Pommard, the wine and the village, both steeped in history and tradition many centuries into the past during which it has been considered the typical red Burgundy. The vines and lands surrounding this sleepy village formerly belonged to the Dukes of Burgundy, to religious houses including the abbey of Cîteaux, or to old families. In medieval times it was considered to be the “flower” of Burgundian wines and the standard bearer to which all others were compared! It’s fame in the 19th century earned it the highest reputation and the aesthetic image of being forceful and virile. Today it is known as being “a masculine wine” in contrast to its immediate neighbour, Volnay, which is described as “the most feminine of wines”.

We have visited and stayed in Pommard many times, tasted and bought Pommard wines, all Pinot Noir, from the basic Bourgogne Red, to village wines named as Pommard, and up to the premier cru wines such as Les Rugiens. We have good friends in the Rebourgeon family who live and make their wines in the centre of the village. There’s something about this village, the surrounding vines, the landscape and the people, that attracts us like a moth to a flame. It seems to have entered our bones and our souls, we can feel the traditions that still exist here as if the terroir is speaking to us, especially as we taste a glass of Pommard, or better still …. taste a whole range of Premier Cru wines with the many winemakers in the village.

My series of posts entitled WineArt have been inspired by two of my blogging friends, Marion at candiacomesclean, and Danell at Vinthropology. Danell is a Sommelier educated in Art & Dance who is now running a Wine & Culture Association in Italy. Marion is quite different, an artist who paints and photographs for pleasure and commercially. She lives just a few hundred yards away from us in our Cotswolds village. Their writing and photography especially have provided the inspiration to look wider and deeper beyond the glass. Wine is often surrounded by or part of aesthetic beauty, landscapes such as a vineyard on the slopes of Burgundy or on the South Downs of England, the architecture of medieval wine villages across Alsace or the chateau of Loire, the exterior of modern day winery buildings, the interiors with sleek stainless steel tanks lined up like something from a science fiction movie, the ancient barrels in a wine cellar, the decor in a brasserie and wine bar. It only takes a little mindfulness to “see” them all.

Categories: Burgundy, Photography, Wine, wineart

Tags: aesthetics, mindfulness, Pinot noir, Pommard, Wine Art, wine lovers, wine philosophy, Wine Travel, wineart