Burgundy's SUNNY SIDE

The vineyards of the Mâconnais, in the south of Burgundy, offer the region’s best value bottles and its warmest welcome, says Dominic Rippon

- Dominic Rippon

Time was when almost all of Burgundy’s wine-loving visitors headed straight for the prestigious vineyards of the Côte-d’Or, perhaps with a stop for lunch in Chablis, en route from Paris.

But in the last decade, things have changed, as the prices of wines from those ‘golden slopes’ have continued their ascent skyward, and the vineyards of the Mâconnais, in the southern part of the Saône-et-Loire département, have developed a dynamic tourist offering to match the value of their wines.

Towards the north of these vineyards, Lugny is one of 26 superior villages allowed to append their names to the Mâcon wine appellation and is currently working towards gaining a communal appellation of its own.