The first attempt to classify the wines of Burgundy was only made in the 19th century. The man responsible was Dr Lavallé, whose "Histoire et statistique de la vigne et des grands vins de Côte d'Or" established a distinction at the time between the grand first growth (the very best) and first, second and third growths. The page has since turned in favour of AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlée) classification. This is based on the specific characteristics of the soils, and defines four different categories of wine from the most generic to the those of highest repute. These are, in ascending order, Appellation Régionale, Appellation Communale, Premier Cru and Grand Cru.
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