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The Bourgogne winemakers await you Come for an unforgettable experience!

18/06/2020

The Bourgogne winemakers await you Come for an unforgettable experience!

Bourgogne has some 900 cellars that are open to the public, and welcoming visitors to the winery is a longstanding tradition. Direct sales account for 15% of the local wine sector’s revenue, which underlines the importance of this activity.

However, most wineries stopped receiving the public during lockdown. Some took the initiative to develop online sales and home delivery on top of their takeaway sales, thereby ensuring a minimum of revenue for their business.

As the economy starts to get back into its stride, cellars are adapting so they can welcome visitors safely. A list of cellars, which undertake to respect the new health and safety norms to allow visitors, has just been published on the French website of the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB). Updated daily, it comprises all the latest information covering conditions for opening.

The Bourgogne wine region is waiting to welcome you. So pay us a visit for an unforgettable experience!

Cellars that undertake to respect health regulations

Tasting cellars have adapted so they can welcome the public. A framework has been drawn up with tools available to help this adaptation process, and the BIVB and other professional bodies are working alongside them to face these new challenges.

  • The Ministry of Labor has drawn up advice sheets for the sector, providing the overall framework.
  • In parallel, Vin & Société is providing cellars with some specific tools, including a guide of good practices for stakeholders in wine-tourism, which explains how to:

- Continue offering a wine-tourism experience

- Opening whilst respecting the applicable health norms

- Holding a tasting or cellar visit safely 

  • The BIVB has created some complementary tools:

- A practical and informative health booklet, recapping the collective and individuals measures to combat the pandemic.

- Individual mini-spittoons bearing the “Bourgogne” logo, since spitting wine is an essential part of responsible tasting, but one that has become rather sensitive in the current context. These individual mini-spittoons ensure this can be done hygienically. 

Which cellars are open and what are they offering?

The BIVB has consulted with cellars to find out how they were adapting to this exceptional period. All those presented in the list respect the new health norms.

The list of cellars is classified by commune, in alphabetical order. Updated daily, it can be consulted on the French Bourgogne wines’ website in the section “Escapades Viticoles, les voyants sont au vert ! Déconfinez-vous !”

This information is also available in a regional database accessible in all Tourist Offices in the Bourgogne region, who can direct you to cellars that are open and relay information online.

The Wine Tourism Season 2020: Adapting to a new clientele

The COVID-19 crisis is not a passing phenomenon. It will impact tourism activity over the long term, greatly accelerating certain transformations that were already underway, such as the desire for authentic experiences, sustainability, and favoring local produce. 

Wineries are therefore reconfiguring the services they propose for this new clientele to turn the situation into an opportunity, providing a pleasant surprise with innovations and new services.

And always built around the Bourgogne winemakers’ approach of sharing convivial moments, introducing visitors to their craft and their passion for their wines.

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