A day to discover the Bourgogne Plus, Mâcon Plus, Bourgogne Aligoté, and Chablis AOCs. Bourgogne will be the focus in London on 26 June for an event combining learning, tasting and exploration.
Join us at the China Exchange at 32a Gerrard St in London’s West End to sample more than 50 wines from Bourgogne from north to south.
Three sessions will be hosted where you can widen your knowledge and appreciation:
* The Bourgogne and Mâcon “Plus” appellations
Forty reasons to appreciate the notion of terroir in Bourgogne through its geographical denominations (13 for the Bourgogne AOC and 27 for the Macon AOC).
* The two faces of Bourgogne Aligoté
A revealing exploration of this local varietal through an exciting tasting of 20 different wines.
* The Chablis and Petit-Chablis appellation
Hold some real-life rocks in one hand and a wineglass in the other during this geology-based exploration of the notion of terroir in Chablis.
Invitations won’t be sent out to wine industry professionals and journalists until December and January, but it’s already time to put the date for the next edition of the Grands Jours du Bourgogne in your diary.
Every two years since 1992, the Grands Jours de Bourgogne event has brought together wine professionals, influencers, and journalists on a journey through the vineyards of the Bourgogne region. From Chablis to the Côte Chalonnaise, and from the Côtes de Beaune and the Mâconnais to the Côte de Nuits, this itinerant wine fair is particularly appreciated by attendees who enjoy the opportunity to explore the vines in greater detail.
Over the five days of the event, 12 tastings are hosted in nine different sites. Some 10,000 wines are presented by a thousand different winemakers, négociants, and cooperative wineries. There is also plenty going on outside of the “official” tastings, with lots of evening events to choose from. The 2024 event will be the region’s opportunity to showcase the 2022 vintage in particular.
It is the turn of the Viré-Clessé appellation to be showcased on the next edition of the Rendezvous avec les vins de Bourgogne show on 7 June.
- The first part of the program will explore the highlights of this appellation through reports and interviews with winemakers
- The second part will offer a guided tasting of different wines from the appellation that participants will be able to taste simultaneously. An expert from the École des Vins de Bourgogne along with some producers of the AOC will answer questions live
To watch the show on 7 June:
* Watch the show via the following link: www.rendez-vous-vins-bourgogne.live. It will screen in English at 9am, 11am, and 7pm (Paris time, UTC+2), and in French a 4pm.
No registration is required, but you will not be able to take part in the tasting.
* If you’d like to participate in the tasting, you must attend one of the sessions organized by an Official Bourgogne Wine Trainer. Journalists, for more information contact cecile.mathiaud@bivb.com
Â
Economy : Bourgogne is keen to regain market share by volume
2022 set a new record for sales of Bourgogne wines in terms of revenue, despite limited volumes. But many challenges now await Bourgogne wine producers.
Although it may seem to be in an enviable situation, Bourgogne wine producers and négociants nevertheless face some major challenges:
* Volumes harvested in 2022: With nearly 1.75 million hectoliters, the 2022 vintage ensured a strong base in terms of both quality and quantity to set markets back on track for growth by volume.
* Stocks at the property: Although these are now being re-established thanks to the 2022 harvest, available stocks remained at 3% below the average for the last five campaigns and market demand remains high.
* Négoce availability: This was at its lowest level, despite transactions increasing over the first seven months of the 2022-2023 campaign. They were up 74% compared to transactions during the first seven months of the 2021-2022 campaign and up 25% compared to average for the last five campaigns. The 2023 vintage, if it proves to be a generous one, will enable the consolidation of available négoce stocks and bring them more in line with market demand.
* France: Sales of Bourgogne wines slowed across the retail sector due to a lack of availability and were down 22% by volume and down 12.5% in value in 2022 compared to 2021. At the same time, more traditional distribution channels, such as hotels, restaurants, and wine stores resumed doing good business with Bourgogne wines. Nevertheless, inflation is weighing on the profitability of this sector.
* Exports: Bourgogne wines set a new record for revenue in 2022, exceeding the billion-euro mark for the fourth consecutive year. They hit 1.5 billion, up 12.9% compared to 2021, with exports equivalent to 92 million 75cl bottles. In terms of volumes, careful stock management from April 2021 onwards limited the decline, and exports were “only” down 12%. The 2021 harvest as a whole showed a drop of 32.5% compared to the five-year average, and 36% compared to 2020.
Results for 2023 will depend on Bourgogne’s capacity to regain its market share after having endured such low stocks, and its ability to meet consumer demand within a context of global inflation and geopolitical uncertainty. There is no time for triumphalism, and Bourgogne wine professionals remain focused on listening to their markets and rising to the challenges they present.
The website is the Cité network’s main showcase and seeks to be both immersive and informative, topped off with a contemporary feel. It invites visitors to experience every aspect of Bourgogne.
Like an appetizer, this introduction to the fabulous history of Bourgogne, its Climats and its wines highlights the full visitor experience in each Cité site through three distinct sections, namely DISCOVER, TASTE, and GO FURTHER.
