Market influencers from the UK and Hong Kong will be able perfect their knowledge of the Bourgogne wines with an immersive one-day event.
The “Escape to Bourgogne” concept is a simple one. It involves a one-day event hosted by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) for wine industry professionals and journalists to explore Bourgogne and its wines in depth. Participants are immersed in the region and its terroir and will discover its hidden secrets along with plenty of new ideas for exciting food and wine pairings.
The online event “Escape to Bourgogne” was first introduced in California in 2020 and was a great success. It is now being extended to Hong Kong and the UK in April.
This digital session that explores the heart of the Bourgogne terroir will allow participants to explore multiple aspects of the winegrowing region through short presentations from Official Bourgogne Wines Educators, along with live tastings in teams.
Participants are also invited to share their experiences on social media through Twitter and Instagram with the #EscapeToBourgogne hashtag.
More information coming soon.
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At your service
Les Grands Jours en Caves: Some 550 estates set to take part
From 15-19 March, estates and wine houses will open their doors to professionals and journalists. There will also be an online press conference.
Les Grands Jours en Caves is a week-long event during which producers in Bourgogne are exclusively inviting journalists and wine buyers - including sommeliers, restaurateurs, winestore owners, importers, wholesalers, and sales agents - to discover the most recent vintages, including the formidable 2019, which has just arrived on the market.
The estates and wine houses will be welcoming visitors by appointment only throughout the week of 15-19 March, with full social distancing measures being respected. Some 550 producers have already signed up, and the full list will be revealed on 15 February on the event’s website.
The event was set up in this way to allow all participants to adapt according to the health situation and restrictions regarding travel to France.
The Grand Jours en Caves will also include an international press conference that will be broadcast live on the web on Tuesday 16 March at 5pm CET. This event-within-the-event will be held in French and English, and will be destined for journalists who are able to attend in person as well as those watching remotely.
It will cover all the latest news and key issues currently facing the region, including:
* Les Grands Jours en Caves: The 2021 event as a forerunner to Les Grands Jours de Bourgogne in 2022
* The 2019 vintage; the latest arrival on the market
* The financial situation of Bourgogne wines: A 2020 round-up and forecasts for 2021
* Start of work on the Cités des Vins et des Climats de Bourgogne
You can watch the press conference live on 16 March at http://vins-bourgogne.live, and there is also the possibility to ask questions via Chat.
A complete list of participating wine houses, cellars, and estates will be available 15 February on the Grands Jours en Caves website so you can start setting up your appointments.
The 35th edition of the Concours des Vins de Chablis wine competition was held on Saturday 23 January under exceptional circumstances, with a reduced jury and strict social distancing.
Used by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) during communication and training events in France and abroad, the 27 medal-winning wines will be the worthy ambassadors for the Chablis appellations in 2021.
Winning wines need to be both representative of their appellations and their vintage. This year, Petit Chablis, Chablis, and Chablis Premier Cru wines from 2019 were all in the running. Wines from the Chablis Grand Cru appellation featured from the 2018 vintage.
Straddling the vines of Puligny-Montrachet and Meursault, the hamlet of Blagny perches atop one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the Côte de Beaune. It produces the red appellations of Blagny and Blagny Premier Cru, and white appellations of Puligny-Montrachet or Meursault, depending on where the plot is located.
An island of red in a sea of whites
With 4.46 hectares, Blagny is one of the smallest AOCs in Bourgogne. But, despite its size, the appellation gained official recognition very early, back in 1937.
Wines from the Blagny appellation range in color from deep purple to black cherry or violet hues. The nose is fruity, encapsulating the full Bourgogne aromatic range of summer fruits from strawberry and redcurrant to blackcurrant and blackberry. With age, it develops aromas of leather, pepper, cacao, and licorice, along with animal notes. The wines from this appellation are best aged for some years.
As a result, Blagny wines are perfect with meat dishes and spicy foods. Try them with roast beef, couscous, or stewed poultry. In terms of cheeses, pair them with Époisses, Ami du Chambertin or an unpasteurized Munster – any strong cheese would be ideal!
Blagny is a little-known gem of a wine simply crying out to be discovered! It is one of three appellations that will be celebrated at the Saint-Vincent Tournante 2022, along with Puligny-Montrachet and Bourgogne Côte d’Or. Another good reason – if one were needed – to join in the celebrations!
Bourgogne wines held up well on the international market in 2020
By the end of November, exports of Bourgogne wines returned to positive figures in terms of volume.
After a very good November in terms of volumes, exports of Bourgogne wines over the first 11 months of 2020 were slightly higher than over the same period in 2019 (up 0.5%), confirming a trend already witnessed in October. Revenue was also close to the record level seen in 2019, down just 2.6% by the end of November, having recovered from being down 9% just a month previously.
However, these figures should be set within a sluggish economy, impacted by both COVID and the 25% Boeing/Airbus tax, which severely penalized sales to the United States, down 14% by volume and 21% in terms of revenue, representing a loss of some €44 million. However, with volumes up 16% equating to 2.2 million bottles, the British market almost entirely offset the loss in volumes from the United States and once again became the leading export destination for Bourgogne wines.
