The Côte de Burgundy/cote-de-beaune/beaune">Beaune is a key wine region in Burgundy, eastern France. It owes its name to its main town, Beaune - the epicentre of local wine production and trade. Renowned for producing some of the world's most expensive white wines (most of which bear the name Montrachet in one form or another), the region also produces a handful of Burgundy's finest red wines, including those from the premier crus Pommard and grand cru Corton. As with most Burgundy wines, the white wines are made from Hardonnay">Chardonnay, the reds from Pinot Noir.
The Côte de Beaune is a narrow strip of land less than 5 kilometers wide, extending 25 kilometers to the northeast. The main Vineyard of the Côte de Beaune is almost exactly the same Size and shape as its northern counterpart, the Côte de Nuits. Together, these two regions form the Côte d'Or, a region named after the Côte d'Or and characterized by the Côte d'Or limestone escarpment that forms its backbone. The importance of this escarpment to Côte de Beaune viticulture is hard to underestimate; not only does it protect the vineyards from the prevailing westerly winds, but it also provides gently sloping, free-draining vineyard sites with near-perfect South and southeast aspects.
Pinot Blanc is a grape variety that originated in Burgundy, mutated from Pinot Gris. Today, it is grown in Alsace where it is called klevner when blended with auxerrois. The continental climate, with its cold winters and hot summers, is particularly suited to pinot blanc. It is resistant to frost in winter and in summer, the roots draw the minerals it needs from the warm soil. Its bunches are made up of small berries with thick skins and melting pulp that produce fruity, spicy wines, balanced between acidity and alcohol. pinot blanc is also used for crémants and sparkling wines. Pinot Blanc is also used for Crémant and sparkling wines. It is widely grown in Italy, where it covers almost 7,000 hectares, and is also found in Germany, Austria, Canada and South Africa.
white wines from the region of Côte de Beaune go well with generally quite well with dishes of pasta, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or shellfish such as recipes of pasta carbonara almost like the real thing, tahitian style raw fish or blanquette of the sea.
