2020 is a year that has been playing with the nerves of everyone on the planet. And winegrowers in Bourgogne are no exception. With an historically early harvest start date, good organization was key to ensuring the wineries were ready to receive the first grapes on 12 August for the most advanced plots.
Our patchwork of plots lived up to this description with plots ripening at different times, which were the result of different flowering dates of course, but also dependent on where rain - if any - had fallen throughout the season. Picking began between 90 and 100 days after flowering.
The first juices are delicious, with great vigor. 2020 promises quality, but this vintage will definitely not be remembered as an easy one!
The VITA Bourgogne program was created because the Bourgogne winegrowing industry is suffering from a serious lack of qualified employees. According to a survey carried out jointly by the CAVB and the FNEB in the spring of 2019, almost 700 jobs for cellar managers, tractor drivers, administrative employees, winegrowing employees, and so on were unfilled.
The Vita Bourgogne website was thus launched on 1 September to respond to this shortfall. The idea is to inform the general public about jobs in winegrowing and winemaking, about training programs offering qualifications for those jobs, and to help potential employees apply online for positions offered by those in the Bourgogne wine trade.
This website is also a platform that brings together a wealth of information about the winegrowing trade in Bourgogne, about the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in general, and events hosted by VITA Bourgogne to bring together job seekers and employers.
The VITA Bourgogne program was developed by the Confédération des Appellations et des Vignerons de Bourgogne (CAVB) and the Union des Maisons de Vin de Grande Bourgogne (UMVGB). It is co-financed by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB), the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Region, and the Fonds Social Européen. VITA Bourgogne is an innovative solution and a unique initiative in the winegrowing trade in France.
Get back into restaurants and enjoy 50% off the bill (excluding drinks) – that’s the message of the “Back to the Restaurant” operation, launched by TheFork (TripAdvisor Group) and supported by Bourgogne wines.
Gourmet diners from 22 the countries where TheFork operates have two months, from 17 September to 17 November, to enjoy this offer and eat at their favorite restaurants for less. Some 10,000 establishments will be joining the movement.
The restaurant trade is a market that is very loyal to Bourgogne wines, and has suffered greatly during the pandemic. It is only natural that the Bourgogne wine trade would wish to offer their support through the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB). The BIVB is actively promoting the event and also providing significant financial aid.
The appellation’s 47 Climats revealed in just a few clicks.
The Chablis AOC is home to 47 Climats that can be mentioned on the wine label. There are 40 Chablis Premier Cru Climats and seven Chablis Grand Cru ones. And now, their secrets are revealed.
The Chablis Wines website has recently had a makeover, and includes a new section dedicated to the appellation’s Climats. In just a few clicks, you can access a wealth of information about the character, history, and legends of each one, thus becoming a true specialist in the appellation!
The École des Vins de Bourgogne invites confirmed wine lovers, newcomers, and professionals alike to join this convivial tasting certification training program.
The Taster’s Certification is designed for all those who would like to widen out their understanding of Bourgogne wines. To obtain this qualification, students must undertake a three-day course at the École des Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, the beating heart of Bourgogne winegrowing.
The program (in French for this edition) includes the fundamentals of sensorial analysis, tasting methodology, landscape readings, wine service, and tastings. Three packed days with plenty of practical sessions will immerse students in the fascinating world of Bourgogne wines.
This training program is open to all, and the next session runs from Monday 23 November to Wednesday 25 November 2020.
The cost per person is €795, which includes three days of training with tasting and lunches, local transportation during the day, landscape readings, a visit to a cooperage, and a visit to a wine estate.
Register online at www.ecoledesvins-bourgogne.com* or by email to ecoledesvins@bivb.com. For more information, please call: +33 (0)3 80 26 35 10**
*If you have different dates in mind, or perhaps a different theme, or if you require training in another language, the École des Vins de Bourgogne is happy to tailor its training to suit.
** The health and safety measures currently in place allow us to combine some of our top priorities, namely the health and well-being of all participants and sharing of experiences.
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Economy
Bourgogne wines holding up well despite a tricky international context
After an exceptional 2019 vintage, the pandemic made Bourgogne winegrowers and négociants fear the worst. While initial results for 2020 are better than expected, the crisis could last for some time now.
The first six months of 2020 have seen Bourgogne wines well represented across markets, despite volumes from the 2019 vintage being lower than those from 2018. This stability is, however, under threat from the global economic context linked to COVID-19, and by new trading conditions.
Stocks in the winery are in line with five-year averages and can satisfy market demand. But the trend for less wine drinking, particularly in France, is encouraging the industry to work together to better manage the ratio of supply and demand.
> Transaction volumes and sales from estates were down in 2019-2020 as a result of low yields from the 2019 harvest.
> Exports of Bourgogne wines during the first six months of 2020 were hit hard by the lockdown. But January, February, and June were very good in terms of volume.
> In France, Bourgogne wines are maintaining and even improving their position on modern circuits, in particular thanks to convenience stores and click-and-collect.
For the past decade, the Organisme de Défense et de Gestion management body for the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC has been working with the INAO to have Premier Cru wines from this appellation finally recognized. Nothing has been overlooked with the reputation, usage, and natural characteristics of each plot being scrupulously studied down to the tiniest detail.
