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Autun as a Wine Region

Part of the world-famous wine region Burgundy

Autun, which is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department of Burgundy, is not a wine region by itself.

But, visiting Autun as a wine lover, would give you a great experience!

This is obviously due to the fact this region is a part of the world-famous wine region.

As you might be aware, taking a wine tour is not an easy job. You need to look for accommodation, food and wine, activities, and lots more.
Wines
Vineyards
Wine grape varieties

Autun is one such region, which could offer you with all these in addition to some great tourist attractions and events.

Now, let’s see what we could expect in Autun as a wine lover here. Continue reading…

A brief History about Autun

As history suggests, the Autun was founded during the times of Roman Emperor, Augustus during which time the region was named as Augustodunum.

Here, we can see the traces of the Roman architectural works like walls, gates, and a theatre even today.

In due course of time, that is, in Late Antiquity, the region became popular for its rhetoric schools.

This region, which is a part of Burgundy today, has the pride of being the hometown for the first duke of Burgundy, Count Richard. This happened during the 880s itself.

We can see that the high schools of Autun have played a major role in the history of the region and also France.

Some of the schools, which were erected during the times of Napoleon, are continuing to operate even today. It will be a treat to watch the wrought iron gates that were established in the 1770s.

Attempts to Cultivate Vines in Autun

The very first attempts to cultivate wine grapes in Autun were done by the Romans.

They conducted a few tests here and realized that the wines that were made with grapes cultivated in this region were rotten.

But, the ideal conditions were not too far from here!

They had to take just a few hours’ chariot ride from Autun to find the perfect soil and climatic conditions for wine grape cultivation.

These were the areas that were lying in the hills along the Dijon-Mâcon axis.
They were also able to find more specific areas that are suitable for vine cultivation.

Right from that time onward, the winegrowers have started refining their knowledge about the vineyards of Burgundy.

Wines from Autun

French Red Wine - French White Wine - French Rosé Wine - Champagne - French Sparkling Wine

Vineyards
Breweries
Alcohol and Distilleries

Vineyard Visits in and around Autun

Lying between the Côte Chalonnaise and the hills of the Morvan, the larger surface area covering Autun along with the Couchois and the Le Creusot is the land of hilly vineyards.

From here, you can view a wide variety of landscapes.

It would take only a two-hour journey from Paris, Lyon, as well as Geneva, to reach the Route des Grands Crus of Burgundy, which is a natural extension of the land of flavours. Here, the vineyards have spread across five Couchois Commons, which are namely:

  • Saint Sernin du Plain
  • Dracy Layers
  • Saint Maurice les Coucehes
  • St Jean de Trézy
  • Couches

These vineyards are found to be producing wines that are robust and colourful. The aromas in these wines are found to be marked by the terroir.

During the year 2000, a specific AOC named Bourgogne Côtes du Couchois was created for this region and from then onward, the reputation of these wines has started seeing an upward trend. It has been observed that the vineyards of this region are lying on the clay, marl, and limestone soils and the major grape variety here is the Pinot Noir – the signature variety of Burgundy. As such, these vineyards are lying at the heights of 200 to 300 meters above the sea level.

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Author

Tharani Rajamanickam

Tharani Rajamanickam

Winewriter

I am Tharani, I have Bachelors degree in Biotechnology. I am passionate about the wine industry and continue to explore, learn and share and I bring in a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help you keep updated with best wines in the world. Stay tuned..

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