[FR] The Burgundy wine region faces the challenge of modernity and the need for a global perspective

The Burgundy wine region has a number of economic, social, political and cultural characteristics that have historically made it highly coveted both nationally and internationally. It is associated with traditional, routine winegrowing practices that are deeply rooted in the terroir and seemingly detached from the processes affecting our postmodern societies. The extreme hierarchy of products in terms of appellations, products, producers and prices characterises a vineyard whose wines are sought after by international wine lovers and wealthy consumers who want to drink Burgundy wines as a way of distinguishing themselves socially. The intense hierarchy of the Burgundy vineyard, which takes the form of production regions, appellations, villages, estates and finally families and individuals, is directly reflected in the social hierarchy of the products and their consumers. At the top of the range, it is the product or production that commands, with little consideration for the consumer and global changes affecting wine tastes, while at the bottom of the scale, it is the opposite: the consumer dictates their requirements in terms of products and their organoleptic definition. This bipolarisation roughly corresponds to different categories of players in the sector, from rentiers to young winegrowers committed to change.