The area of around 4,600 hectares (literally "Golden Slope") is called the heart of Burgundy and consists of a 50-kilometre-long chain of hills with many famous wine villages strung together like pearls on a string. The main town is Beaune, founded by Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) as a Roman camp. People often identify the very apt name Côte d'Or with the great Burgundy wines par excellence. Many of the wines produced here have Grand Cru or Premier Cru status (see also Burgundy Classification for a complete list of all Grands Crus). The region is divided into the two areas "Côte de Nuits" (1,600 ha) and "Côte de Beaune" (3,000 ha). The wines are mainly single-varietal, the reds from Pinot Noir with small portions of Pinot Gris and Pinot Liébault and the whites from Chardonnay with small portions of Aligoté and Pinot Blanc.
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien