QANOPEE: Investing in the future of Bourgogne wines
Wine boards of Bourgogne, Champagne, and Beaujolais are investing in this project for the production of plant material in sealed, bioclimatic greenhouses.
QANOPEE (QuArt NOrd-Est PrÉmultiplication collectivE) is an innovative new project for Bourgogne wines. Indeed, the quest for high-quality vines in perfect health has led the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB), InterBeaujolais, and the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Champagne (CIVC) to invest in this initiative.
The project is being driven by a non-profit chaired by Thiébault Huber, President of the Confederation of Appellations and Winegrowers of Bourgogne (CAVB). The three unions have ensured the financing for the project, which also benefits from a grant from the EU’s FEADER fund, and further financial support from local authorities in the regions.
QANOPEE is the first investment of this type to be created by the unions. It will be located in Champagne, in the village of Blancs-Coteaux to the south of Epernay.
Public and private regional bodies are increasingly supporting such projects and the BIVB is delighted to be part of this upcoming program, which underscores their shared aims and ambitions.
The Vignobles & Découvertes Cellar Guide for Bourgogne is now available!
Some 260 domaines, négoces, and cooperatives of Bourgogne now sport the “Vignobles & Découvertes” label and are listed in this 2023 online guide.
The Vignobles & Découvertes guide has been designed to help tourists plan their trips to Bourgogne. It is now 100% digital and covers the entire area.
The cellars included in the guide are organized by region, with plenty of useful information for potential visitors, such as languages spoken, accommodation on offer, food and drink options, and environmental approaches.
This online guide also features plenty of details about the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne which is set to open in May 2023, in Beaune, Chablis, and Mâcon.
Industry CSR initiatives also feature strongly in this publication. Furthermore, visitors are encouraged to respect people working in the vines and the guide includes some safety advice.
Visitors are also invited to enjoy the conviviality of the locals, through a link to an online diary of wine-themed festivals and events.
And lastly, more curious visitors will appreciate the educational sections on wine, vineyards, appellations, grape varieties, Climats, and the "Vignobles & Découvertes" label. A page of infographics also sets out some key figures regarding the Bourgogne wine industry.
In May, inauguration of the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne!
The opening ceremonies for the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne will take place between 15-19 May, with some highpoints and plenty of festivities.
The Cités in Beaune, Mâcon, and Chablis will open their doors between 15-19 May for the launch of the summer season. There will be four festivity-packed days dedicated to the culture and history of Bourgogne wines, models of terroir winegrowing for the rest of the world.
The first two days will be dedicated to the projects’ financiers, partners, and patrons, along with industry and tourism professionals. Journalists will also have a critical role, providing coverage for the event. All will enjoy special access, including tours of the sites in Chablis, Beaune, and Mâcon. This trip through Bourgogne will underscore one of the key objectives of the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne network, namely, to welcome the public and provide them with the keys to unlock the Bourgogne region so they may visit it armed with the knowledge they need.
On 18 and 19 May, as a foretaste of the Ascension holiday weekend, a fun-packed program awaits visitors to Chablis, Beaune, and Mâcon. In addition to discovering the different sites and their visitor trails, plenty of one-off events will also be on offer. A special ticket will be available that will cover entry to the three sites for a special price.
More details will be available in future editions of the En Direct newsletter.
Between now and June, we will be continuing our presentation of both the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, Chablis, and Mâcon and the surrounding areas.
Accessibility via green trails
The Cité in Beaune is located in the heart of the 10-hectare La Charteuse park, in a newly created district designed to take a more eco-responsible approach.
Foot and cycle paths will be created to link this new district to the city center, and will feature trails alongside the Bouzaise River, electric shuttles, bicycle routes, and charging stations for electric bicycles.
Unique exteriors
After exploring the visitor trail in the Cité at Beaune, guests can climb the spiral to the panoramic terrace. At a height of 20 meters, this promontory offers some breathtaking views over the vineyards of the Côte de Beaune.
In Mâcon, guests can admire the view over the Saône from the 14-meter-high belvedere, while in Chablis, they can enjoy a relaxing stroll in the Cité gardens.
12 March - Join us for the 62nd Hospices de Nuits wine auction
Some 160 barrels containing 19 different cuvées from the 2022 vintage will be auctioned at the Château du Clos de Vougeot to raise funds for the hospital in Nuits-Saint-Georges.
Less famous than the Hospices de Beaune wine auction, the Hospices de Nuits wine auction is gaining in notoriety year on year, with some extremely high-quality wines on offer. They are produced from an estate that has been acquired over the centuries and profits are used to finance investments in the local hospital.
Every year, the sale provides an opportunity for the Domaine des Hospices de Nuits to support a good cause with the profits from a special barrel called the “Cuvée des Bienfaiteurs” (benefactors’ wine).
For the 62nd edition, the estate will be supporting the “Blouses Roses” non-profit, which will be using the proceeds from the charity barrel for two projects:
- Animal support visits for children in the psychiatric unit of the Dijon-Bourgogne Hospital
- Music therapy workshops
This year, French actress Constance Dollé will be patron of the event.
The 2022 vintage will be honored at this sale, with wines finishing the ageing process under the care of négociants appointed by the various buyers.
According to the estate’s winemaker Jean-Marc Moron, vinification for the 2022 vintage was gentle, with regular and speedy alcoholic fermentation. The harvest filled the winery with intense fruity aromas. The juice soon developed its color, and two to three weeks of maceration resulted in cuvées offering the kind of balance the winemaker was looking for. “We focused a lot on long pumping over this year to ensure gentle extraction,” he explained.
Winegrowers from the Volnay management organization or ODG gathered at the start of the year to decide whether to put an end to the use of weedkillers in the 110 hectares of plots producing the Volnay Premier Cru appellation.
After two years of tests and 75% of plots already carrying out mechanical weedkilling, this vote has allowed the ODG to ask the INAO to include this ban in the appellation’s specifications. This is the only way to ensure all winegrowers respect the rule.
“Stopping the use of weedkillers seemed an obvious step,” explains Thomas Bouley, who became President of the Volnay ODG one year ago. “It’s about public and environmental health. We have the good fortune to be producing an internationally renowned appellation, with high added value, and now we can produce it even more cleanly. In such a favorable economic context, our appellation needs to be exemplary, now more than ever,” he adds.
The specifications may be modified by 2024.
United by Aligoté on Monday 13 March
The Salon de l’Aligoté is a must in the wine industry calendar and showcases the somewhat-forgotten Aligoté grape.
The Salon de l’Aligoté runs from 10am to 5pm on 13 March, at the Grange de Saulx in Gilly-les-Cîteaux.
The “Les Aligoteurs” non-profit was created in Bourgogne to promote and showcase the Aligoté grape varietal that these winegrowers – mostly hailing from Bourgogne – are determined to boost and revitalize.
This year, the event will run just after the Hospices de Nuits wine auction and will partner with a selection of Jura estates who wish to promote the little-known Poulsard and Trousseau varietals.
A Bourgogne wine producer firmly anchored in tradition, the talented Agnès Vitteaut is the manager of the Vitteaut-Alberti estate and member of the Femmes & Vins de Bourgogne organization. The estate is located in the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise, and at the center of Crémant de Bourgogne production.
Agnès Vitteaut is keen to bring her skills and experience as a winegrower along with her commitment to improving the excellence and rigor of Crémant de Bourgogne wines. She is passionate about the terroir, enthusiastic about best practices, and determined to share her experience at the UPECB over the coming years.
A quest for excellence
The new president’s goal will be to consolidate and strengthen the presence of Crémant de Bourgogne wine on national and international markets and to ensure the heritage of this appellation is protected.
