largest wine producing area in France. In three short years, from 1877 to 1880, production dropped from 2,802,853 hectolitres of wine to 194,755 hectoliters – a 93 percent drop!

Summary:  It has been called Burgundy’s “lost” region; others have referred to it as Burgundy’s “forgotten” area. But, how can this be when it appears to be the southern extension of the acclaimed Cote d’Or?  This session will investigate the reasons for the muddled reputation of Chalonnaise wines.  Don will also unveil the progressive steps being taken to move the wines of the Chalonnaise to their proper, elevated position

Summary:  The Mâconnais is the most southerly area of Bourgogne before one reaches Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley. The area produces some of the greatest value Chardonnay wines in the world but has long been overlooked with much more attention being lavished on its more prestigious northern neighbours in the Côte d’Or. With increasing prices and demand for the best white wines of the Côte d’Or and the elevation of 22

Decanter’s Andrew Jefford talks with us about Burgundy’s “Terroir Dreamland” or the Côte d’Or.

Timothy Magnus, of Magnus Vinum in Zurich, is a Bourgogne Wines Official Ambassador, a Weinakademiker, and holds the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits. He will be teaching the Wine Scholar Guild’s first ever Master-Level Intensive in Beaune in May 2020.

Summary:  Delicious, elegant, subtle and tasty... here are a few adjectives you'll remember after this session because our objective is to make all your senses virtually experience the amazing Burgundian lifestyle for a short but appetizing 60 minutes. How could we introduce Red Bourgogne food pairings without talking about the 100 wine appellations in Burgundy? Well, it's not easy so

Summary:  Burgundy is a wine region that is constantly changing and developing in the pursuit of higher quality. The current generation of vignerons are much more open to new ideas than previous generations and are well travelled and taste widely, not just Burgundy wines but benchmark wines from around the world. This combined with increasingly high prices for top appellations has

If you are planning a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration and want to impress your partner with the best possible wine for the occasion, overlook everything you think you know about wine pairing. Forget choosing a red to match the steak or a white for the flounder. Lose the Champagne with chocolate (seriously, lose that one) and ditch any dessert ideas. The key to a successful Valentine’s Day is...

Summary: The 1,247 climats of Bourgogne were recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2015, a well-deserved honor! In fact, there is no better illustration of the concept of terroir than its pure expression through the climats of Bourgogne. But wait... what is a climat? How is a climat different from a lieu-dit? This lecture will define the concept, evolution, and name origins of the climats, and explore the 2,000-year-old creative collaboration between nature and

Summary: Marsannay begins the Côte d'Or of Burgundy on its northern end. Known for many, many years for its rosé, it has been largely overlooked otherwise. It missed out on the 1936 Burgundy classification, but it finally received recognition in 1987 for all three colors of wine. Today, despite the sharp rise in quality production and the further delineation of vineyards, there are still