Burgundy wines are probably the most confusing regions to understand. Some said the word ‘terrior’ comes from this region, and the wine makers I met in Burgundy all said so!
Driving through the vineyards of Burgundy is so much different from Bordeaux. Bordeaux is very flat and the vineyards stretch miles and miles away. In Burgundy, there are small parcels of land along both sides of the road. On one side the land is flat but then the other side is quite hilly.
Madam Sylvia Rossignol
At Domain Rossingnol-Trapet in Gevery Chambertin, we met the owner Sylvia. She told us millions of years ago, Burgundy was in a sub-tropical region. They have even found crocodile fossils in the soil. The small parcels of land may have different soils, even though they are only a few meters away.
The best parcel of vineyards is always on mid-slope about 300m high. Facing east is also critical, the vines will have long exposure to gentle sunlight, and the grapes will develop more complexity.
Sylvia explained, it’s the combination of the soil, elevation of the slope, sun exposure, micro-climate that gives very different styles of wines, even though the fields are a few meters away – and that is the mystery of terrior
Grape Wine Journey 
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