Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche is the IGP title for red, white and rosé wines that are made from an area in central Burgundy, just to the east of the Cote de Beaune. The catchment area of the IGP is quite specific and, because it is in Burgundy (where land classification and delimitation is famously rigorous), the effect is doubled.
A total of 20 small parishes in the southern Cote d'Or department are covered by the Sainte-Marie-La-Blanche title, surrounding the village of the same name located just four miles (6.5km) southeast of Beaune. The specified area spans roughly 15 miles (25km) – from Bonnencontre in the north to Saint-Loup-Geanges in the south, which just creeps into the neighboring Saone-et-Loire department.
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This is the land beyond the lowest slopes of the Cote d'Or escarpment and it is not granted the right to even the regional Bourgogne appellation. The slopes just to the west are a patchwork of highly prized vineyards bearing names like Montrachet and Corton. But the land here is flatter, more fertile and better suited to arable farming. That is not to say that no vines are planted, or that quality wine is not produced.
The area surrounding Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche is characterized by dense, clay loam soils, a far cry from the famous limestone soils of the Cote de Beaune. Water does not drain as effectively from the soils here, creating colder microclimates in the soils and leading to heightened vigor in the vines. To escape the worst effects of this, most Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche vineyards are planted on slopes where there is some natural drainage. The vineyards of Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche have a cool continental climate, although hills to the northeast help to shelter from cold weather systems.
Growers using the IGP are permitted to use Burgundian grape varieties, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well as the lesser-seen Aligote, Gamay and Pinot Gris varieties. Single varietal wines are not only permitted under the denomination: they make up the majority of Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche IGP wines.
The denomination was previously known as Vin de Pays de Sainte-Marie-la-Blanche, until the Vin de Pays category was changed to Indication Géographique Protégée in 2009. This change helped align French labeling standards with those of the European Union.
