Burgundy is where the idea of terroir was practically invented, thanks to monks who spent centuries mapping which slopes made the best wine. The whole place runs on just two grapes, Pinot Noir for reds and Chardonnay for whites, which means everything comes down to site, and the vineyards are sliced into a dizzying hierarchy from village to premier cru to grand cru. The limestone-rich Côte d’Or is the beating heart, producing wines of astonishing precision and a sense of place you can taste. It rewards study more than almost any region, which is exactly why wine geeks fall down the rabbit hole.