Sommelier Business takes insights from Nicolas Quillé, MW, to create a short wine technical series to give on-trade professionals wine technical knowledge. In this article, we write about wine region map analysis for the Côte d'Or and Côte Chalonnaise in Burgundy (Bourgogne), France.

Traditional maps outlining Burgundy village boundaries provide valuable insights, but often fall short in conveying the true scale of wine production. To address this limitation, a novel mapping approach has been developed. This method utilizes squares sized proportionally to vineyard acreage within each village, offering a clear visual representation of production volumes.

Key features of the map include:

- Proportional Representation: Squares are sized according to planted acreage, providing a direct visual indicator of production scale.

- Color-Coded Detailing: Each square is color-coded to distinguish between red (Pinot Noir) and white (Chardonnay) wine production within each AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée).

- Varietal Percentage: The percentage of Pinot Noir planted in each village/AOP is prominently displayed within the corresponding square.

- Special Considerations: Notable exceptions, such as Marsannay's rosé production from Pinot Noir, are specifically highlighted.

This breakdown by varietal per village enhances comprehension, which is particularly beneficial for blind tastings. It aids in prioritizing focus on major production areas and mitigates potential misidentifications, ensuring accurate recognition of wines, like distinguishing between a red Puligny-Montrachet and a white Volnay.

Written by Nicolas Quillé, MW

Born in Lyon, France, from a family in the wine business for three generations. Nicolas has a Master degree in winemaking from the University of Dijon, Burgundy and a Master in sparkling winery management from the University of Reims, Champagne. Prior to coming to the United States, have worked in Burgundy and the Rhone Valley as a winemaker.

He came to the United States in 1997 and worked for J. Lohr and The Hogue Cellars as a winemaker. During his time at Hogue Cellars, he went back to school and earned a MBA with honors from the University of Washington (first of class). He was the General Manager and Winemaker for Pacific Rim for 10 years where I lead our two wineries making 600,000 cases of wine. He recently took a position as the Chief Winemaking and Operations Officer for the Crimson Wine Group supervising six prestigious estate wineries in OR, WA and CA. In 2018 he became a Master of Wine formerly joining the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine.