Contrary to popular belief, not all wines from Burgundy (also known as Bourgogne) break the budget. Instead, some of its lesser-known wine regions offer quality on par with their pedigreed counterparts, for a fraction of the price.

Épineuil

The village of Épineuil (ehp-ee-NEYE) is a quick 20-minute drive east of Chablis. Though new to consumers, Épineuil isn’t new to winemaking.

During the Middle Ages, monks established a network of abbeys and vineyards nearby, including a grange, or country house, in Épineuil, the current site of Domaine Dominique Gruhier.

“Certainly, Épineuil is a unique terroir,” says vigneron Dominique Gruhier, adding that as with all of Burgundy’s terroir, it was discovered early on by the Cistercian monks. “It’s a very mineral subsoil from Kimmeridgian, with more clay than in Chablis.”

Unlike in Chablis, however, Pinot Noir predominates in Épineuil’s chalky soils. The resulting wines yield a surprising, energetic lightness. “It becomes very interesting, and it gives very pleasant and gorgeous fine wine,” says Gruhier. “So different than Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune.”

Les Pierres Dorées 

Dubbed Bourgogne’s “Little Tuscany,” Les Pierres Dorées lies about 30 minutes north of Lyon. While Gamay thrives in Beaujolais’ granitic soils, some Bourgogne winemakers prefer to use Les Pierres Dorées to produce more affordable Pinot Noirs.

“Often people think of granite when they think of Beaujolais,” says Christophe Deola, Director of Maison Louis Latour. “But the southern part of Beaujolais is limestone — the same kind of limestone as Côte d’Or — and is called ‘les pierres dorées’ because it’s that very beautiful golden stone.” READ MORE HERE.