beverages Review Food and Wine Pairing in Burgundy: The Case of Grands Crus Benoît Lecat 1,* and Claude Chapuis 2 1 Wine and Viticulture Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave, Building 11, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0861, USA 2 School of Wine & Spirits Business, Burgundy School of Business, 28, Rue Sambin, 21000 Dijon, France;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-805-756-2415 Academic Editors: Edgar Chambers IV and Robert J. Harrington Received: 5 November 2016; Accepted: 3 February 2017; Published: 9 February 2017 Abstract: Burgundy is known both for its wines and its food products but they developed independently from each other. This paper examines the long march towards maximal wine quality which started before the beginning of the Christian era. In the Middle-Ages, the Cistercian monks brought up the notion of terroir which eventually led to the AOC system (Protected Designation of origin) in 1935. Burgundy is also blessed with good farming land. Furthermore, the production of quality vegetables, fruits and meat contributed to the birth of its regional cuisine. However, it was not until the beginning of the 20th century that Burgundy’s original gastronomy gained recognition. It should be noted that this process was rather laborious. The advent of tourism introduced French and foreign visitors to the region’s lifestyle. With UNESCO’s listing of the vineyards of Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits as part of the world’s heritage and the development of wine tourism, Burgundy intends, at long last, to capitalize on its assets.