Its hills are made up of a rich alkaline clay soil which the Chardonnay grape variety loves. To illustrate this, in the north of the region is the small village of Chardonnay from where the noble grape derives its name. As one moves further south, the climate becomes hotter and sunnier and one can find the four villages of Pouilly-Fuissé; Vergisson, Solutré-Pouilly, Fuissé and Chaintré, all of which lie in the shelter of the wave-shaped limestone hills. The most notable of which is the rock of Solutré in whose shadow was the annual holiday venue of the late French Socialist President Francois Mitterand. At the base of the rock of Solutré lies a layer of prehistoric animal bones. Their presence here attests to the hunting practices of the prehistoric natives who would drive their quarry over the edge to their death far below.

It was from this region that the Grandfather of  the current Louis Latour sought out high-quality and good-value wines to export to the newly liberated American market after the Repeal of Prohibition. This wine was called "Grand Pouilly" or as we call it today, Pouilly-Fuissé which is currently America's most popular Burgundy wine.

The wine is deliciously fresh and is ideal drunk when young but if left to age it will develop an increasingly complex bouquet.

The other important wine-producing area forming a gilded belt around the vineyards of Pouilly-Fuissé is the appellation of St-Véran. By a curious twist the appellation has lost the "d" at the end of its name and initially it was named after the village of St-Vérand. Vinified in a similar fashion to Pouilly-Fuissé the wines are emerald gold in colour, dry but well-rounded, light, supple and fruity.

There are a number of village communes which have the right to produce " Macon Villages ". A light, charming lively wine with fruit and flower aromas.