WINDSOR, Calif.—Burgundy and the vineyards from which Sonoma-Cutrer, a winery in Windsor, Calif., takes its grapes share a similar terroir. It comes as no surprise that both focus on cultivating the same varietals, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Every two years Mick Schroeter, Sonoma-Cutrer’s winemaking director, travels to Burgundy to touch base with the varietal “roots,” ensuring the estate stays true to its mission. “We marry together Burgundian traditions with Californian ingenuity,” he said.
In eastern France, Burgundy stretches a long, thin line from Auxerre in the north to Lyon in the south. Archaeological evidence places Burgundy’s viticulture as far back as the second century A.D., and some historians argue the Celts planted vines before the Romans conquered Gaul in 51 B.C. Talk about “Old World.”