Several territories saw big upticks in numbers, like Sweden, up 18.4% by volume and 14.2% in terms of revenue compared to the same period in 2019, and Denmark, up 24% by volume and 25.6% for revenue. Others enjoyed more moderate growth but for big volumes, like Canada (up 6.4% by volume and 6% in terms of revenue) and Belgium (1.2% and 5.5% respectively).
In France, Bourgogne wines grew their position in the retail sector, up 4.7% by volume and 5.7% in terms of revenue over the first 10 months of 2019, thanks in particular to their popularity in convenience stores and via click-and-collect. As yet, there is no data regarding the restaurant sector, which is in free-fall, or for wine stores that are enjoying a boom.
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News from the vineyard
Hospices de Nuits: The charity barrel will raise funds for the Institut Pasteur
The 60th Hospices de Nuits wine auction will run on Sunday 14 March at the Château du Clos de Vougeot with 114 barrels for sale.
The sale will be hosted by Dijon-based auctioneer Hugues Cortot. Registration with the auction house is now open, in order to facilitate the bidding process and ensure the smooth-running of the sale.
Some 114 pièces, the 228-liter barrels used in Bourgogne, of the excellent 2020 vintage will be on sale, just two of which will contain white wine. All the wines are from the Côte de Nuits, and from the Nuits-Saint Georges AOC in particular.
Erik Orsenna (French writer), ambassador of the Institut Pasteur and the institute’s international network, will sponsor this 60th edition. He will be in attendance at the sale, along with the bidders and representatives of the Hospices.
Just like the Hospices de Beaune, the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges supports a charity each year, donating the profits from the sale the “Pièce de Charité”. This year, the charity barrel is filled with Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru, Les Saint-Georges, Vieilles Vignes. Funds raised will be donated to the Pasteur Institute with the charity barrel being sold by subscription for the third consecutive year.
The Institut Pasteur is a private foundation that is officially recognized as a public utility, depending in part on private donations. Its main mission is fighting disease both in France and around the world.
Mâconnais wines: The ultimate escape!
Ever wondered what it would be like to participate in a tasting within an escape game?
If the answer is yes, then head to Mâcon on 17 March for an exclusive opportunity to participate in this exciting adventure featuring the wines of the Mâconnais!
The Union des Producteurs de Vins de Mâcon is offering this unique activity within the framework of the Grands Jours en Caves event.
The six Mâconnais appellations of Mâcon, Pouilly-Fuissé, Saint-Véran, Viré-Clessé, Pouilly-Loché, and Pouilly-Vinzelles will be showcased at the site of the future Cité des Vins et des Climats in Mâcon, with games, tastings, and information. This is the ideal opportunity to discover these lesser-known AOCs and to find out more about the 50th anniversary of the Saint-Véran appellation and the brand-new Premiers Crus from Pouilly-Fuissé.
The prizegiving for this competition for young professionals or those who recently took over an estate had been postponed until 2 February because of COVID-19.
Traditionally awarded on the eve of the Hospices de Beaune wine auction, the GJPV Trophées des Jeunes Talents (young talent trophies) were finally awarded in early February. The patron of this edition was Béatrice Delamotte, French wine journalist for Le Figaro and Cuisine et Vins de France. She was accompanied by Christophe Macra, Master of Wine and founder of the Apogé wine cellar in Paris.
A jury of 50 wine professionals tasted submissions blind before picking the winners of this 32nd edition of the competition during a pre-selection event on 15 October in Beines in the Chablis region. Each young winegrower submitted samples of three different appellations from their estate from the 2018 vintage.
The seven winners (including one for Beaujolais) are all aged under 40 or have set up shop in the Bourgogne winegrowing region in the past five years.
Catherine and Philippe Pascal, who acquired and restored the Domaine du Cellier aux Moines in 2004, are firmly focused on quality, and do not intend to stop here. Along with Guillaume Marko, their oenologist and cellar master who was recently appointed co-manager of the estate, they are also converting to biodynamic production which should be completed in 2023.
“My experiences with phytosanitary products traumatized me when I was a young agronomist in Africa. That's why organic farming was an obvious choice. In addition to better quality and respect for the environment and for life in general, it’s about respecting people,” Philippe explains. The pair hope this move will encourage other winegrowers in Givry to adopt an organic approach.
The Cellier aux Moines is one of the oldest estates in Bourgogne. Established in around 1130 by Cistercian monks, the cellar is still surrounded by the same clos of vines that it has been for the past nine centuries. It includes five hectares of the famous Clos du Cellier aux Moines, one of Givry’s historic Premiers Crus. The estate has recently expanded, acquiring plots of Chardonnay in the villages of Puligny-Montrachet, Chassagne-Montrachet, Santenay, Montagny, and Mercurey. It now covers almost 10 hectares, eight of which are in Givry.
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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