Burgundy, Prunoy and the Great Wine Producer
What is referred to in the United States as incorporated municipalities of cities are often called communes in France. Even the great city of Paris is a commune, but so are a 10,000 inhabitant town and a 10 person hamlet called communes in France. One such commune is Prunoy, found in the north-central part of France in the world famous Burgundy region, the great wine making area of France.
Burgundy is of course one of the world’s most well-known wine-making regions, and it is also one of the main producers of wine in France. Both red and white wines come from Burgundy, and some of the more famous grapes come from this region, such as: Sauvignon Blanc, Aligot, Pinot Blanc, Gamay, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Burgundy region itself is divided into smaller areas where different kinds of wine are made. These areas are Beaujolais, Chablis, Mâcon and Cote Chalonnnaise. One more area, the Côte-d’Or, is where the most expensive and prized Burgundy wines are found.
There is a canal in Burgundy which connects the Yonne and Saone Rivers. The construction of the canal was begin in 1765, but was not completed until 1832, and allowed barges to easily travel from the north to the south of France. At the high point of the canal a tunnel is found, 3.333 kilometers long and straight. The total length of the canal is 400 kilometers and is used today mostly for tourism. Dijon is the most important city found along the length of the canal, and there is a harbor there.