In taking hold in Burgundy, the vine has moved northwards beyond the limit of its “natural” growing conditions. It has prospered here thanks only to the diligent care and effort of the winegrowers allied to the particularly favourable geology. The success of the great Burgundian vineyards is the outcome of a longstanding mutual interplay dating back to at least the late (Gallo-) Roman Empire, between man, the grape varieties he has painstakingly selected and nurtured, and the terroir to which they have adapted. In the landscape atlas of the Yonne département, the area of hillside vineyards around Auxerre is defined as “agricultural gardenland”, forming landscapes of great quality. In this area, the places where the vine flourishes are limited to only certain locations. Though the slopes around Chablis are almost exclusively devoted to vineyards, south of Auxerre the vine is scattered here and there, growing only on hillsides overlooking both banks of the River Yonne. This sporadic appearance of vineyards in the landscape enhances their remarkable impact and value. Around our villages the vine goes hand in hand with other farmland (meadow, crop field, woodland and fallow), and the cherry orchards especially stand out as their silhouettes, shaped by pruning, combine with the often bare ground to form an outstanding and unusual display.