ABSTRACT
The oldest vineyard discovered so far in Burgundy dates back to the second century a.d. The Aedui, a Gallic tribe, who lived between the Morvan mountains and the Saone Valley were quite open to new ideas and Mediterranean culture. They adopted the Roman invaders’ techniques and lifestyles. Great wine drinkers, they planted vines at the foot of the hills. In the summer of 2008, Jean-Pierre Garcia, chairman of the Archaeology and Geology Department of the University of Dijon, and his team revealed the presence of a vineyard planted in Gevrey-Chambertin at the turn of the first century a.d. In fact, the alignment of rectangles in the 2.5-acre plot which puzzled non-specialists corresponded to the set-up of vineyards in
