The concept of terroir has been essential to the history of Burgundy since (at least) the Middle Ages when the Cistercian monks started documenting vineyard sites across the region. Each plot was meticulously mapped out and categorized based on where the vines were most successful and what the resulting wines tasted like. Many of the areas that were selected as the cream of the crop back then are still highly regarded to this day.
Over the last 30 years, the harvest has started almost two weeks earlier, and in a year like this one, it can be up to 20 days earlier," said Bernard Farges, president of the Comite national des interprofessions des vins.