The Mâconnais wine region in Southern Burgundy is centred on the provincial town of Mâcon, from which it takes its name. The region produces a considerable amount of wine, specializing in white wines made from Chardonnay and a smaller number of red wines made from Pinot Noir and Gamay.
Unlike the Côte d'Or to the North, where a band of densely planted vines runs roughly north-south across the countryside, the vineyards of the Mâconnais are more sparsely planted and interspersed with land devoted to other forms of agriculture. The landscape here is made up of rolling limestone hills, bordered to the east by the Saône River, which flows south to join the Rhône just outside Lyon.
The Climate of the Mâconnais shows signs of its proximity to the Rhône valley, with higher than average temperatures, lower rainfall and - perhaps most importantly - less risk of vine-damaging spring frosts.
The southern end of the Mâconnais slightly overlaps the northern boundary of Beaujolais - itself officially Part of the Burgundy wine region, but often treated as a separate region.
The title Mâcon covers white, red and rosé wines from the entire region. A number of communes within the appellation's catchment area have been recognized as sources of premium wines and may add their names to the appellation; for example, Mâcon Lugny.
A very old grape variety grown in the Italian Piedmont. It has a great resemblance with the Freisa, which also comes from the same Italian region. Among the various massal selections made in Italy, we find lampia, michet and rosé. It can be found in Italy, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Mexico, the United States (California), Australia, etc. In France, it is practically unknown, perhaps because it is a delicate and demanding grape variety with, among other things, a fairly long phenological cycle.
red wines from the region of Mâconnais go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, veal or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of sautéed pork with pineapple, milanese cutlets like in italy or duck aiguillettes with apples.
