Burgundy (or Bourgogne in French) is arguably the world's most revered wine region, where Pinot Noir and Chardonnay reach their ultimate expression.
At Forest Wines, we're passionate about Burgundy wine because it represents everything we value: respect for terroir, minimal intervention winemaking, and wines with genuine soul. Whether you're exploring red Burgundy for the first time or deepening your knowledge, this guide will help you navigate one of France's most fascinating and complex wine regions.
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Why Burgundy fascinates
What is Burgundy wine? At its essence, it's wine from Burgundy, France, almost exclusively Pinot Noir for reds and Chardonnay for whites. But this simple answer doesn't capture why collectors spend fortunes, sommeliers dedicate careers, and wine lovers make pilgrimages to this relatively small region.
Burgundy's magic lies in terroir obsession. Nowhere else in the wine world is the concept of terroir (that untranslatable French term encompassing soil, climate, and sense of place) taken more seriously. A vineyard just meters away from another can produce dramatically different wine, and Burgundians have spent centuries mapping these differences with painstaking precision.
The pursuit of elegance over power. While Bordeaux builds structure, Burgundy Pinot Noir are wines of finesse, subtle aromatics, and incredible ageing potential. Best Burgundy red wine isn't about extraction or oak, it's about purity, transparency, and letting terroir speak.
The Burgundy wine region
Located in eastern France, the Burgundy region stretches just 160 miles from Chablis in the north to Beaujolais in the south (though Beaujolais is technically separate). Despite its relatively modest size, Burgundy's influence on global winemaking is enormous.
The key sub-regions:
Chablis (North): Produces some of the world's finest Chardonnay: bone-dry, mineral-driven, with razor-sharp acidity. The Kimmeridgian limestone soils create wines of great purity.
Côte d'Or (Heart of Burgundy): Split into two sections:
- Côte de Nuits: Red wine country, home to legendary villages like Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, and Nuits-Saint-Georges.
- Côte de Beaune: Both red and white, including Beaune, Pommard (reds) and Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet (whites).
Côte Chalonnaise: Excellent value Burgundy, producing both reds and whites with similar styles but more accessible prices.
Mâconnais (South): Chardonnay-focused region offering fresh, approachable wines at friendlier prices.
The Burgundy classification system
Burgundy's classification can seem bewildering, but it's actually quite logical once you understand the basic principle: smaller and more specific = higher quality.
Regional AOC (Bourgogne): Entry-level Burgundy from anywhere in the region. Still Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but from broader areas. Great everyday drinking.
Village AOC: Wine from a specific village (e.g., Gevrey-Chambertin, Meursault). More character, more terroir expression.
Premier cru: Exceptional vineyard sites within villages, designated "1er Cru" on labels. These represent roughly 10% of Burgundy production and offer serious quality.
Grand cru: The pinnacle. Just 1-2% of Burgundy production comes from 33 Grand Cru vineyards, each considered exceptional enough to stand alone without village name. Names like Montrachet, Romanée-Conti, and Chambertin command astronomical prices.
Burgundy's 84 appellations are divided among over 3,600 different producers. Unlike Bordeaux's château system, Burgundy vineyards are fragmented among multiple owners, each making wine from tiny parcels. This is why producer matters as much as appellation.
Pinot Noir & Chardonnay: Burgundy's signature grapes
Pinot Noir
Is Burgundy red? Yes, red Burgundy is Pinot Noir, one of the world's most finicky, expressive grapes. In Burgundy's cool climate and limestone soils, it achieves a delicate balance that's nearly impossible to replicate elsewhere.
What to expect:
- Aromas of red cherry, raspberry, violet, earth, and forest floor
- Silky tannins rather than gripping structure
- Bright acidity that makes it food-friendly and age-worthy
- Transparency: you taste the terroir, not just the grape
Ageing potential: Best Burgundy wine can age 10-20+ years, developing incredible complexity, sous-bois (forest floor), truffle, leather, and haunting secondary aromatics.
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Chardonnay
Burgundy Chardonnay ranges from Chablis's steely minerality to Meursault's buttery richness. The grape adapts brilliantly to terroir, creating wines of astonishing diversity within one region.
