Beaune Travel Guide

The historic wine capital of Burgundy is surrounded by some of the most famous wine villages in the world, so many in fact that it’s easy to forget Beaune is a fantastic destination in its own right. Located between Dijon and Lyon in the Cote d’Or region in eastern France, Beaune has been the nerve center of Burgundy since medieval times. Its historical and commercial importance to the winemaking region has left the city with an unrivaled architectural and cultural heritage. This walled city’s atmosphere is still mostly medieval, full of Renaissance courtyards, hidden alleys, and many more surprises for the unsuspecting visitor!

Beaune has been an important vine-growing center since the Romans took control of Gaul in the last century BC. In AD 40, the Romans founded a small settlement – Belna – at a natural crossroads in Western Europe. It started as a humble village, but the Roman’s desire to provide a ready supply of wine for their army would eventually lead to its dominance as one of France’s most critical wine hubs. Beaune’s influence subsequently grew as the importance of Autun, the capital of Burgundy in the earlier Gallo-Roman days, fell. Then, in the 6th century, the sons of Clovis ransacked Autun and razed the city to the ground. Beaune was henceforth the de-facto capital of Burgundy.

This once unremarkable settlement grew in importance in the Middle Ages. By the latter part of the 6th century, the vine was already an established part of the city’s lifeblood. Gregory of Tours, the French historian who wrote about the history of France in the 6th century, described the hills surrounding Beaune as ‘covered in vines.’ It was also during this time that Burgundy’s long, intertwined relationship with the Catholic Church began. In the Middle Ages, the region was the seat of many important churches and monasteries – in 587, King Guntram donated the first vineyard to the Church. However, during the reign of Charlemagne, the Church assumed key responsibility for tending Burgundy’s vines and winemaking.

The Church’s involvement began with the Benedictine monks, who founded the Abbey of Cluny in 910 and planted an extensive vineyard surrounding the Monastery. The Cistercian monks founded an Abbey – Citeaux – in 1098 and planted one of Burgundy’s most famous vineyards or crus, the Clos de Vougeot, in 1336. We can also credit the discovery of the notion of terroir and the concept that different sites will produce different quality wines to the Cistercians, who laid the foundation for the classification of Burgundy’s crus or ‘climats’ centuries later.

During this era, the Monks took care of many of Burgundy’s today priceless vineyards and developed the winemaking skills that would be passed down through the ages. However, in the 14th century, the House of Valois, which ruled as the Dukes of Burgundy, moved to Dijon, which was subsequently named the region’s official administrative capital. The nobility started acquiring the vineyards as part of their estates, and the power and importance of the Church subsided. They were given official protection in 1395 when Duke Phillipe Le Hardi issued a decree to safeguard the quality and reputation of Burgundy’s wines. The Duke also issued an ordinance prohibiting the plantation of the Beaujolais’ Gamay grape, and from then on, the best sites of the Cote d’ Or were exclusively planted with members of the Chardonnay or Pinot Noir family, and the wines continued to grow in fame.

Beaune’s splendor reached its heyday in the late 15th century when a spectacular fortified castle was constructed during the reign of Charles XIII. His predecessor, Louis XI, had overseen the completion of massive city fortifications, which enclosed the town and effectively preserved its character, which remains mostly unchanged today. In this century, the Dukes of Burgundy built up one of Europe’s most powerful states, including Flanders and parts of Holland. Their court was a center of art, culture, and immense wealth!

Centuries later, after the Duchy’s demise, the first Negociant – merchant houses- were established in Beaune in the 1720s. These merchants would become the region’s lifeblood, buying growers’ wines or grapes, blending, aging, and marketing them to the Bourgeois of Paris and beyond. At this time, Champagne was known for its still red wines rather than sparkling, and the two regions had a particular rivalry as they fought for market space in the French capital. During this period, the Church’s control over these grand vineyards diminished. After Burgundy was incorporated into the unified Kingdom of France and the power of the Church decreased, many of the most important vineyards were taken from them and sold to the merchants of Beaune.

The French Revolution of 1789, which saw the ruling aristocracy overthrown and the First Republic established, didn’t directly affect the city of Beaune. However, in the aftermath, the remaining vineyards controlled by the Church were confiscated and sold off at the end of the 18th century. The installation of the Napoleonic inheritance laws and the subsequent division of the land into small holdings gave rise to the power of the Negociants, who could work with their growers of choice and effectively control the Burgundy market.

Beaune was again largely unaffected by Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power in 1799. However, the next 100 years would see massive social upheaval across France, including the Monarchy’s return to power in the 19th century. For Beaune, the most significant event of the 19th century was Dr. Jules Lavalle’s first unofficial classification of Burgundy’s various vineyards in 1855. Some “climats” or “crus” had always been more highly regarded than others since medieval times, and his classification was formalized in 1861 by the local Agricultural Committee into three classes: Grand Cru, Premier Cru, and Village. The declaration of the Third French Republic in 1870 strengthened the demand for the region’s great wines, as this so-called Belle époque (beautiful age) brought enormous increases in wealth and a thirst for the finer things in life.

The outbreak of two World Wars in the 20th century and the depression of the 1930s caused Burgundy’s fortunes to slide. The city was relatively unaffected by the First World War, but the economic depression caused much suffering and hardships for the region’s growers. However, in 1936, the national AOC (appellation control) legislation was introduced, which legally recognized the importance of Burgundy’s finest vineyards, cementing their status as Grand Cru wines.

Following the aftermath and devastation of the Second World War, many growers returned home to find their land in poor health. So, a program of aggressive fertilization started, which continued into the 1980s. Yields subsequently increased, and the region’s wines lost their way slightly in the 60s and 70s, following these stark rises in quantity produced. But, a new generation of passionate, younger growers has steered the region back into full health, and today, innovation and tradition sit comfortably side-by-side.

Beaune has greeted the 21st century with a great sense of optimism and vigor but has still retained the wonderful historic character and calm sense of self that has endured for centuries. The streets remain cobbled, the roads remain narrow, and the buildings are ancient. It lies at the center of one of France’s wealthiest provinces – historically, culturally, and gastronomically! Its fine wines have inspired awe for centuries and continue to draw visitors far and wide who wish to travel the route of the beautiful golden coast.