Côte d'Or Wine Information

The Côte d'Or is located in the very heart of Burgundy, France. The literal translation of Côte d'Or is "golden slope", but the name is actually an abbreviation for Cote d'Orient, or "east slope". This region stretches for a narrow 35 mile band.

The Côte d'Or has two primary sections. First, the northerly Côte de Nuits, which grows mainly Pinot Noir and other red grapes. This half is named for the village Nuits-Saint-Georges, and is a mere one mile by 12 miles.

Second, the southerly Côte de Beaune, which while well known for its whites, actually grows both Chardonnay and red grapes. The land in the Cote is mostly limestone, which produces high quality wines. One of the most famous villages in the Côte de Beaune is Pommard, known for its heavy, full-bodied reds.

There are also other, smaller areas in the Côte d'Or. To the far north is the Châtillon region, centered around Châtillon-sur-Seine. This area makes both red and white wines, as well as a Crémant de Bourgogne, or Champagne-style sparkler.

On the hills behind the Côte lay the Hautes-Côtes vineyards. These have been seeing more and more winemaking effort in the past few years.

The Côte d'Or has restrictions on yields to preserve quality. The maximum yield for most vineyards here is 40 hl/ha of red, or 45 hl/ha of white. Most wines from the Côte d'Or are matured for a year to 18 months in oak barrels. The top wines from the Côte d'Or are the Grand Crus - there are 32 of them. Next come the Premier Crus, then Villages and finally regionals.

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