Another key element in the development of the UPECB involves underscoring the age-old knowledge and expertise of the appellation through the prestigious Éminent and Grand Éminent labels. Agnès joins a devoted team and together, they will work to showcase different estates and their unique characteristics, along with the Crémant de Bourgogne name in general.
Chambolle and Morey to host the Saint-Vincent Tournante de Bourgogne 2024
Join us on 27 and 28 January 2024 for the 80th edition of the Saint-Vincent Tournante de Bourgogne.
The 2024 edition of the Saint-Vincent Tournante will be hosted by Chambolle-Musigny, which hosted the very first edition in 1938, and by Morey-Saint-Denis, which was home to the 1952 and 1973 editions.
In keeping with tradition, the Grand Master of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin announced the location for the next edition of the Saint-Vincent Tournante de Bourgogne during the annual ceremony to induct new winegrowers to the brotherhood.
Morey-Saint-Denis is rich in Premier and Grand CruClimats, and provides a veritable bridge on the Côte de Nuits between the wines of Gevrey-Chambertin and those of Chambolle-Musigny. The village is surrounded by the Maison de Vergy fort and the Abbeys of Cîteaux and Tart, without forgetting a host of famous local families. The history of the village is intimately linked with that of wine.
Chambolle-Musigny is a small village on the Côte de Nuits and has rarely extended its appellation due to the exceptional wines it produces here. It is home to two exceptional Grand Crus, namely Bonnes-Mares, which links it to Morey-Saint-Denis, and Musigny, at the top of the Clos de Vougeot. It is also the location of the prestigious Premier Cru of Les Amoureuses, which is one of the finest in the village.
Winemakers and Maisons
A new face at the Domaine de la Monette
Pierre-Etienne Chevallier has acquired the estate from the Ligtmans-Steines.
With the backing of his family, which hails from Saône-et-Loire, Pierre-Etienne Chevallier has taken over the reins of the Domaine de la Monette to lead it into the future. He trained in Dijon and Beaune and has worked for some prestigious estates to acquire some solid experience in winegrowing and vinification.
Roelof and Marlon Ligtmans-Steine acquired the Domaine de la Monette in 2007 and restructured it to cover some 11.5 hectares. They shifted production to organic winegrowing and built up a solid reputation. The Domaine de la Monette now mainly produces Bouzeron and Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise.
Pierre-Etienne Chevallier plans to maintain the organic certification and to widen out the range, adding wines from the Givry, Rully, and Montagny Premier Cru appellations.
The Cerço range is the result of an eco-design and collaboration work carried out by 25 employees of the wineries. Its purpose is to promote the cuvées "In conversion to Organic Agriculture" and "Certified in Organic Agriculture" from 14 winegrowers who are members of the wineries. The 2 wineries are also labeled Vignerons Engagés.
The deposit and reuse project for the Cerço range
As early as 2019, the Cerço project working group had identified the deposit and reuse as a sustainability factor, but at the time, the sector was not structured. Despite the proximity of the wineries to a historical player in bottle washing, a key intermediary in charge of reuse logistics was missing. This regional service provider now exists and is affiliated with the national network France Consigne: It is the company "J'aime Mes Bouteilles", based in the Jura.
Thus, and starting with the 2021 vintage, all Cerço wines will be bottled in a bottle approved for reuse. Its weight is a little heavier than the ECOVA model initially chosen but the solidity and durability are approved for reuse. Thus, from the 2nd rotation of bottles, the CO2 impact is less than for the ECOVA model initially chosen.
Concerning the ON TRADE (Café - Hotel - Restaurant), talks with regional distributors and wholesalers are already well underway. Note that the Cerço range is already distributed in more than 600 wine shops in France.
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.
EN DIRECT 9 issues per year, published by
Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne
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EDITOR IN CHIEF: CECILE MATHIAUD – cecile.mathiaud@bivb.com
TRANSLATOR: SARAH JACKSON
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