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!
Brits and Hongkongers are invited on a trip to Bourgogne
Market influencers from the UK and Hong Kong can now complete their knowledge by taking part in a game involving Bourgogne wines: Escape to Bourgogne.
The concept for this one-day event is simple: The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) invites wine professionals, market influencers and media representatives to form teams that will compete in a fun competition that covers multiple themes such as the history of Bourgogne, its vineyard, and above all, its appellations. It includes presentations, pop quizzes, and wine tastings, including Chablis, lesser-known appellations, and those that include on their label the name of a Climat – a concept that is historically unique to Bourgogne. But don’t worry; experts on Bourgogne wines and representatives of the region will be on hand to guide the teams and help them win a prize.
This is a great opportunity to have fun and to connect with experts, and something to share across social media, on Twitter and Instagram in particular, with the hashtags #EscapeToBourgogne, #BourgogneWines and #PureChablis.
The Vézelay appellation was created in 2017, making it one of the youngest Village appellations in Bourgogne, but its history goes back over many centuries…
The Vézelay Village appellation is reserved for still white wines produced from the Chardonnay grape in the four villages of Vézelay, Asquins, Saint-Père, and Tharoiseau, in the Grand Auxerrois region. This appellation was officially recognized by decree on 30 October 2017. The appellation area under vine currently stands at 70 hectares.
• An historic winegrowing region
Vines have been grown in Vézelay since Roman times at the end of the first century AD. At their height, in the 18th century, the vines covered some 500 hectares, before the arrival of phylloxera in 1884 almost destroyed them completely. By the end of the 1960s, only a couple of hectares of vines remained, but a drive undertaken by 10 or so producers in 1973 brought a renaissance to the wines, firstly under the label of Bourgogne Vézelay, and now, as Vézelay.
• The AOC terroir
To the west, the valley of the Cure is bordered by hillsides cut into by many parallel valleys. It is characterized by a succession of large rocky spurs, dominated by that of Vézelay. The vines face south-southeast and grow at between 190 and 330 meters above sea level. The subsoil comprises marl and limestone, laid down some 15 million years ago during the Jurassic.
• Food and wine pairings
The citrussy vigor of the smooth wines from the Vézelay appellation make them perfect for a convivial tasting. Serve as an aperitif with tartares, gravlax, smoked fish or shellfish. They are also wonderful with rabbit pâté, jambon persillé, and sausages.
In terms of entrées, you will appreciate the elegant minerality of the Vézelay appellation with roast cod or sautéed scallops, or with sea bream en papillote. Some cuvées aged in oak pair well with poultry in cream sauce, fried mushrooms, or fish with spicey sauces.
The Vézelay appellation can also be served with goat cheeses, hard cheeses, and creamier specimens like Brillat-Savarin or Chaource.
27 winners at the 35th Concours des Vins de Chablis wine competition
This edition, organized according to strict social distancing measures, conferred 27 medals from amongst 321 submissions covering the four Chablis appellations.
The 35th edition of the Concours des Vins de Chablis wine competition took place on Saturday 23 January, in a modified version to fit with social distancing measures. There was no president at this year’s event, and the jury was restricted in number.
The winning wines are put forward by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) for marketing and training operations, in both France and abroad. Some 27 wines won medals this year and will be worthy ambassadors for the Chablis region in 2021.
To win a medal, wines must be both representative of their appellation and their vintage. This year, the Petit Chablis, Chablis, and Chablis Premier Cru appellations competed from the 2019 vintage, while Chablis Grand Cru were in the running from 2018.
Bourgogne wines include plenty of hidden gems and finding them is like a real treasure hunt. What better tool for hunting down your treasures than our latest navigational aid, Bourgogne Maps.
This modern tool, developed by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB), is available from the Bourgogne wines website at www.bourgogne-wines.com (see the Maps section at the bottom of the page). Such a great opportunity to explore the maps covering the 84 Bourgogne appellations and all the geographical denominations of the Régionale AOCs Bourgogne and Mâcon.
Designed using data from the Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité (INAO) and land registry resources, these maps reveal the different levels of appellation, Climats and lieux-dits, almost as if you were standing there yourself! This is the first time Bourgogne has been mapped in this way.
Bourgogne Maps is free and interactive, offers plenty of extra content regarding different appellations, such as documents and photos, and helps you locate estates, wine merchants, cellars, and all kinds of wine-themed events.
This is also a very useful tool for your publications as all maps are printable, in pdf format.
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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