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AOCE

Appellation Bordeaux Site et Terroir d'Excellence

Appellation Contrôlée

Wine classification in Burgundy
Wine is made at all quality levels from simple quaffing wine (Beaujolais or Bourgogne), for immediate drinking, to the grandest wines of the Côte d'Or, which require years of aging. The unifying feature is that almost all the white wine is 100% varietal Chardonnay, and most of the high quality red wine is 100% varietal Pinot Noir. The exceptions are the production of white wine from Bourgogne Aligoté (mostly inexpensive), and red Beaujolais, which is produced from the Gamay grape. The Beaujolais accounts for 50% of the plantings and production in the region, but although formally part of Burgundy, differs in the grapes grown and style of wine produced. "Burgundy" is usually taken to mean a white Chardonnay or red Pinot Noir from the regions to the North of the Beaujolais. Burgundy has a highly hierarchical appellation system: