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!
Harvesting took off across Bourgogne between 18-20 September after a trying year punctuated by challenging weather events.
Flowering occurred during a period of hot and dry weather, offering perfect conditions for pollination and fruit formation. These high temperatures were maintained in early June, triggering fast growth, and allowing the 2021 vintage to catch up some of the time lost in April and May.
The first half of the year was marked by normal temperatures and rainfall for the season everywhere apart from the Yonne, which saw rainfall up 18% but without any major consequences.
From the end of June to early August, winegrowers saw a shift in the weather as the rain set in. The nature of how vines grow meant that it was difficult for winegrowers to manage the vegetation at the same time as staving off disease. It was not until mid-August that sustained dry weather finally arrived.
The mid-véraison stage, when the berries change color, was reached mid-August on average. Dry weather and a north wind allowed the grapes to ripen at a good rhythm whilst reducing disease-inducing humidity.
The red varietals of Pinot Noir, Gamay, and César ripened first, with the Pinot Noir leading the way. The white Chardonnay grapes took a little more time due to the stress caused by frost or hail, depending on the sector.
Winegrowers are now starting to harvest their earliest-ripening plots, with the first grapes to be picked – those destined for the production of sparkling Crémant de Bourgogne wines – being cut in mid-September.
Winemakers will be producing this year’s cuvées from some very low volumes, depending on how badly the area was hit by frost or hail.
On the southern tip of the Mâconnais, the Saint-Véran AOC, which was created in 1971, surrounds Pouilly-Fuissé with a golden circle. As is often the case in Bourgogne, this AOC brings together several villages. To the north is the Rock of Solutré, Prissé, and Davay. To the south are Leynes, Chasselas, Chânes, part of Solutré-Pouilly and, of course, Saint-Vérand. This appellation only produces white wines made from the Chardonnay grape.
Terroir:
Saint-Véran is divided into two islands, separated by its neighbor Pouilly-Fuissé, occupying slopes on the Solutré range of hills. This ridge sits atop a crinoidal limestone structure from the Mid-Jurassic period. The older, steeper western slopes date from the Early Jurassic and comprise grey marl with vines facing to the south and west of Chasselas and Leynes. On the gentler slopes of the eastern side of the rocks, the vines planted on marly limestone face to the east of Prissé and Davayé. In Chânes and Prissé, on the left bank of the Petite Grosne, the vines grow on crinoidal limestone that is often covered with a layer of chalky clay flint.
Sommelier’s tips:
The Saint-Véran appellation is a very pale yellow in color. The nose offers subtle aromas of peach, pear, or acacia often with touches of fresh almond, hazelnut, cinnamon, butter and sometimes honey. Tropical fruit can be detected from time to time, along with orange peel citrus flavors. In the mouth, this is a dry and round wine, often with mineral and flinty notes, with a lively attack. Its acidity and fattiness then complement one other building to a harmonious and vigorous structure that is rounded and vinous.
This is a wine that requires food pairings to somewhat temper its ardor. Fatty fish either poached or simply pan-fried would make a great partner, complimenting the mineral nature of the wine and its floral aromatic range, responding beautifully to the saline delicacy of the fish. Other seafood variations would also work well, as would a seafood or mushroom risotto, the yielding texture of which would balance well with the forthright citrus from the wine. The Saint-Véran appellation is also great company for goat cheese, Bleu de Bresse, Comté, Beaufort, or and Gruyère.
The 50th edition of the Cave de Prestige des vins de Bourgogne
203 wines were awarded the medal, which recognizes how they are truly representative of their appellation. This rigorous selection is a showcase for Bourgogne wines.
Of some 1,580 samples submitted, up 3.4% over 2019, just 203 were selected, representing 12.85% of the total. These figures illustrate the rigor of the selection process. And this rigor is essential as these wines then go on to be used by the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) for all training, promotional, and marketing activities over the next 12 months.
During the award ceremony at the end of June, the BIVB’s President Frédéric Drouhin said: “The Cave de Prestige is a real showcase for Bourgogne wines, the ultimate illustration of our expertise and a great opportunity to remind people how Bourgogne has a truly extensive offer that goes far beyond a few iconic names. We were determined to maintain this event to recognize those producers taking part in this rigorous selection process. We also wanted to celebrate the merit, expertise, and the very high quality of the wines from 130 estates, wine houses, and cellars that were selected this year, compared to 137 in 2019.”