Styles:
- Chablis: Mineral, crisp, unoaked or lightly oaked.
- Côte de Beaune: Richer, often barrel-fermented, with notes of hazelnut, butter, and orchard fruit.
- Mâconnais: Fresh, fruit-forward, accessible.
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Burgundy's current challenges
Despite the rise in demand for lighter styles of red wines like Pinot Noir, Burgundy faces its most challenging period in recent history. Climate change has brought unprecedented extreme weather: frost, hail, record rainfall, and mildew, reducing yields dramatically.
The 2025 vintage marks the third drastically small harvest in just five years, with some producers reporting yield drops of up to 80%. The Côte de Nuits and Chablis were particularly devastated, with many growers reporting yields under one-third of normal crop. Florent Latour of Maison Louis Latour called 2024 "the most complicated season" he's witnessed in nearly 50 years.
What this means: Burgundy prices, already high, will climb further as scarcity intensifies. Smart wine lovers are seeking exceptional value in lesser-known appellations and exploring Burgundy alternatives.
The natural wine scene in Burgundy
While Burgundy is known for tradition, a quiet revolution has been happening. Over 40% of Burgundy's vineyard area is now certified or converting to sustainable or organic methods!
Pioneering producers like Jean-Philippe Fichet (practicing low intervention since 1981) and Emmanuel Giboulot (following biodynamic practices since 1996) have shown that minimal intervention and farming without synthetics produce wines of exceptional purity.
The shift to organic and biodynamic farming pushed many Burgundy winemakers toward lower intervention in the cellar, with producers realising it's not necessary to use commercial yeasts, they just need healthy soils and grapes.
At Forest Wines, we champion these producers who practice natural winemaking not as a trend, but as a return to how Burgundy was made for centuries, with respect for the land and minimal manipulation.
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Food pairing with Burgundy wine
Burgundy wines evolved alongside French cuisine, making them incredibly food-friendly:
Red Burgundy best pairings:
- Coq au vin (classic pairing!)
- Duck, game birds, venison
- Mushroom dishes (earth + earth = magic)
- Beef bourguignon
- Aged Comté or Epoisses cheese
White Burgundy best pairings:
- Escargots with garlic butter
- Roasted chicken with cream sauce
- Lobster, scallops, rich fish (sole meunière works great here)
- Comté cheese (works with both!)
- Creamy risotto
The golden rule: Burgundy's high acidity and elegant structure make it perfect for rich, butter and cream-based French cuisine.
Forest Wines' Burgundy Selection
We carefully curate Burgundy wine that offers exceptional quality and represents the region's diversity:
Browse our Burgundy collection to discover:
- Village-level Pinot Noir and Chardonnay offering authentic Burgundy character
- Organic and biodynamic producers practicing minimal intervention
- Lesser-known appellations providing exceptional value
- Wines that express terroir, not winemaker tricks
We focus on small, family-run estates farming sustainably and making wine with respect for tradition and transparency.
Bordeaux vs Burgundy: Understanding the difference
Bordeaux vs Burgundy is one of wine's great debates. Here's the simplified version:
Bordeaux: Blends (Cabernet Sauvignon + Merlot + others), structured, powerful, château-based, larger production. Eastern France, cooler climate, limestone soils.
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Burgundy: Single varieties (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay), elegant, nuanced, producer-based, tiny parcels. Southwest France, maritime climate, gravel soils.
Both are exceptional, but they represent different philosophies: power vs. finesse, blending vs. purity, structure vs. elegance.
Burgundy wine represents the best of terroir-driven winemaking. These are wines that make you pay attention and appreciate subtlety. Yes, they can be expensive and sometimes hard to find (especially now, with climate challenges reducing yields). But exploring Burgundy, whether Grand Cru or village-level, means tasting wines made with centuries of accumulated knowledge and profound respect for place.
At Forest Wines, we believe great Burgundy doesn't have to break the bank. By focusing on thoughtful producers, lesser-known villages, and wines made with integrity, we can offer you authentic Bourgogne that delivers the elegance, complexity, and terroir expression this region is famous for.
