🏷️ Village appellation

A village appellation is a Burgundy category of wine from the vineyards of a single village. It stands below premier cru and grand cru but above the regional appellation. The village name is shown on the label, for example Gevrey-Chambertin or Puligny-Montrachet. The Burgundy system is built like a pyramid. At the bottom are regional appellations, such as Bourgogne. Above them are the village ones, reflecting the character of a specific place. Higher still are premier crus, the best plots within a village, and at the very top grand cru. The narrower and more precise the place, the stricter the rules. The village appellation belongs to AOC, the general system of the top category of French wine. In the village the wine must be made from certain grapes and within set limits. Often the same village also has separate premier cru vineyards, which are named additionally. This category is the largest in volume of the "village" wines and a middle ground for price and quality. From the name on the bottle, the buyer learns which place the wine comes from.