The Fall Table of Southern Burgundy

For all practical purposes, it is easiest to think of Maçonnais wines as white and Beaujolais as red. Red wine production in the Maçonnais has been on the decline for some time and much of the red wine still made there is labelled generically with no indication of regional origin. The best of what was once Beaujolais blanc now bears the Saint-Véran appellation.

The white wines of the Mâconnais are made from Chardonnay, sometimes in combination with Pinot blanc. Pouilly-Fuissé is the most celebrated and by far the most expensive; one of the best is Château Fuissé. At their best, the neighboring Pouilly-Vinzelles and Pouilly-Loché are similar in style and more affordable. Mâcon-Villages or the other Mâcon whites which take the name of a specific village — Mâcon-Viré, Mâcon-Lugny, etc. — are pleasant and refreshing, good as apéritif and hors d’oeuvre wines. They do not have the dimension of the white Burgundies from the Côte de Beaune, but the price is attractive and they are easy to drink.