Bourgogne Rouge wines are the still reds produced under the generic Bourgogne appellation. Created in 1937, it covers those Burgundy wines made from vineyards without a more location-specific title. Bourgogne Rouge wine can be produced from grapes grown in any one (or more) of 300 communes throughout Burgundy.
Pinot Noir is by far and away the predominant grape used under the title. The less well-known red variety César is also allowed, but only in the Yonne department (covering Chablis and a host of outlying titles) in northwestern Burgundy.
As of 2011 (the last census) there were around 1,855 hectares (just under 4,600 acres) of vines producing Bourgogne Rouge wines, spread right across Burgundy. This is well over double the 854ha (2,110 acres) designated for Bourgogne Blanc, even though Chardonnay accounts for 48 percent of plantings across Burgundy.
In the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits sub-regions, this surface area is concentrated mostly on the lower slopes of the Côte d'Or escarpment and the flat land beyond this. The land on the mid-slopes is generally occupied by more-prestigious Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards.