One of the most significant trends happening in Bourgogne today, is a movement towards sustainable, organic and biodynamic viticulture. Due to the warming of temperatures, increase in sunlight and shift in rainy season, there has been less vineyard mildew pressure, drier soil and earlier harvests. This change in climate, combined with the desire for a more ecologically sustainable growing model by Bourgogne producers, has led to the recent trend towards Green Farming.

The Mâconnais is the most southerly area of Bourgogne before one reaches Beaujolais and the Rhône Valley. The area produces some of the greatest value Chardonnay wines in the world but has long been overlooked with much more attention being lavished on its more prestigious northern neighbours in the Côte d’Or. With increasing prices and demand for the best white wines of the Côte d’Or and the elevation of 22 climats within Pouilly-Fuissé to 1er Cru status, there has never been a more opportune time to discover this dynamic region and find out the outstanding values it has to offer.

PRESENTER: TIMOTHY MAGNUS, DIP WSET, WEINAKADEMIKER

An Australian national residing in Switzerland, Timothy has been teaching wine courses for nearly a decade. Timothy spends a week nearly every month in the Bourgogne wine region and has accumulated a true expertise about what is happening in Bourgogne today and which domaines are the stars of tomorrow.

Timothy founded his own company Magnus Vinum several years ago with the specific aim to offer high-end Bourgogne wine education. Additionally, he imports a range of small, quality Bourgogne domaines into Switzerland. Timothy has been teaching about Bourgogne internationally for almost 10 years.

He possesses a deep understanding of the region, its economy, producers and terroirs and is a leading authority on Bourgogne 

The 1,247 climats of Bourgogne were recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2015, a well-deserved honor! In fact, there is no better illustration of the concept of terroir than its pure expression through the climats of Bourgogne.
But wait...what is a climat? How is a climat different from a lieu-dit? This lecture will define the concept, evolution, and name origins of the climats, and explore the 2,000-year-old creative collaboration between nature and humans in Bourgogne.

Presenter: Tanya Morning Star Darling

Tanya Morning Star Darling is the owner of Cellar Muse Wine School in Seattle Washington where she teaches the French, Italian, and Spanish Wine Scholar certification courses, she is proud to have been named French Wine Scholar Instructor of the Year in 2018. Tanya is an approved WSET instructor for L1-L4 curriculums, and is faculty at South Seattle College where she is a professor of Wine History, and has developed many wines of the world curriculums. She is an Official Ambassador of Bourgogne Wines, the Official Ambassador of Orvieto Wines, and works frequently in both France and Italy.

Tanya holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York Universitys Tisch School of the Arts, is a Certified Wine Educator, has completed the WSET curriculums through Diploma Level, and has passed the Bourgogne Master, Provence Master, and Champagne Master Levels, all in the top scorer category.
Tanya brings joy into studying to help students find their path to success.

Want to learn more about the Climats of Bourgogne? WSG members enjoy a 30% discount on the book “The Climats and Lieux-dits of the great vineyards of Burgundy" by Sylvain Pitiot & Marie-Hélène Landrieu-Lussigny. Get your coupon code HERE

Timothy Magnus, of Magnus Vinum in Zurich, is a Bourgogne Wines Official Ambassador, a Weinakademiker, and holds the WSET Diploma in Wine & Spirits. He will be teaching the Wine Scholar Guild’s first ever Master-Level Intensive in Beaune in May 2020.

Burgundy is a very dynamic region in a constant state of flux. On one hand it’s a region deeply rooted in tradition. Just take a look at the Fête de la Saint-Vincent tournante – a festival celebrating the patron saint of winemakers – and you clearly see that this is a region with one foot in the past. On the other hand...

If you are planning a romantic Valentine’s Day celebration and want to impress your partner with the best possible wine for the occasion, overlook everything you think you know about wine pairing. Forget choosing a red to match the steak or a white for the flounder. Lose the Champagne with chocolate (seriously, lose that one) and ditch any dessert ideas. The key to a successful Valentine’s Day is...

The best thing about studying wine is the moments that call into question every “truth” you think you know. These are the tiny lightbulbs that impel questions to be asked, that engender reflection and that ultimately serve as the springboard to a deeper understanding of wine. It is often the interaction of wine and food that delivers these teachable moments for me—when I am relaxed, not hurried, and free to ponder at will. This series of blog posts shares my memorable discoveries about what happens when wine meets food.

This series of blog posts shares my memorable discoveries about what happens when wine meets food. Read part 1 and part 2.

My husband and I rejected our usually healthy diets the other night to mark a happy occasion. Steak and pan-fried potatoes drizzled in warm butter were on the menu. As I was sipping…

Decanter’s Andrew Jefford talks with us about Burgundy’s “Terroir Dreamland” or the Côte d’Or.