Our man in Burgundy unravels French law and its impact on the price of burgundy. A conversation with lawyer-turned-wine-producer Étienne de Montille, pictured above by Jon Wyand with his sister Alix, was particularly revealing.
Burgundy and its vineyards are nothing if not a mosaic. As you stare at a map of Volnay, Gevrey or Chassagne, indeed any of the major sites from Chablis down to the very southern limits of the Mâconnais, vineyards are broken down into an endless contortion of parcels and lieux-dits. It is this that so fascinates Burgundy’s fans: this apparent intricacy of terroir.
The only...