France: Côte d’Or

Côte d’Or aka Golden Slope is the premier wine-producing region in Burgundy, world-famous renowned for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. This 40-km-long escarpment stretches south from Dijon to Santenay and is divided into two main sub-regions – Côte de Nuits (northern half, famous for reds) and Côte de Beaune (southern half, known for both reds and rich whites). It’s here that Burgundy gets its winery fame – over 30% of the region’s Grand Cru vineyards are concentrated along these picturesque slopes. There are precisely delineated vineyard plots (climats) – over 1,300 in total – date back to medieval times when the monks of Cistercian and Benedictine abbeys began mapping these in the 12th century. These climats have soil variations (from limestone to marl and microclimates that produce distinct wines. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.