Wine has been produced in the Burgundian region since antiquity. Today, we enter a moment in the region’s history where we start to understand which grapes are (and aren’t) important. We’ll take a brief respite from discussing the merry winemaking monks and explain the role the Dukes of Burgundy had in shaping this region.

After the death of Charlemagne, which ended the Carolingian dynasty, Burgundy became partitioned. By the 9th century, the Kingdom of Burgundy had been absorbed by the Frankish Empire. That’s when the Dukes came into the picture and a handful of vineyards emerged that rank as some of the most famous vineyards in the world to this day.

On this episode of “Wine 101,” we’re going to get into Gamay, Pinot Noir, and the dukes of Burgundy. They were a force, for sure, but their wealth and royal connections made this era both prosperous and messy. At the end of the day, though, it was Phillip the Bold who brought about changes in Burgundian winemaking that are still employed today. Tune in for more.

Listen Online

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Spotify

Follow Keith on Instagram @VinePairKeith. Rate and review this podcast wherever you get your podcasts from. It really helps get the word out there.

“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.

*Image retrieved from Leonid Andronov via stock.adobe.com