Burgundy, a wine region in eastern France, southeast of Paris, ranks side by side with Bordeaux as one of France’s two greatest wine regions for light table wines. Unlike Bordeaux , however, Burgundy’s fame is shared nearly equally by its white and red wines.
Also unlike Bordeaux, good Burgundy is often scarce. The reason is simple: Not counting Beaujolais, Burgundy produces only 25 percent as much wine as Bordeaux. Burgundy’s vineyards are smaller and more fragmented than Bordeaux’s. In Burgundy, the winemaker calls his property a Domaine not of Château. Burgundy’s terroir is particularly suited to the two main grape varieties of the region, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Burgundy has five districts, all of which make quite different wines. The districts include Chablis (shah blee), the Côte d’Or (coat dore), the Côte Chalonnaise (coat shal oh naze), the Mâconnais (mack coh nay), and Beaujolais (boh jho lay). The heart of Burgundy, the Côte d’Or (which means golden slope), is further divided into two parts: Côte de Nuits (coat deh nwee) and the Côte de Beaune (cote deh bone).

Ed Thompkins

I have been in the wine business for 35 years. What started out as a fun, part-time job during college turned into a wine career that I could not have imagined then!
My first break in the wine business is when I was hired to be the assistant manager at Akron’s legendary West Point Market. In the late 1980’s West Point Market was the most famous specialty food store between New York and Chicago. It also had the largest wine department in Ohio. After only two months, the wine manager left for a job in California, and at the ripe, old age of 24, I was promoted to be the wine manager!
In 1991, I was hired by Heinen’s Fine Foods to launch a wine program that would be unique in the grocery industry. By creating a ‘wine shop in a grocery store’ Heinen’s became known as one of the best wine locations in Cleveland.
Earlier this year, I decided to finally pursue a position in the wine wholesale side of the business, and started with Wines LLC. Our company is the largest direct-importer in Ohio and one of the largest in the US, specializing in wines from Italy and France from small, family-owned wineries.
I am WSET Level 3 certified and have taught numerous wine classes during my career. I believe that wine should be fun and approachable, and the classes I lead are as educational as they are enjoyable!