This work has resulted in the classification of 22 Premier Cru Climats, representing 194 hectares, or 24% of the total Pouilly-Fuissé AOC. They are spread across the appellation’s four communes, namely Chaintré, Fuissé, Solutré-Pouilly, and Vergisson.
Unlike the other Bourgogne Village AOCs, those from the Mâconnais have never had any Climats classified as Premier Cru. The ODG management body of the Pouilly-Fuissé AOC was the first to request that the superior characteristics of certain plots should be acknowledged. The application for these plots to be upgraded to Premier Cru status was first lodged in 2010.
This year, winemakers will be offering tastings in their cellars rather than in the town center, in order to ensure the safety of visitors.
On 24 and 25 October, the winegrowers of Chablis and Grand Auxerrois will open their cellars from 10am to 6pm to welcome wine lovers for free tastings. The traditional Fête des Vins wine glass will be provided free of charge.
Participating wine houses and estates will also be offering tours and other activities for young and adults alike, to make this weekend even more festive.
The baptism of the vintage, the banquet and parade of the Confrérie des Piliers Chablisiens, along with the traditional enthronements, will not be taking place this year.
Every year, the Hospices de Beaune estate holds its famous and historic auction on the third Sunday of November. For this 160th edition, the Hospices Civils de Beaune and the Château de Chambord are combining their talents to make the sale of the 2020 Pièce des Presidents charity barrel of wine a unique experience.
Firstly, in terms of the choice of wine: Ludivine Griveau, manager of the Hospices de Beaune wine estate has rigorously selected the best vines from the Climat ‘Les Froichots’ on the Clos de la Roche Grand Cru plot.
Secondly, in terms of the container, as this wine will be aged in an oak barrel specially made from wood from the Chambord estate.
And finally, in terms of where the wine will be aged, as the buyer of the Pièce des Présidents 2020 will have the exceptional opportunity to see the wine matured in the cellars of the Hospices de Beaune itself.
All of this should encourage plenty of generous buyers to the sale.
All profits from the auction will be donated to two charities representing hospital workers in France:
- The Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF)
- The Comité de Gestion des Œuvres Sociales des Établissements Hospitaliers Publics (CGOS)
They will ensure the monies raised will be distributed to hospital staff and their families hard hit by the current pandemic.
To open the festivities, on Friday 13 November, journalists and wine professionals will be able to taste a wide range of Bourgogne appellations (vintages 19 and 20) at the Fête des Grands Vins at the Palais des Congrès in Beaune. Unfortunately, due to the health crisis, the event will not be open to the public this year.
Several events have been organized for the press, with more information to follow in the October edition of the En Direct newsletter.
The Bourgogne winegrowing region has some 900 cellars open to the public. Indeed, welcoming visitors in the cellar is an age-old tradition. To ensure this continues, it needs to be reinvented, and this is no mean feat for the industry since direct sales represent some 15% of all sales of Bourgogne wines.
Our cellars have adapted to the new rules regarding social distancing to continue welcoming the general public, and interesting new initiatives are flourishing across the region. Winegrowers, négociants, and cooperative cellars have significantly developed their wine tourism offer in order to continue to ensure convivial moments, to introduce visitors to the profession, and to share their passion and their wines.
For example, in Chassagne-Montrachet, the Armand Heitz estate is welcoming visitors by appointment for tastings and visits to their cellars, vines, and their micro-permaculture farm. In Chablis, at the Long-Depaquit estate, tastings are offered outside, and winery visits are limited to groups of six. In Fixin, at the Domaine du Clos Saint Louis, in addition to traditional tastings, it is now possible to visit the vines and enjoy a home-cooked meal. Over in the Mâconnais at the Château de la Greffière, after visiting the vines and the different parts of the estate, there is an eco-museum to explore with a collection of winemaking equipment. Meanwhile, on the Côte Chalonnaise, the Château de Chamirey has designed cooking and enology classes on the premises. You simply have to take your pick from this extensive offer.
To ensure visitor safety, Bourgogne producers can use the “Good Practices for Wine-Tourism Service Providers” guide, published by Vin & Société, and take advantage of individual spittoons provided by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB).
The Domaine des Deux Roches was created in 1986 by Jean-Luc Terrier and Christian Collovray, whose sons, Pierre-Alexis and Julien, are about to join the team. It has 63 hectares of vines in the Mâconnais, across the Saint-Véran, Pouilly-Fuissé, and Mâcon-Villages AOCs, and was awarded level three Haute Valeur Environnementale certification in 2017.
Pierre-Alexis Terrier learned the trade working on vinification at the Bernard Defaix estate in Chablis before moving to New Zealand. He also worked as a sommelier in London, and in sales at the Caveau de Cessy. Julien Collovray obtained a BTS in winegrowing and enology from Nimes and a master’s from the IHEDRA school in Paris. He has gained work experience in vinification at the Domaine de l’Aigle in Roquetaillade, the Domaine Arjolle in the Hérault, and at the Acorn Hill Winery in Virginia. This extensive experience should help bring a new dynamic to the estate.
In parallel, the estate is expanding its wine-tourism offer with accommodation on the premises in Davayé. From Le Balcon des Deux Roches, guests enjoy fabulous views over to the Roche de Solutré and the Roche de Vergisson, in the heart of the vines of Saint-Véran and Pouilly-Fuissé.
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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