This area is dedicated to wine professionals including sommeliers, restaurateurs, wine store owners importers and trainers. Welcome to your very own BIVB website where you can find all the tips and tools you need. You will find documentation, photography, training tools and all kinds of other useful information here to facilitate your search. You can also browse our events and training calendar and you are welcome to attend any that appeal. If you require any further information then don’t hesitate to contact us!
With names including Mâcon-Lugny, Mâcon-Uchizy, Bourgogne Côtes d’Auxerre, Bouzeron, Marsannay, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, and Vézelay, these delightful wines really deserve a higher profile.
The holiday season is almost upon us and your customers are perhaps already asking for your festive recommendations. Why not surprise them with these Bourgogne appellations that are often overlooked?
The brand awareness of Bourgogne wines has been established around the most prestigious Village Premiers Crus and Grands Crus, but there are plenty more affordable options to choose from. The Bourgogne region has a wide and varied range of wines that all have one thing in common – quality! One should remember that Grand Cru wines only account for 1% of production volumes, while Régionales appellations represent almost 53% of total volumes.
We often explore these little-known appellations through the Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne show. The Crémant de Bourgogne, Givry, and Pouilly-Fuissé appellations have all featured recently.
Ancient history
The road south from Dijon is known by some as “the Champs-Elysées of the Bourgogne winegrowing region”. At the foot of the Combe de Lavaux, the former château of the monks of Cluny has a fortified cellar. The canons of Langres also had a hand in caring for the vines. The Gevrey-Chambertin AOC was created in September 1936!
Exceptional terroir
At between 280-380 meters above sea level, the Climats classed as Premier Cru sit on the higher part of the Côte on shallow brown limestone soil. Meanwhile, those plots classed as Village appellations sit atop brown calcic and brown limestone soils. The vines thrive on marl covered with scree and red alluvium from the plateau. This gravel results in sophisticated, elegant wines, while the marl rich in fossilized shells and clay give body and rigor. The vines face east or southeast, and the Pinot Noir varietal is king.
Sommelier’s tips
In their youth, these wines are a dazzling, bright ruby red in color. With age, they take on a deep carmine or black cherry tint. Strawberry, blackberry, violet, mignonette, and rose are all part of the spontaneous aroma bouquet of the appellation. When the wines are older, they take on a bouquet of licorice, leather, and fur, with hints of game and undergrowth.
These solid yet velvety wines have a solid and powerful framework thanks to their tannins. They also have great longevity.
Gevrey-Chambertin wines are ideal partners for meat dishes but are not limited to their historical association with game. They are a delight with a rib of beef or braised lamb. Add a twist by serving with a filet of pike perch or tuna, with a red-wine sauce.
Delicious with all cow’s milk and other strong cheeses, it is particularly good with Époisses and l’Ami du Chambertin, a local cheese. Or try it with Cîteaux, a close neighbor.
Gevrey-Chambertin will be welcoming the next edition of the Saint-Vincent Tournante festivities on 25 and 26 January 2020. For more information, see below.
From 07-16 January 2020, London will once again be welcoming Bourgogne Week, an essential event for industry players. A key date in the industry calendar, Bourgogne Week allows local importers and distributors to present the 2018 vintage to the market, and to showcase the diversity of Bourgogne wines. This is also the perfect opportunity to invite Bourgogne producers to come and present their wines, adding a touch of authenticity to tastings.
The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) is supporting all the events being put on during Bourgogne Week through an online communication platform, and also through strategic partnerships and dynamic communication on social media, Twitter and Instagram in particular. Indeed, the #BourgogneWeek hashtag was shared almost 3.4 million times last year.
Want to take part?
• If you are an importer or distributor, contact us with details of your event so that we can publish it on our page and share the information. Or use the #BourgogneWeek hashtag on social media and the BIVB will share the message.
• If you’d like to take part in an event during Bourgogne Week, keep an eye on the www.bourgogne-week.com website. And don’t forget to share your photos, thoughts, and discoveries relating to Bourgogne wines on social media with the #BourgogneWeek hashtag.
The 2018 vintage: An ideal vintage in the Bourgogne winegrowing region
With generous volumes and superb quality, this is an exceptional vintage.
Rain was a key player in shaping the 2018 vintage. It was very present in winter, allowing the vines to establish some reserves before a particularly hot and dry summer. The plants were in great shape, helped by clement weather in springtime, and flowering went without a hitch, resulting in abundant, generous bunches. No major weather events upset the growth cycle and the harvest began during the last 10 days of August, continuing until the end of September with a lovely, healthy crop.
Everything went smoothly in 2018, even if vinifying the reds required a little more vigilance due to potential degrees of alcohol a little higher than average.
The general opinion is that 2018 was a rare phenomenon, one that a winegrower is only likely to see once or twice in their lifetime!
The program for the Saint-Vincent Tournante 2020 is unveiled.
Gevrey-Chambertin will be welcoming this legendary wine celebration for the fifth time in its history.
La Saint-Vincent Tournante, the biggest wine celebration in the Bourgogne winegrowing region, will take place on the weekend of 25-26 January in Gevrey-Chambertin. Since 1947, this festival, which celebrates Saint Vincent, the patron saint of winemakers, has been hosted by a different village every year.
This wonderful weekend begins on the Saturday morning with the parade of banners and statues of Saint Vincent through the village. Each winegrowing village in the Bourgogne region is represented and brings their own figure of Saint Vincent. The procession is marked by an homage at the cenotaph and will finish with a religious ceremony at the church.
Then, the festivities begin! This packed weekend includes performances from folk musicians, street artists, and plenty more across the village. At lunchtime on the Saturday, the wine cellars will open their doors and will be offering tastings of special cuvées from five vintages, namely 2009, 2013, 2014, 2017, and 2018.
The Saint-Vincent Tournante is a unique event in the wine year, and provides and exceptional opportunity to discover the legendary Bourgogne hospitality, to meet producers, and discover the appellation in a different way.
The second edition of Wine Paris will run from 10-12 February 2020, and registration is now open. The aim of this event is to bring together the wine industry in Paris for a trade event on a scale never before seen in France.
After a very successful first edition, plenty of producers from around the world have already confirmed their presence at the second edition of the event. Winemakers from the Bourgogne region will be well represented this year, and the number of exhibitors from outside of France has seen a significant increase. This can be explained by the fact that Wine Paris and Vinexpo Paris are working hand in hand to offer a space dedicated to non-French winegrowing regions. Registering for Wine Paris also gives you access to Vinexpo Paris.
The second edition is already promising to be a great success. Many new elements will be on offer to enrich your trip. If you’d like to attend the event, you can request your badge here.
Three days of tasting the Bourgogne Grand Crus
A unique opportunity to discover these prestigious appellations and further one’s knowledge.
Once a year, the École des Vins de Bourgogne offers you the chance to experience all 33 of these exceptional appellations.
This three-day workshop is dedicated to sampling the most sought-after appellations in the Bourgogne winegrowing region through a unique educational experience.
Immerse yourself in the heart of Grand Cruterroir through a series of landscape readings amongst the vines on a series of legendary plots such as Montrachet and Corton. The workshop will also include visits to Grand Cru-producing estates and guided tastings with the École des Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune.
The price also includes a concert at the exclusive Paulée Musicale at the Festival Musique et Vins on Friday 26 June at the Château de Meursault.
This workshop is run in ENGLISH only, and is by reservation only.
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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