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Published on October 20, 2007

The impact of the film "Sideways" on wine appreciation was more profound than anyone could have imagined. As soon as the movie hit screens, the demand for pinot noir shot up and in the four years since, the rise and rise of pinot noir is still the most talked-about phenomenon in the wine industry.

But on a recent visit to France, I discovered that the people with the biggest grins from the backwash don't live in Santa Barbara's Santa Ynez Valley where "Sideways" was filmed, but in Burgundy, the birthplace of pinot noir.

Travellers reach Dijon, the capital of Burgundy, after a short train ride from Paris's Gare de Lyon train station. A drive from Dijon to the south takes in vineyard after vineyard on wave after wave of well-drained, limy gentle slopes. The valuable terroir that local wine experts say creates the uniqueness of Burgundy wine is formed here, where soil and climate meet for perfect growing conditions for the pinot noir grape.

Local wine experts like Jean-Pierre Renard, who also trains would-be winemakers at the Ecole des Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, are passionate about the region's tipple. According to him, Burgundy is home to 101 of France's 467 Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) vineyards, AOC being the prestigious certification given to wines made only from grapes of a particular region. Renard adds that Burgundy produces more white wine, including chardonnay, than red.

"Burgundy is like a parent with two kids," says Renard, by way of an explanation of the differences between the two grapes. "One is chardonnay, who we send out to explore the world - anywhere seems to feel like home for the happy chardonnay. The other is pinot noir, who is hard to please on her travels and only really feels her own self at home in Burgundy."

The most sought-after wine of all comes from the renowned grans crus (literally, top of the heap) vineyards, which are responsible for just 2 per cent of annual production. Names here include "Chambertin", "Musigny", "Corton" and "Moncharat". If none of them ring a bell then you haven't been browsing the expensive end of the wine shelves: the price tags are enough to cause palpitations.

But whatever the pedigree, vineyards in Burgundy are the fruit of centuries of growing. The grape was first cultivated in France in the southern soils of Provence before making its way north. There's evidence for vineyards near Beaune as long ago as AD312. In AD630 the Duke of Burgundy granted a large estate in Gevrey-Chambertin to Benedictine and Cistercian monks, who turned it into vineyards and developed the principles of winemaking in Burgundy.

The major area for winegrowers is centred on the Cote d'Or. The drive from Dijon passes through the heart of the area, including the Cotes de Nuits and Cotes de Beaune, a strip of land that's a Mecca for wine lovers in search of the locale's hallowed names.

High on the list for any pilgrimage is Clos-de-Vougeot, first planted by Cistercian monks in the 12th century. The 16th-century square towers and gabled roofs of the chateau here rise on top of sixth-century cellars. It now plays host to the famous Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, or the brotherhood of the knights of the Tastevin, an exclusive club of Burgundy wine enthusiasts around 500 strong, who come from as far away as the United States to celebrate Burgundian traditions at grand dinners. Many of them work hard in their own vineyards, and take their leisure time equally seriously at the boisterous seven-hour parties at long, narrow banqueting tables that take place roughly 20 times a year.

But the biggest regional event, attracting wine lovers from all over the world to the capital of Burgundy wine country, is the annual Hospices de Beaune wine auction in Beaune, held the third weekend in November. The auction is the longest-established in the world and the culmination of Burgundy's most spectacular annual celebration, a weekend of bacchanalia named the Trois Glorieuses.

But if you miss the event, the city of Beaune is interesting enough on its own to merit a visit. Its main attraction, the Hôtel-Dieu in the Hospices de Beaune, is also the site where wine auctions first began in Burgundy. The stunning gothic architecture with a many-hued tiled roof in the heart of Beaune is actually a hospital. Founded by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy, in 1443, the building was built to treat victims of the Hundred Years' War. Over the years, local landowners bequeathed some of the finest vineyards of the region to this charitable foundation, and eventually the idea of supporting the hospital through a charity auction was born.

The Hôtel-Dieu became a museum in 1971 when president Pompidou inaugurated a new hospital. Best viewed from the courtyard is the iridescent roof of glazed tiles while inside, old hospital beds, each surrounded burgundy-red curtains, line up along both sides of the main hall like miniature theatres. Wander around and you'll also find a collection of priceless art, including altarpiece "The Last Judgement".

Travelling by bike is probably the best way to discover the beauty of the Burgundy landscape. You can pedal out of Beaune straight into a charming scenery along the network of narrow roads that connects the small villages of the region.

Keeping a look out for the deep purple bloom of the grapes, I wave a friendly hello to a small-game hunter with a rifle tucked under his arm. Cycling, I get a much better feel for the land than I would behind a windshield. Sympathetic to the special demands of the wine tourist, the local tourism office has created a Wine Route for those who prefer more energetic means of transport. It's gentle enough for a wine-loving beginner cyclist to ride even after a few tastings. Endless vineyards and green hills suffuse into one benign glow for the ruddy-faced cyclist, and one all-but forgets Bordeaux.

Vipasai Niyamabha

Special to The Nation