1950 Pictorial Map of Burgundy (Bourgogne) Wine Region, France

This is an anonymous c. 1950 map of the Bourgogne (Burgundy) wine region in France. The map depicts the region around the Yonne River, Auxerre, and Chablis, as well as the region from the Ouche River and Dijon, along the Saône River south past Macon to Lyon.

Bourgogne's Wine Producing Areas

At the center is an illustration of the region's different wine-growing areas. A key along the left border specifies which color corresponds with each different kind of wine. Above the key are explanations of the various terms associated with wines from Bourgogne, including the differences between the red and white wines produced in the region. The different wines produced here include Auxerre, Chablis, Hautes Côtes de Nuits, Côtes de Nuits, Hautes Côtes de Beaune, Côtes de Beaune, Mercurey, Maconnais, and Beaujolais.

Celebrating Burgundians

The illustration of the region is surrounded by portraits of famous French citizens from Bourgogne. Some of these include Jacques Amyot, a renowned Renaissance translator of works by Plato and the Bishop of Auxerre; Restif de la Bretonne, a French novelist who wrote a famous account of Paris during the French Revolution; Colette, a 20th-century French novelist who was the second woman to be elected a member of the Goncourt Academy; and Sébastien Le Prestre, marquis de Vauban, who is celebrated for creating a system of citadels in eastern France, which today are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Occupying the top center, Bourgogne's armorial crest is flanked by the phrase, 'A la gloire de Monseigneur le Vin de Bourgogne qui fait trinquer le monde à la santé de la France,' which roughly translates to, 'To the glory of the wines of Bourgogne with which the world toasts the health of France.' The border is comprised of snails, vines, grapes, and leaves.

Publication History and Census

This map, drawn by an artist known only by the initials 'RM,' is undated, and we know of one other example in private hands. Thus, due to several different factors, such as the paper and printing process, we have dated this map as c. 1950, but it is impossible to know with certainty. Another edition, likely published around the same time, bears the imprint 'Proprieté de Vogade Vezelay Reproduction Interdite' in the bottom right margin.