Clos de Vougeot: built to honour the Cistercian Abbot and his wine
While the Château du Clos de Vougeot no longer produces wine these days, it remains the symbol of almost a thousand years of Burgundy history.
In the 12th century, the monks of the Cistercian Abbey, the owners of Clos-Vougeot thanks to donations from wealthy Burgundy nobles and purchases made by the abbey, grew vines here. They build a wall around the precious land of the Clos de Vougeot, which still defines this prestigious appellation today.
Transformed into a Renaissance château, this historic place has become a Mecca for wine and Burgundy conviviality.
"Never in vain, always in wine"
Since 1934, Château du Clos Vougeot has been the seat of the "Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin" (Brotherhood of the Knights of the Tastevin (tasting cup)), which found the place to be a worthy setting for its work to promote Burgundy wines worldwide.
Seventeen times a year, the Chevaliers du Tastevin receive guests at a high-level evening event called “Chapitres”. New chevaliers are inducted and a dinner in the great Burgundy tradition of conviviality brings together 600 people in the château’s winery. The 12 000 Chevaliers du Tastevin are organised into many “commanderies” around the world, from New York to Hong Kong, via Rio de Janeiro.
On the programme
While the château is not strictly speaking open, you can visit a number of its working buildings built by the Cistercian monks in the 12th century: the winery that houses four huge presses; the cellar, a building dating from the 12th century and built to accommodate 2000 wine casks, or the dormitory of the lay brothers whose magnificent woodwork dates from the 14th century.
Balades en Bourgogne App – on the road to UNESCO
The Balades en Bourgogne App is a new application that takes you on a guided walk along the hiking trails of the Burgundy's “Climats” area. No need to find the route on a map or look everywhere for points of interest – the application looks after all that by triggering an audio commentary. Knowing what Burgundy’s famous “Climats” are, why the winemakers build “cabottes” (vineyard huts), and what “meurgers” are for (stone walls) ... it's the French voice of George Clooney that will tell you about it all along the walk.
Four circuits are available : around the famous Château du Clos de Vougeot (7 km), in the heart of the "Grands Crus de Bourgogne" starting in Morey-Saint-Denis (6 km), the "Butte de Corton" starting in Pernand-Vergelesses (6 km) or the "Circuit of the Crests" in Santenay (11 km).
Balades en Bourgogne App is available free on App Store and Google Play.
