- Mercurey
-
Mercurey
MercureyLocation within Burgundy region
MercureyAdministration Country France Region Burgundy Department Saône-et-Loire Arrondissement Chalon-sur-Saône Canton Givry Mayor Dominique Juillot
(2008–2014)Statistics Elevation 206–391 m (676–1,283 ft)
(avg. 236 m/774 ft)Land area1 15.44 km2 (5.96 sq mi) Population2 1,494 (2006) - Density 97 /km2 (250 /sq mi) INSEE/Postal code 71294/ 71640 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. Coordinates: 46°50′24″N 4°43′11″E / 46.84°N 4.71972222222°E
Mercurey dates from pre-historic times, and is the most widely recognized and important wine village of the Côte Chalonnaise, producing more wines than all other village appellations combined.
It is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the Bourgogne region of eastern France.
The town was first documented in the foundation charter for the Saint-Marcel de Chalon-sur-Saône Monastery, which is believed to be have been around 580, under the name 'Mercureis'. This was changed in 885 to 'Mercuriacum', became 'Mercoriacus' in 942 and the 11th century brought about another change to 'Mercuriacus'.
The name is thought to have been derived from the Roman God Mercury, who in Roman mythology was a messenger for the Gods, as well as the God of trade and abundance, and patron of travellers.
According to historical documents the Romans built a temple in his honour when the town was part of one of the Roman Empire's provinces, located on the Lyon to Arles section of their strategically important trading route, the Via Agrippa.
However there is no sign of the temple today, although a 13th century Roman Church still stands in the town.
It was the Romans who cultivated the areas along the Saône tributary which have become the modern day wine regions of Beaujolais, Mâconnais, Côte Chalonnaise and Côte d'Or.
Mercurey is a typical Burgundy wine village set in a hilly landscape, and the municipality as it exists today comes from a merger, between the former commune of Bourgneuf-Val-d'Or with the commune of Mercurey, in 1971.
Contents
Wine
Main article: Mercurey wineMercurey has 650 ha of vineyards and is the most important viticultural community in Burgundy. As the largest wine-producing area of the Côte Chalonnaise it has 30 premier cru vineyards. (Clos du Roi, Champs Martin, Clos l'évêque, Clos des Montaigu.....).
Around 90 percent of the wine produced is red, from the Pinot noir grape, with 10 percent white wine from the Chardonnay grape pressed with a percentage of Pinot blanc.[1]
Mercurey
Town Twinning
Mercurey is twinned with Genappe, and Melen, Walloon municipalities located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant.
See also
References
- ^ "Wines from Mercurey". www.wine-searcher.com. http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions/mercurey/1. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
External links
- The Beaune Tourist Office can supply tourist, historical and current information for Mercurey(English)
Weblinks
Categories:- Communes of Saône-et-Loire
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
