Burgundy is a color that understands life’s struggles. It offers compassion and empathy without easily being fooled or taken advantage of.
Color theory generally holds that red symbolizes power, passion and love – with deeper hues like burgundy intensifying this association further.
History
Burgundy is one of the oldest wine regions. Its origins can be traced back to when the Celts first settled the region centuries before being conquered by Romans and encouraged to cultivate vineyards and pay taxes as part of Roman rule – this became evidence of an ever-emerging wine culture within Burgundy.
Church was also instrumental to the area’s development; Cluny Abbey was an economic powerhouse until 1790 and the Revolution. Meanwhile Maizieres Abbey served as an economic powerhouse.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, Burgundy was one of the major ducal powers. During this era, its Dukes became leaders in wine production and commerce. This period also saw its state emerge as an unparalleled power in wine production and commerce.
In the 14th century, Dukes of Burgundy realized the significance of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines as flagship wines of their region, leading them to establish walled vineyards like today’s world-famous Clos de Vougeot as part of their strategy to protect vines against frost, hail, soil management and produce consistent quality crops. Cistercian monks also came into Burgundy during this time and introduced the concept of “terroir.”
Terroir is a French term that describes the influence of soil composition on wine quality. Burgundy boasts predominantly limestone and clay soils which allow grapes to absorb mineral nutrients for complex yet elegant wine making in this region.
Burgundy suffered during difficult times such as the Great Depression of the 1930s and both World Wars. Many growers turned to chemical fertilizers in order to increase yields and produce enough wine for themselves and their families, which eventually caused quality to diminish further. By 1985, however, Burgundy producers decided to refocus their efforts by decreasing yields while emphasizing grape varieties’ unique qualities.
Varietals
Burgundy is best-known for producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines, but the region also produces lesser-known varietals such as Aligote (white) and Vouvray (red). Wines from the Cote d’Or region are some of its most prized, from value priced regional Bourgogne wines all the way through to elite Grand Cru wines coveted by collectors; their prices reflect this quality.
Burgundian philosophy revolves around an idea known as “terroir”, which expresses how soil, climate and topography of an individual vineyard can influence its wine. This approach to wine classification has made Burgundy one of the world’s premier regions for quality wines.
After the French Revolution, when most church lands were sold off, most vineyards in Burgundy were divided up into small plots. This has resulted in numerous family-run domaines producing their own wines; some are excellent while others less so; meanwhile inheritance laws allow larger negociants to combine multiple grower wines under one label.
Burgundy’s vineyards can be divided into two distinct areas, the Cote de Nuits and Beaune. Each contains several communes or civil townships which, in turn, subdivide into villages; with each village further subdivided into “premier cru” and “grand cru” sites.
Burgundy offers more than its renowned appellations; in addition to “village” wine classification and an appellation dedicated to Aligote grape varieties. Both can provide great values made by small family-run estates.
As Pinot noir requires low yields in order to achieve quality wines, Burgundy wines can be more costly than its counterparts elsewhere. While some producers resort to blending, most prefer limiting yields as much as possible and some even opt for organic or biodynamic production methods. The top producers create complex yet elegant wines which pair beautifully with food; you may even enjoy sipping them young; however, for an authentic Burgundy experience its wines should age gracefully for years.
Aesthetics
Burgundy is an intense shade of reddish-brown with an exquisite hint of purple that exudes luxuriousness and richness. Not to be mistaken with maroon which has more of a red-brown color and lacks the slight purple tint seen in burgundy; or wine which has more of a berry-flavored sweetness and darker hue.
Burgundy works well when combined with colors from opposite ends of the color wheel, such as greens and blues. For an earthy aesthetic, it works wonderfully when combined with hunter green, kelly green and gold (matte or glittery). Furthermore, turquoise, navy blue and serenity blue work great as complementary hues while light and charcoal gray also complement it perfectly. Burgundy makes an excellent base color!
People often mistake Burgundy for tasting like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, an intense and dark red, however it doesn’t taste quite the same. Since Pinot Noir comes from Europe’s northernmost and therefore coldest red wine region, Burgundy wines tend to be lighter in color with lower tannin content compared to most other regions’ wines.
Burgundy wines are known for their elegance, beauty, and persistence – often described as possessing “the grace of ballet dancers, sinewy physiques from middle distance runners, and caressing textures on the palate”.
Burgundies are among the finest wines to drink at any temperature; even their most robust examples don’t overwhelm. As an embodiment of their terroir, great Burgundies always exude an ineffable fragrance and have a delicate yet lasting finish.
Picsart offers a selection of burgundy aesthetic stock photos, vectors and illustrations to inspire your next cocktail, wine bottle design or suit creation project. Burgundy has become increasingly fashionable due to its royal feel and sophisticated aesthetic; making incorporating this timeless color simple with our app. Pair millennial pink for an eye-catching color combination while using dusty pink as an energizing background in collages for modern designs.
Food Pairings
Burgundy has long been famed for its food and wine pairing tradition, perfected over centuries. Due to their medium intensity wines, they pair beautifully with many dishes while either complementing or complementing them perfectly.
Burgundy wines make for the ideal companions to coq au vin, an international version of a regional French dish that originated in Burgundy. This stew is composed of dark meat chicken (usually thighs and legs) seared in butter or duck fat and flowered before braising with carrots, onions, leeks and celery in a mirepoix of carrots onions leeks celery as well as spices such as garlic thyme parsley as well as red Burgundy wine from its village labeled bottle resulting in an immensely flavorful hearty dish which perfectly complements Pinot Noir wines.
Boeuf Bourguignon, a classic stew featuring beef cheeks and short ribs simmered in a red Burgundy sauce, calls for wines with deeper earthy flavors that go perfectly with its rich meatiness – red Burgundy wines make an excellent match with short ribs’ meatiness!
Pinot Noir wines pair well with pork dishes, especially those featuring apple, cherry or plum notes. Their fruity flavors balance out the sweet sauces used for braising or roasting pork dishes while cutting through any fatiness present in an otherwise fatty cut of meat such as leg or thigh meats.
White Burgundy pairs perfectly with oysters, shellfish and creamy pasta dishes. Chablis’ crisp mineral characters pair wonderfully with shellfish while Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet’s more densely oaked styles complement creamy pasta dishes as well as roast Bresse chicken dishes.
Burgundy wines are an absolute pleasure to drink on their own or to accompany a variety of food dishes. A good value bottle of Bourgogne Blanc makes an ideal pairing with light salads and an unoaked Chardonnay style is great with light cheeses or appetizers. Burgundy Pinot Noirs pair wonderfully with pork, lamb or Comte cheese dishes while picking up earthy notes from forest floors with ageing.