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A weekend of festivities and tastings

Numerous events punctuate this weekend of festivities: street shows, a folk parade, a gastronomic village and a half-marathon through the streets and vineyards of Beaune. Beaune’s leading wine houses vie with each other in creativity and organize prestigious tastings: Hospice wines, rare vintages, appellations from all over Burgundy and themed or gourmet tastings are all on the program. In Beaune and the Côte Viticole, winegrowers offer tastings of old and recent vintages in their cellars. Gathered in Confréries viticoles, they organize gala dinners and enthrone new ambassadors of Burgundy wines. The Festivinales program is coming soon.

Book your wine experiences during the Wine Sale

The Auction

The highlight of the weekend, the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune Auction takes place on the afternoon of the 3rd Sunday in November, under Les Halles de Beaune. It is now organized by Sotheby’s. The wines up for sale, from an estate built up through donations and legacies over more than 500 years, total over 60 hectares, the majority of which are classified as Grands Crus and Premiers Crus. This charity wine auction serves as an international barometer for the prestige wine market, bringing together Beaulieu’s leading wine merchants and buyers from all over the world. However, due to its charitable vocation, the prices of the wines are generally much higher than usual. Profits from the sale are used to preserve and maintain the hospital’s heritage and structures. Each year, a cuvée is also chosen to be sold for the benefit of one or more charities; this is the Pièce des Présidents, better known as the Pièce de Charité. Find out more about the charity coin below. At the end of the sale, a gala dinner is organized in the medieval setting of theHôtel Dieu bastion.

What is a wine sales room?

“Wines from the Hospices de Beaune estate are all sold by the piece at the Sale. The pièce corresponds to a Burgundian tonneau, the equivalent of 228 liters or 300 bottles“.

Prestigious vintages

Wine Sales

The estate’s 60 hectares are divided between Grands Crus, Premiers Crus and other prestigious appellations, and are a delight for buyers at the Wine Sale. You’ll no doubt be familiar with certain appellations, such as Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Corton Clos du Roi Grand Cru or certain 1er crus with equally interesting names.

The Charity Room

An international cast

Sponsors of the Charity Piece 2024

The Chairmen for the 2024 Charity Coin Auction have been revealed! And there are some fine names from 2 continents: Europe and the United States.

Two popular French film stars

Honneur aux dames, with Zabou Breitman. This multi-talented woman is sure to raise the stakes with her humor and sparkling wit. From Club Dorothée to the film Se Souvenir des Belles Choses, for which she won a César, Zabou has always been appreciated by the public. Her talents as a screenwriter will also count when it comes to finding the right words and defending Médecins sans Frontières – MSF, the association she will be representing at this 164th Wine Sale. As for the French actor, Jean Reno has captured the affection of both French and international audiences since Subway. His appeal is unquestionable, and his stature inspires confidence. There’s no doubt that buyers of Domaine des Hospices de Beaune vintages will follow him into the auction. There will be a bit of Enzo Maiorca behind the auctioneer’s desk at Sotheby’s on November 17, 2024 in Beaune. Operation seduction for the 2024 Wine Sale The charming Eva Longoria will try to impose her meter 57 against Jean Reno’s meter 88 to dynamite the auctions of the Charity Piece. The association they will represent, the Global Gift Foundation, will be able to count on her fighting spirit. The American actress has all the attributes needed to break records at the sale of the Pièce des Présidents, a Beaune 1er Cru Les Bressandes. Her Texan origins, her birth name (Baston), her sporty driving in Desperate Housewives and her talents as a successful producer are all highly effective motivators for buyers. A breath of British charm will float through the halls of Beaune on Sunday November 17, 2024. Dominic West will be defending the colors of Médecins sans Frontières – MSF alongside Zabou Breitman. French humor and British humor are set to sparkle. The Theron from the Hollywood film “300” will be fighting hard to get the hands of the buyers of this Beaune wine, 1er cru Les Bressandes.

Where does the 2024 Charity Coin money go?

Médecins sans Frontières and Global Gift Foundation

Since 1443, the vocation of the Hospices de Beaune has been to provide health care to the most vulnerable. This spirit continues to this day. In 2024, the money raised from the sale of the Pièce de Charité will finance 2 international associations.

