Lieu-dit

''Lieu-dit'' (; plural: ''lieux-dits'') (literally ''location-said'', "named place") is a French toponymic term for a small geographical area bearing a traditional name. The name usually refers to some characteristic of the place, its former use, a past event, etc. A lieu-dit may be uninhabited, which distinguishes it from an ''hameau'' (hamlet), which is inhabited.
In Burgundy, the term ''climat'' is used interchangeably with ''lieu-dit''.

Etymology

English speakers seem to have discovered the concept through oenology and have considered it as a wine term which in its typical usage translates as "vineyard name" or "named vineyard". Typically, a ''lieu-dit'' is the smallest piece of land which has a traditional vineyard name assigned to it. In most cases, this means that a ''lieu-dit'' is smaller than an ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC).

Use in France

In some cases, ''lieux-dits'' appear on wine labels, in addition to the AOC name. This is most commonly seen for Alsace wine and Burgundy wine. It may not always be easy for consumers to tell if a name on a wine label is a ''lieu-dit'' or a cuvée name created by the producer.

The only case of mandatory mention of a ''lieu-dit'' is in Alsace, for Alsace Grand Cru AOC. The Grand Cru designation may only be used if a ''lieu-dit'' is indicated. ''Lieux-dits'' may also be indicated on regular Alsace AOC wines, but is not mandatory.

In Burgundy, the term ''climat'' is used interchangeably with ''lieu-dit''. The use of the ''lieu-dit'' varies with the level of classification of the wine. Although the Grand Cru burgundies are generally considered to be classified on the vineyard level and defined as separate AOCs (with the exception of Chablis Grand Cru), some Burgundy Grand Crus are in fact divided into several ''lieux-dits''. An example is Corton, where it is fairly common to see ''lieux-dits'' such as Les Bressandes, Le Clos de Roi and Les Renardes indicated. For village level burgundies, the ''lieu-dit'' may only be indicated in smaller print than the village name to avoid confusion with Premier Cru burgundies, where the village and vineyard name are indicated in the same size print.

In Rhône, ''lieux-dits'' are most commonly seen for some of the top wines of the region. Two examples are the ''lieu-dit'' La Landonne or La Chatillonne within Côte-Rôtie. Not all sites have been registered as ''lieux-dits''. For example La Mouline and Les Jumelles are ''les marques'' of individual producers.

Outside France

In the United States, the labeling of vineyard designated wines follows the similar practice of highlighting the particular vineyard that the grapes are sourced from.

References

{{Authority control

Types of administrative division
Wine terminology
French wine
Wine classification
French words and phrases