Food and Wine Pairing in Burgundy: The Case of Grands Crus

Burgundy is known both for its wines and its food products but they developed independently from each other. This paper examines the long march towards maximal wine quality which started before the beginning of the Christian era. In the Middle-Ages, the Cistercian monks brought up the notion of terroir which eventually led to the AOC system (Protected Designation of origin) in 1935. Burgundy is also blessed with good farming land. Furthermore, the production of quality vegetables, fruits and meat contributed to the birth of its regional cuisine. However, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Burgundy's original gastronomy gained recognition. It should be noted that this process was rather laborious. The advent of tourism introduced French and foreign visitors to the region's lifestyle. With UNESCO's listing of the vineyards of Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits as part of the world's heritage and the development of wine tourism, Burgundy intends, at long last, to capitalize on its assets. An inventory of wine and food pairing complements this paper. Finally, a brief description of the term terroir will introduce the key contribution of this paper: how and why Burgundy Grand Cru wines pair so well with foods. For each of the 33 Grands Crus, a review of the best wine-food matches will be discussed on the basis of the specificities of each Grand Cru wine.