I had a recurring thought as I was tasting new recipes for Chef Mavro's fall menu (which launched yesterday) and pre-selecting some wines for consideration by our pairing committee: "I could find a burgundy to go with every one of these dishes!" I used to tell my co-workers that there is a burgundy out there for every dish you can think of. While this may be a stretch, the wines of Burgundy are very versatile, food-friendly and are some of the most famous and sought-after in the world.

Burgundy is known for its elegant silky reds and mineral-driven powerful whites. Burgundian producers Domaine de la Romaineé-Conti, Henri Jayer, Domaine Leroy, Domaine Leflaive, Domaine Meo-Camuzet and Domaine des Comte Lafon are some of the world's top estates, the ones that make oenophiles run for their wallets and their glasses.

But the mere mention of Burgundy can make newcomers to the wine world shudder in fear. It is one of the most difficult wine regions to grasp but also one of the most rewarding once understood.

The simplest thing to know about Burgundy is the white wines are made from chardonnay and the reds are pinot noir except in Beaujolais, where they are gamay. They also produce sparkling wine in Burgundy, which shouldn't be surprising since chardonnay and pinot noir are the two main grapes in champagne.

What makes Burgundy complicated is the fragmentation of its vineyards. There are more than 30,000 growers and 700 appellations d'origine contrôlée, or AOC, in Burgundy. This is due to the Napoleonic inheritance laws. A prime example of this fragmentation is the grand cru vineyard of Clos de Vougeot. It is the largest single vineyard in Burgundy at 50 hectares, or about 123 acres. And it has 80 individual owners! Naturally, the quality of the wines of Clos de Vougeot varies.

The region runs from Auxerre in the north down to Lyon in the south. It is broken down into five districts (from north to south): Chablis, Côte D'Or (which is further divided into the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune), Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais and Beaujolais.

To keep it simple, remember the Côte de Nuits and Côte Chalonnaise are where the majority of the pinot noir is grown, and in the Côte de Beaune and Mâconnais, chardonnay is king.

The wines of Burgundy are broken down into four basic quality levels: grand cru AOC premier cru AOC, village AOC and Burgundy AOC. The highest quality level is grand cru. They are generally grown higher on the hills of Burgundy with the most direct sunlight and the best drainage. Next are the premier cru wines a little lower on the hills, and finally the village wines from the valley floors. In Burgundy, AOC wines are made from a blend of grapes that come from anywhere within Burgundy.

Although bargains are rare in Burgundy, it is still possible to find great wines that you won't have to take out a second mortgage to enjoy. A few "bargain" villages would be St-Aubin, St Romain, and wines from the Mâconnais for white wine. The first two are very similar to the wines of Puligny-Montrachet, being right up the valley from it. They tend to be lean and mineral with moderate oak influence.

The wine from the Mâconnais are more fruit-driven because the climate is a little warmer and can have more of an oaky character to them. For reds, try wines, try Santenay, Givry, Marsannay or Fixin. Although they are generally lighter, they have that pure pinot noir character.

I don't know how much of a bargain you can get a grand cru wine for, but try those from Aloxe-Corton and Corton for reds and Corton-Charlemagne for whites. Vincent Giradin is an excellent producer whose grand cru wines can be on the more affordable side.

Here are some burgundies I have seen around town that are great with food or on their own: