This area is dedicated to wine professionals including sommeliers, restaurateurs, wine store owners importers and trainers. Welcome to your very own BIVB website where you can find all the tips and tools you need. You will find documentation, photography, training tools and all kinds of other useful information here to facilitate your search. You can also browse our events and training calendar and you are welcome to attend any that appeal. If you require any further information then don’t hesitate to contact us!
This year, the Hospices de Beaune is partnering with Sotheby’s to host the 161st edition of the celebrated wine auction.
This key event in the Beaune calendar continues to reinvent itself, defending and promoting issues that are important to today’s society. This year, profits from the sale of the Pièce des Présidents charity barrel will be donated to two organizations promoting women’s rights.
In addition to supporting charitable organizations, which it has done since 1978, the Hospices de Beaune wine auction also supports the local healthcare infrastructure, mainly through updating medical equipment and modernizing infrastructure. The reconstruction of the Philippe le Bon hospital represents an investment of €70 million, spread over the next six years.
Every year, more than 500 pièces, the traditional Bourgogne barrel containing 228 liters, are put up for sale.
And this year, as usual, a series of events will be organized in parallel to the auction to ensure a fun and festive weekend. In particular, all the latest Bourgogne vintages will be available for tasting at the Palais des Congrès on Saturday 20 November from 9am to 7pm.
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Bouzeron
This appellation, which showcases the qualities of the Aligoté grape, is an exception in Bourgogne.
The Bouzeron appellation is one of the finest exceptions in Bourgogne where, of 44 Village appellations, it’s the only one produced exclusively from the Aligoté varietal.
• Location
The vines of the Bouzeron appellation grow on south-facing slopes with good soil, located in the villages of Bouzeron and Chassey-le-Camp. These villages of the Côte Chalonnaise, separated from Santenay by the valley of the Dheune, are very close to Rully and Chassagne-Montrachet. They have been active since the dawn of time and were even the inspiration for the prehistoric civilization of the Chasseans.
• Terroir
Vines in the Bouzeron Village AOC grow exclusively at the top of the slope on soil comprising white marl and dominant limestone. The Aligoté grape flourishes on this terroir, located at 270-350 meters above sea level. The vines enjoy this sunny location facing east-southeast.
The bottom of the slopes is used for growing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, producing wines sold under the Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise AOC.
• Sommelier’s tips
Between vigor and roundness, these wines are often very indulgent and delicately powerful. They are great served with oysters, bringing citrussy notes and channeling the salinity of the shellfish with sustained minerality. Bouzeron is also perfect with seafood, poultry, risotto, and with many cheeses, particularly most goat cheese, Beaufort, Comté, or even Cîteaux.
The Tastevinage is one of the most ancient wine competitions in Bourgogne. During the 108th edition, some 136 wines were awarded the prestigious badge.
The Tastevinage competition was created in 1950 by the Brotherhood of the Knights of Tastevinage. It selects the Bourgogne wines that best represent the characteristics of their appellation and vintage, in order to offer consumers a quality guarantee. The Tastevinage is a helpful guide through the complexity of Bourgogne terroir.
The 108th edition ran on 10 September at the Château du Clos de Vougeot. In total, 411 Bourgogne wines were sampled by around 100 jury members, including winegrowers, négociants, restaurateurs, sommeliers, representatives of caves cooperative, presidents of winegrowing unions, and journalists.
Some 136 wines were awarded the Tastevinage label. These included 43 Régionale appellations, 48 Village appellations, 41 Village Premier Cru, and four Grand Cru.
Jennifer Docherty, Master of Wine based in Hong Kong, gives us her point of view on Bourgogne wines.
Last month, Jennifer Docherty told the renowned magazine The Drinks Business about her favorite Bourgogne wines.
“Personally, I like Saint-Aubin Premier Cru, which are wines that are often well concentrated with good acidity levels, offering good value for money. As for producers, I recommend Jane Eyre, who makes wines from little-known appellations like Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru. Her wine really shows how wonderful Pinot Noir can be when grown in lesser-known villages,” she said.
Read the full interview with Jennifer Docherty here.
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Bourgogne Week in London
Bourgogne Week London is one of the most eagerly anticipated wine industry events in the calendar. The next edition will run from 10-14 January 2022.
Bourgogne Week London is one of the most eagerly anticipated wine industry events in the calendar. The next edition will run from 10-14 January 2022.
The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) supports all the events laid on by importers via an exclusive communication platform. Digital events will also run across various social media, in particular Twitter and Instagram, with the #BourgogneWeek hashtag.
More information will be available in December’s edition of the Bourgogne International newsletter.
Three trade lunches in the USA in December
Get off the beaten track and discover some surprising food and Bourgogne wines pairings.
The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) is hosting wine-pairing lunches in Houston, Atlanta, and Las Vegas, for sommeliers, importers, and wholesalers from 6-10 December 2021.
The surprising food and wine combinations on offer will reveal a new side to Bourgogne wines.
Bourgogne vs. Burgundy: to re-affirm their identity, the region and the producers are reverting back to the original French iteration of the name, Bourgogne.
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