Burgundy farmers have been growing grapes since Roman times, and their rulers, the dukes, frequently put their wines to effective use as a tool of diplomacy. Today they have never had it so good, which is why they're reticent about the quirks of soil and climate and the tricks of pruning and spraying that make their wines so special. Vines are temperamental: frost on the wrong day, sun at the wrong time, too much water or poor drainage, and they won't come up with the goods. And they like a slope, which is why so many wines are called "Côte de" something. Burgundy's best wines come from a narrow strip of hillside called the Côte d'Or that runs southwest from Dijon to Santenay. It is divided into two regions, Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune . With few exceptions the reds of the Côte de Nuits are considered the best: they are richer, age better and cost more. Côte de Beaune is known particularly for its whites: Meursault, Montrachet and Puligny.

The single most important factor determining the "character" of wines is the soil . In the Côte d'Or, the relative mixture of chalk, flint and clay varies over very short distances, making for an enormous variety of taste. Chalky soil makes a wine virile or corsé , in other words "heady" - il y a de la mâche , they say, "something to bite on" - while clay makes it féminin , more agréable .

For an apéritif in Burgundy, you should try kir , named after the man who was both mayor and MP for Dijon for many years after World War II - two parts dry white wine, traditionally aligoté , and one part cassis or blackcurrant liqueur. To round the evening off there are many liqueurs to choose from, but Burgundy is particularly famous for its marcs , of which the best are matured for years in oak casks.