Every year, on the third Sunday of November, the Hospices de Beaune wine auction is held. A global event that collectors never missed for an empire.
It all began in 1443. The Hundred Years’ War, which pitted France against England, was raging with its share of pillaging and violence. Poverty and hunger hit many Beaune residents hard. Nicolas Rolin, then chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy, and his wife Gugone de Salins, decided to found a hospital in Beaune to help the sick and poor. To ensure a stable income for their foundation, they endowed it with a wine estate. From 1457, nobles and wealthy bourgeoisie added to this initial endowment. The most recent donation took place in 2015.
An estates, yes, a true estate
The estate currently covers 60 hectares, 50 of which are Pinot Noir and 10 of which are Chardonnay.
Ludivine Griveau is responsible for the technical management of the vineyard and wines. She is the estate’s first female manager. The plots are cultivated by 23 winegrowers, without the use of synthetic herbicides and favoring ecological techniques. The estate produces 50 wines, 33 of which are Pinot Noir and 17 of which are Chardonnay, primarily Premiers Crus and Grands Crus. They are made in the estate’s winery.
The auction
Wines have been sold at auction since 1859. In 1924, it was decided that the event would take place on the third Thursday of November, to coincide with the Dijon gastronomic fair.
The wines are offered for sale en primeur, meaning that they are the year’s harvest that has not yet completed its maturation. Two days before the sale, potential buyers can taste the wines in the estate’s winery. On the day, in a lively atmosphere, the auction opens in the hall of the hospices. Participants include professionals, individuals, and wine-lovers’ associations. Buyers do not take their wine home with them but entrust it to a wine merchant of their choice, who will be responsible for the maturation, which lasts 12 to 24 months, before bottling. Each wine bears the name of the plot of origin and the person who donated it.
Where fo the funds raised go?
The Hospices also support other charitable causes sponsored by prominent figures. To this end, they offer a keg called the « President’s Coin » for sale. The sale takes place by candlelight, between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., and must be completed before the candle burns out. The President’s Coin always arouses great emotion due to its symbolic significance, which is reflected in the astronomical prices it commands.
Today, as in the past, the sale aims to raise funds to finance the Hospices’ charitable works. Medical care constitutes a significant portion of this through the Philippe le Bon Hospital Center in Beaune, which employs over 1,000 caregivers of all professions. In addition, there are several retirement homes and a nursing training center. Thus, the spirit of the founders lives on. The proceeds from the sale also go towards maintaining the heritage of the Hôtel-Dieu, famous throughout the world for its multi-coloured tiles, and the 5,000 pieces of furniture and art objects it houses.