Viticulture and Burgundy stone
The region of Burgundy is loaded with history and marked with distinction on many levels. It benefits from a glowing international reputation due largely to the excellence of its wines and culinary specialities. It is also recognized for the high quality stones extracted from quarries bordering the vineyards. In observing the geology of the vineyard area in particular, it is easy to assume a connection between the wine culture, gastronomy and stone quarries.
With the superposition of a geological map of the region onto a map of the basins of Burgundy stone quarries, and again onto a map of the Burgundy vineyard, one not only observes that stone and wine are exploited in the same geographical area, but that they are composed of the same type of soil: limestone, marl and clay.
For centuries, Limestone served primarily if not exclusively for construction in Burgundy. It was particularly appreciated for its hardness, weather resistance and insulation properties which protected our ancestors long before the arrival of concrete.
Limestone provides a rich source of minerals to the earth. This makes it particularly favourable to winegrowing in Burgundy where the rock is covered by only a thin layer of topsoil.
The vines grow deep roots in the limestone rock that enriches the vine stocks and helps produce very fine, complex wines.
See the webstie of the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne, the official site for wines in Burgundy. They will provide you with all the necessary information on winemaking, the wines and terroirs, the winemakers, cellars and tastings... www.vins-bourgogne.fr/