The site includes a dedicated press area with the latest press releases, press kit and photo library. The English version is currently being finalized and will go online by mid-May.
New ways to find out more:
The Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne has widened out its social reach with the opening of new Facebook and Instagram accounts last month. Its Twitter page and LinkedIn account, which already has nearly 6,000 followers, were launched in late 2022.
From the Ponti'Bar in Chablis, in its quiet garden setting, to Les Accords in Beaune, with its sublime views over the Côte de Beaune, and Le Press'Bar in Mâcon, right on the Saône, you can take a break and explore the entire Bourgogne winegrowing region through the wine list on offer in each.
The menu offers more than 80 wines from across Bourgogne, including the Cave de Prestige selection from the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB). There are also winning wines on offer from regional and national guides and competitions.
The selection is regularly updated over the year, with options to suit all budgets. The wines showcase the diversity of Bourgogne production in each Cité.
And if you fancy a snack, and you’re keen to expand your knowledge of the local terroir, a range of seasonal recipes are also on offer to accompany the wines. These are prepared from local produce and include platters of cheese or meats, sweet and savory appetizers at the Cité in Beaune, or home-cooked meals at the Chablis and Mâcon sites.
The Cité network is keen to offer the very best food and wine pairings.
Plus points:
* Optimal opening hours, with two evening openings on Fridays and Saturdays
* A monthly themed after-work event in each Cité on the first Thursday of every month
* A strategy of local sourcing and cutting waste:
o All food is sourced from local producers, with the 100% Côte d'Or brand in Beaune
o We are currently studying the possibility of recuperating leftover wine to produce a Cité-branded vinegar!
Keep up to speed with all the latest Cité news on the website.
Â
News from the vineyard
Some 122 winners at the 111th edition of the Tastevinage
There were 385 wines in competition at the Château du Clos de Vougeot in late March, for this relaxed and affordable selection.
The 111th edition of the Tastevinage at Château Clos de Vougeot took place under the patronage of French writer and journalist Nicolas d'Estienne d'Orves. The event brings together wine industry professionals from both France and around the world to sample and judge a selection of local wines.
The 385 wines that were submitted this year were tasted blind. Of these, only 122 received the Tastevinage seal, accounting for 31% of wines in competition. They included:
* 48 Régionale appellations
* 42 Village appellations
* 32 Village Premier Cru and Grand Cru appellations
Click here to see the complete list of results (only in French).
Join us on Friday 8 September 2023 for the 112th edition of the event!
Saint-Vincent des Vins Mâcon award: Who won?
Discover the winners of the Saint-Vincent des Vins Mâcon award which took place on 16 March at the Château d'Hurigny.
There were 100 tasters in force at the Château d'Hurigny to taste the 188 samples from 38 businesses, including nine cooperative wineries, one négoce business and 28 winemaking estates.
In order to be awarded the “Distinction Saint-Vincent des Vins Mâcon” label, the wines presented needed to meet the following two conditions:
* Finish in the top one third of the samples presented
* Obtain an average score of 15 or more out of 20
The number of wines to be awarded the label each year cannot exceed 33% of the samples presented per category or the total number of wines in competition.
Click here to download a list of producers of the label-winning wines (only in French).
Â
Saint-Vincent Tournante 2024: A website, a glass, and a poster
On 27 and 28 January 2024, Morey-Saint-Denis and Chambolle-Musigny will be hosting the Saint-Vincent Tournante, with the theme of “The Art of Wine”.
In 1938, Chambolle-Musigny hosted the very first Saint-Vincent Tournante event, and in 1973, Morey-Saint-Denis produced the very first tasting glass specially engraved for the Saint-Vincent Tournante.
For the 80th edition of the event in 2024, the two villages have joined forces to host a Saint-Vincent Tournante with the theme of art and wine. They intend to make the celebration an eco-responsible event.
A kick-off event at the end of February brought together more than 400 people. They enjoyed a presentation of the Saint-Vincent poster, created by the artist Camille Garnier, and the engraved glass, specially designed in partnership with the Lehmann glassworks.
Now you can follow all the preparations, keep up to speed with all the news and visitor information, and make some surprising discoveries on the Saint-Vincent Tournante 2024’s website at https://saintvincent2024.fr/en/. You can also follow the preparation day by day through the social media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
More information is available in the press release here(only in French)
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
12 Boulevard Bretonnière - BP 60150 - F-21204 BEAUNE CEDEX
Tel. 00 33 (0)3 80 25 04 80
DIRECTOR: SYLVAIN NAULIN
EDITOR IN CHIEF: CECILE MATHIAUD – cecile.mathiaud@bivb.com
TRANSLATOR: SARAH JACKSON
For access to our press release archive and thousands of rights-free photos,
go to our on-line pressroom at: www.bourgogne-wines.com
COPYING OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER FOR FAIR USE IS AUTHORISED