Both Burgundy and Claret are anglicised versions of French words. England (and Ireland) have been important markets for French wine for centuries.
Burgundy is an anglicised version of Bourgogne, one of the best wine-producing regions of France. It is the home of the chardonnay and pinot noir grape varieties. The authorities in Bourgogne have made efforts to eradicate the use of the term Burgundy, with limited success. They point out that Bourgogne is the only region in France to have its name translated.
It is not just the English either. It is known as Burgund in Germany and Borgogno in Italy. Its usage dates back to ancient times when Burgundy (sorry, Bourgogne) was a big trading crossroads in Europe. But the authorities point out that it leads to confusion as it will never appear on a label, whereas you will always find Vin de Bourgogne, as well sometimes as Crémant de Bourgogne, Bourgogne Aligoté and others to describe different wines from the region.
The word Claret comes from the French word clairet. It refers to a red wine from Bordeaux, another great wine region of France.
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The English crown ruled Bordeaux for 300 years, and its wines were a vital export to Britain, traded in return for wool and other goods. It is believed that historically Bordeaux wines were light, almost rosé-like, and the French referred to them as clairet, meaning clear or transparent.
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The English name Claret appeared as early as the 16th century and was used to describe any red wine from Bordeaux. These days it is rarely used and has connotations of crusty colonels in dining clubs. You will occasionally find the word clarete on the labels of Spanish wines. It refers to a wine made by fermenting red and white grapes together leading to a very deep rosé or a very light red.
Using Burgundy and Claret as colours to describe clothes is also a little misleading as both wines can vary greatly in colour from pale rosé to deep purple.
