The Maps of Burgundy

The Maps of Burgundy by Sylvain Pitiot & Pierre Poupon, $90-$95 per 2 map set US, 39,95 Euros, France   

As I became more and more interested in the world of wine, I would always admire these wonderful maps of the vineyards of Burgundy. I finally bought them last October in Morey-St-Denis, Burgundy. I have since had them framed in a simple, thin black frame and grace a wall adjacent to my office.

These maps were created by Sylvain Pitiot and Pierre Poupon and illustrated by Art et Cartographie. Each is 59 x 22.8 Inches. The actual Burgundy region runs North to South, or vertically, but the maps are drawn horizontally. The top map, of the Cote de Nuits, has the northernmost point on the top right, which is just south of Dijon. The left side of that map “connects” geographically to the right side of the bottom map, with the southernmost point of these two areas being on the left side of the bottom map.  Confused?

Each map is color coded by white and red grapes, with almost all white grapes being chardonnay and red being pinot noir, and each specific appellations. Each village and plot boundary is shown, which provides you with a very accurate picture of the vineyards where your wine’s grapes were grown.

 

As with the DeLong’s Grape Varietal Table that I wrote about a few weeks ago, these maps make the ultimate gift for a wine geek. They can be purchased at fine wine stores, on Amazon or through a few importers. They are packed in a secure tube for shipping. If you buy them in France, you save about $40 and can ship them through La Poste, the French postal service. Mine arrived in less than a week.

A little side note on Sylvain Pitiot…he is the manager of Clos de Tart, one of only five Monopole (single vineyard) Grand Crus in Burgundy. Clos de Tart is located just up the tiny street from the little tasting room in Morey-St-Denis where I bought my maps.

Until next time…a votre sante!