How Did Pinot Noir Become the Red Grape Variety of Burgundy?

Olivier Jacquet

Olivier.Jacquet@u-bourgogne.fr

“Burgundy is Pinot Noir, Beaujolais is Gamay. You don’t need to study to understand that they're not the same”. “In 1395, Duke Philippe le Hardi had already banned Gamay!” These are just a few of the many posts written by the signatories of a petition which, in 2020, protested against the INAO’s proposal to keep some Beaujolais communes within the Burgundy appellation area. These comments illustrate the widely shared idea that Pinot, unlike Gamay, is part of the centuries-old identity of winegrowing Burgundy. They also underline the persistence of a debate, still ongoing, on the region’s regulatory grape varieties.

Although the association between Pinot Noir and this region has a long history dating back to the last centuries of the Middle Ages, it is only recently, in the 20th century, that this grape variety has really established itself in Burgundy vineyards. The period from 1919 to 1939, when the first appellations d’origine were recognized, was the turning point in this change. By examining the archives of the various players involved in the creation of appellation standards, be they professional growers’ organizations, public authorities or the scientific world, we will show that the victory of Pinot was far from self-evident at that time. In a highly conflictual landscape between Gamay and Pinot producers, each protagonist sought to legitimize positions which, to this day, generate debate and controversy.

Olivier Jacquet is executive project manager (chargé de mission) at the UNESCO Chair ‘Cultures et Traditions Vitivinicoles’ and a research historian (HDR) within the CNRS Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on ‘Societies, Sensibilities, and Care’ (UMR 7366 LIR3) at the University of Burgundy. He works on the evolution of wine quality standards, wine organizations, wine economics and wine tasting during the 19th and 20th centuries.