One of the narratives frequently espoused in recent years is that Burgundy has become a plaything of the rich. It is not simply a question of who can afford to drink the Grands Crus, but that aspirant young winemakers are being squeezed out by the financial power of the super-rich – heavyweight French players such as Bernard Arnault, François Pinault or Martin Bouygues competing with American or Asian billionaires. Certainly, there have been a handful of highly publicised purchases, mergers or takeovers involving such giants, but that is very far from the whole story.
Enterprising youngsters are finding a way to establish themselves and make their winemaking dream come true, not just in less expensive regions such as the Mâconnais, where Frantz Chagnoleau and Caroline Gon are now thriving, but also in the Côte d’Or. Both Camille Thiriet in the Côte de Nuits and the dynamic duo Tomoko Kuriyama and her partner Guillaume Bott at Maison Chanterêves have discovered similar paths to success: start out as a négociant buying some grapes or juice to vinify, show your talent with the results and keep an eye out for the opportunity to farm a plot or two of vineyards. As demand builds, so too will the opportunity to purchase vines in not-too-expensive appellations. They are not alone. I could equally have chosen impressive young Australian, Belgian, German, Irish and Japanese winemakers working in the region to illustrate the theme – as well as aspiring young French men and women.
For
