Vineyard names in Burgundy can contain clues as to why a place might produce special wines.

But despite being one of the most sought-after wine regions in the world, most people have no idea what the historical names mean. And honestly, neither did I. So, on a recent visit to France, I devoted my time with winemaker Emmanuel Guillot to see if I could unlock the logic used by medieval peasants.

After much hard work, tasting, talking, and, filming in a French vineyard and cellar, here’s what I learned:

Quick Facts About Vineyards in Burgundy:

Here are a few historical data points for context, in case you're unfamiliar with the area:

Wine was produced continuously at the Abbey de Cluny in the Mâcon from the 10th century until the French Revolution in 1789.
The Abbey owned most of the land in Mâcon in the south and had plots up to Romanée Saint Vivant in the north.
Stone walls were built to delineate and protect the best vineyards and their remnants mark these sites.
The Monks owned the land, but the farmers often named the sites.
Site names can evoke the natural features of a particular place.

After 1000 years of practice, farmers and monks in Burgundy earned a reputation for growing and producing some of the best wine in the world.

So... what do the names of these sites tell us about what early farmers knew?

Finding Great Spots by Seeking Out the Old Vineyard Names

After starting their career in Mersault, Manu's parents rebuilt the family domain by buying small lots of forest that used to belong to the Abbey. They focused on clues left by generations long past.

For example:

Mersualt has Premiere Cru sites called "Genevrières" and "Perrières".
In Gevrey-Chambertin a Premier Cru is called "Aux Combottes".

Buried in a dense forest in the Mâcon, a stone's throw from the Abbey de Cluny, the Guillot-Broux family found historical records of sites called Les Geniévrières, Les Perrières and Les Combettes. They also found extensive evidence of rock walls in the forest. What did the place names tell the family?

Let's dig in:

Step 1: Defining the words

Everything begins with an understanding of the names' contemporary meanings.

"Geniévrières" in French means Juniper Bush. The sites were covered in Junipers, not large trees.
"Combette" refers to a small 'combe', or hollow, created by rocks collapsing away from a larger hill.
"Perrières" is a word for rocky or stony place.

Translated and explained, the names begin to shed light on each place.

Step 2: Connect the Definition to the Place

Each name contains a secret about the soil below:

Sites where juniper thrives tend to have thin topsoil with limestone bedrock close to the surface that vines love.
Hollows or combes with proper exposition can trap heat that helps to ripen grapes and have unique soil structures.
Rocky fields are hard to farm, but exposed stones stay warm after sunset and thus can be slightly more frost-resistant than others.

Which leads us to…

Step 3: Taste the Wines Side by Side

As we are wine lovers and not farmers, the proof must be in the bottle. In the case of Domaine Guillot-Broux, historical research combined with their deep experience as farmers and winemakers has proven that these ancient sites are deliciously different and each is worth the effort required.

As wines from the Màcon are generally more affordable than their northern cousins, it's not a stretch to consider buying a bottle of each site to open side by side.

If you are a Somm or a retailer in IL, ask your Candid rep for a tasting!

Want more? Here is Manu Guillot explaining his family's history and showing us his family's vineyards in the Mâcon.

An Insider's Trick to Understanding Vineyard Names in Burgundy, France

Use this trick to help remember the differences between vineyards in Burgundy, France.

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