A shared rulebook, eight sets of grapes, and a price that still undercuts the neighbor to the north. The category rewards anyone willing to read past the word on the label.

The Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée is the most imitated idea in wine, the reason a French label names a place instead of a grape. It guarantees a great deal, but not quite the thing most people assume.

Where monastic devotion to single vineyards created a wine philosophy that transforms Pinot Noir and Chardonnay into liquid poetry, commanding prices that defy economic logic.

Where devotion to terroir and uncompromising quality standards create bottles that transcend wine to become cultural artifacts commanding unprecedented devotion and prices.

A closer look at Pinot Noir, and how various examples of this fine grape differ from each other.

The chardonnay grape wears many hats, from Burgundy's gold standard to global phenomenon.