This selection will soon be available to explore, through a series of information sheets online in the Cave de Prestige section of the www.bourgogne-wines.com website. The 2019-2020 is also online.
On 20 October, the “Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne” will be taking a trip to the north of Bourgogne in Chablis.
This is an ideal occasion to understand why, as noted by Master of Wine Rosemary George, a specialist in the appellation, not every Chardonnay is Chablis, despite Chablis being made 100% from that varietal.
The Chablis winegrowing region has a cooler climate than the rest of Bourgogne, coupled with a more recent subsoil, dating back to the Kimmeridgean. The vines of Chablis draw their purity and elegance from deep within this terroir.
The village of Chablis, which dates back to Roman times, is rich in history. Vines have been grown here for the past 18 centuries. In 867, Charles the Bald gifted the Obédiencerie de Chablis to the Abbots of the Saint-Martin de Tour. In 1114, the Cistercian monk Hugues de Mâcon founded the Abbey of Pontigny, the second daughter of Cîteaux, which soon established its reputation and began receiving bequests of vines in Chablis to help it survive. Canons and monks then played their part in contributing to the development of the Chablis winegrowing region.
Its proximity to Paris and easy access via the Yonne river also helped the development of winegrowing and the promotion of sales beyond the region’s borders.
The interactive “Rendez-vous avec les vins de Bourgogne” show will explore this rich history and the diverse wines of the appellation for hundreds of industry professionals from a dozen different countries.
This one-hour show is structured as follows:
- The first 20 minutes are dedicated to a presentation of the subject of the show, with reports and interviews from winegrowers and négociants.
- The second part involves a guided tasting of several wines in the company of an expert from the École des Vins de Bourgogne, who will respond live to your questions.
The show screens live on 20 October in English at 9am, 11am, 6pm, and 10pm; and in French at 4pm.
If you’d like to take part in the show, please contact the Bourgogne wine Board in Chablis: fanny.henry@bivb.com. She will put you in touch with your local Official Bourgogne Wines Ambassador.
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Events calendar: The Fête des Vins de Chablis 2021
The 73rd edition of the Fête des Vins de Chablis will run on the fourth weekend in October, with a return to its regular format.
Since its first edition in 1949, the Fête des Vins de Chablis continues to evolve, but its success is always based on a single notion – conviviality!
On 23 & 24 October, the town center will once again be hosting a wide range of events featuring the vines of Chablis and the wider Grand Auxerrois region. The festival is organized by the Office du Chablis in partnership with the Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB).
The festival program:
- Saturday 23 October (12:30pm-6pm): Tastings in the company of around 40 producers and wine houses from the Chablis and greater Grand Auxerrois region, an exhibition of winemaking equipment, gourmet produce, street events, and food stalls.
- Sunday 24 October (9:30am-6pm): Wine tastings and gastronomy, the official Piliers Chablisiens parade, inductions, and street events, etc.
The full program is yet to be published, but in the meantime, why not start planning your weekend?
UK and North American wine professionals now have something to look forward to as wine producers and negociants from Bourgogne are planning to visit in 2022.
You are invited to spend a day with a group of Bourgogne winemakers and négociants where you can discuss and sample their wines.
It is a real delight to be returning to such in-person events. You will be able to discover or rediscover a range of Bourgogne appellations that offer an excellent quality-price-pleasure ration, taste the latest vintages, and take part in tasting workshops and other events.
Dates for your diary:
- London, Monday 7 March
- Montreal, Monday 17 May
- New York, Tuesday 18 May
- Los Angeles, Thursday 20 May
More information will be released in future editions of this publication.
The Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction returns to its usual date
# VentedesVins / #BourgogneWines
After the 2020 edition was disrupted by the pandemic, this year’s 161st Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction will run as usual on the 3rd Sunday in November.
The Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction is a flagship event in the Bourgogne wines calendar and for the international wine world at large. This year’s sale will be held in the city of Beaune on Sunday 21 November at 2pm.
It will be, as it was prior to the pandemic, an opportunity to bring together wine lovers and industry professionals to discover the newest vintage that is revealed for the occasion. Plenty of other events will also be keeping visitors entertained from the Thursday through to Monday.
The Fête des Grands Vins de Bourgogne, which takes place from Friday to Sunday morning at the Palais des Congrès in Beaune, may be of particular interest. It is a unique opportunity to taste the most recent vintages of all the appellations from the region. The Friday tasting session is reserved for professionals (wine merchants, sommeliers, etc.), while on Saturday and Sunday, the event is open to all, including the general public.
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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