Médecins sans Frontières – MSF: fighting tropical diseases

Founded in 1971,MSF provides humanitarian aid to populations threatened by conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters, etc. The funds raised by the Charity Coin Sale will finance a specific project: the fight against neglected tropical diseases. These diseases particularly affect fragile populations, which will be increasingly affected by global warming and massive urbanization. 1.7 billion people are affected, and several thousand die every year.

Global Gift Foundation: developing a children’s home

This foundation, based in Marbella, Spain, aims to help families, women and children in difficulty. Created by actress Maria Bravo, the humanitarian organization provides families with Casa Angeles. This day-care center welcomes children with special needs. It promotes the development, autonomy and well-being (physical and intellectual) of children and young people with special needs. Therapists and expert professionals contribute their skills to improve the living conditions of these children.

2 news not to be missed

About the Charity Coin

A record in 2022

The coin has reached new heights in 2022: €810,000 will be donated to two associations working for children’s causes.

Capacity

The piece corresponds to a Burgundian tonneau, the equivalent of 228 liters or 300 bottles.

A look back at 2022 - A record year!

Every year, the Hospices de Beaune supports one or more charities represented by a well-known figure from the world of arts and entertainment. The Presidents’ Piece is sold in the traditional and picturesque way, i.e. by “candlelight”, and the profits are donated to the charity supported. In 2022, Benoît Magimel and Flavie Flament were in charge of the Charity Coin sale. They raised €810,000. Another record broken. And a magnificent record too, since the proceeds were donated to the 2 charities they represented: “Princesse Margot” and “Vision du monde”. The piece containing this 2022 vintage was designed in honor of Louis-Fabrice Latour, a leading figure in the Burgundy wine trade, who died in 2022. A very special emotion that will leave its mark on the minds of the people of Beaune, all the more so as several Beaune merchants, close to Louis-Fabrice Latour, were the purchasers. These two personalities succeeded Pio Marmai and Jeanne Balibar in 2021, and Charles Aznavour, Julie Depardieu and Marc Olivier Fogiel a few years ago.

Discover the Hospices de Beaune

Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale

Les Trois Glorieuses

The wine sale is at the heart of a veritable “Rabelaisian” celebration, part of an event known as Burgundy’s “Three Glorious Years”. “. It is preceded on Saturday by the “Chapitre” of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and a dinner at the Château du Clos de Vougeot. On Sunday evening, after the Wine Sale, the famous Wine Sale Gala Dinner is held at the Bastion des Hospices de Beaune. This is followed on Monday lunchtime by the “Paulée” at Château de Meursault. During this traditional meal, each guest brings his or her own bottles, giving the event a rounded, convivial Burgundian feel. The “Three Glorious” stages:

The Chapter at Clos de Vougeot
Gala Dinner for the Hospices de Beaune Sale
Paulée de Meursault at Château de Meursault

Burgundy wine estates

open their doors to you

Many wineries usually organize specific tours and tastings for this Wine Sale weekend. However, you can contact the wineries and wine merchants to order bottles for tasting at home, while you wait to come and meet them.

Les Festivinales, a different way to experience the Wine Sale

Since 2022, the Festivités de la Vente des Vins have been known as the Festivinales. Every year, exceptional guests stroll through the streets of Beaune, becoming almost real Burgundians by the end of the weekend.

The Burgundian village

From Friday November 15 to Sunday November 17, the Place Carnot will welcome all gourmands and gourmets to the thirty or so exhibitors at the Village Bourguignon. Oeufs en meurette, cheeses and charcuterie, foie gras, snails, beer and, of course, wines are sure to please.

On the move in Burgundy

The Wine Sale weekend

During this essential weekend of the Burgundy season, musical groups play in the historic town center. And we’re delighted to welcome back the bottle-opening competition on Place Fleury. A torch-lit parade leads the way to Place Carnot for a musical finale. The funfair on Place Madeleine, a popular meeting place for young and old, keeps the hearts of Beaunois beating. And of course, on Sunday from 2.30pm, you can follow the live auction on Place de la Halle.

Find out more about Festivinales

Half Marathon

Wine Sales

Sport all weekend long!

The half-marathon takes place on the Saturday of the Wine Sale (November 16 for 2024). But it’s as early as Friday that the sneakers start rolling on the courses around Beaune. The youngsters compete on Friday morning, and the less athletic take part in a convivial evening jog in the center of Beaune. On Saturday, youth races, Nordic walking, canicross and, of course, the half-marathon and Foulées Beaunoises take to the streets of Beaune and the surrounding paths.