The Wine Auction of the Hospices de Beaune 2023 - 19 November 2023: discover the most famous charity wine auction in the World!
The 163st Wine Auction will take place on 17, 18 and 19 November 2023
Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction 2023
Every year, wine professionals, connoisseurs and simple wine lovers make a date for the third Sunday in November, with festivities in the purest Burgundian tradition.Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction: a weekend of festivities and tastings
Numerous activities punctuate this festive weekend: street shows, folkloric parade, gastronomic village and half-marathon through the streets and vineyards of Beaune. The large wine merchant houses of Beaune compete in creativity and organize prestigious tastings: wines of the Hospices, rare vintages, appellations from all over Burgundy and themed or gourmet tastings are all on the programme. In Beaune and on its vineyard area, winemakers offer tastings of older or more recent vintages in their cellars. Gathered together in winemaking brotherhoods or Confréries, they organize gala dinners and inductions of new ambassadors for the wines of Burgundy.
Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction: the auction
High point of the weekend, it is henceforward organized by Sotheby’s and unfolds on the Sunday afternoon in the market hall of the Halles de Beaune. The wines offered for sale, from a wine domain made up of donations and bequests over more than 500 years, count for more than 60 hectares (150 acres) of vines and of which the majority is classified in Grand Crus and Premier Crus. This charitable wine auction acts as an international barometer for the prestigious wine market and brings together Beaune’s large merchant houses and buyers from the whole World. However, by dint of its charitable vocation, the prices of wines generally go far beyond normal market levels.
The proceeds from the auction are used for the conservation of the heritage and medical structures of the Hospices. After the wine auction, a grand candle-lit dinner is arranged in the mediaeval setting of the Bastion of the Hôtel Dieu.
Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction: the charity lot
Each year, the Hospices de Beaune support one or more charities represented by a personality from the world of arts and entertainment. The President's lot* is put up for sale in a traditional and picturesque manner, that is to say, by "candlelight", and the profits are donated to the charity supported.
The last presidents of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale 2021 were Pio Marmai and Jeanne Balibar.
The Presidents of the 162nd Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale
Last year, 2022, Benoît Magimel, Flavie Flamment (Vision du Monde), Rebecca Hampton and Jean-Pierre Castaldi (Princesse Margot) were at the helm for the sale of the Charity Barrel. This iconic barrel was a bit special for the 162nd edition of the Wine Sale. First of all, it was a blend of 3 Corton Grands Crus. The 228 litres werre offered in a barrel specially designed in honour of Louis-Fabrice Latour, a great figure of the Burgundy wine trade, who died last year.
The amount raised during this auction have been donated to two associations working in the interests of children.
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Princess Margot: supporting children with cancer
Since 2012, Muriel Hattab has been supporting parents whose children are suffering from cancer through her association. The profits from the Wine Sale will be used to provide temporary accommodation for families: "La Maison des Parents"
- World Vision: helping the most vulnerable children
World Vision's Kenya Big Dream project has benefited from the sale of the charity barrel. This project aims to combat female genital mutilation and child marriage.
The lot equates to a Burgundy barrel, the equivalent of 228 litres or 300 bottles
Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction: Les Trois Glorieuses
The wine auction is at the heart of a veritable Rabelaisian feast and is featured within an event called Les Trois Glorieuses de Bourgogne or the Three Days of Glory. It is preceded on the Saturday by a chapter assembly of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin wine fraternity and a dinner at the Clos de Vougeot. It is followed by a luncheon on the Monday, the Paulée at the Château de Meursault. At this last-named traditional feast, each guest brings bottles of wine, giving this event an all-embracing nature and conviviality that are especially Burgundian.
Festivities in the margins of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale
2020 was a truncated edition of the traditional festivities. 2021 saw the return of the folklore parades, the Burgundian village, renamed the Place Gourmande, Place Carnot and in the centre of Beaune.
Tastings at the estates and wine shops can be booked on our website and in our reception offices.
The wine domains of Burgundy open their doors to you
Numerous wine domains habitually organize visits and specific tastings for this weekend of the wine auction. You can nevertheless contact the domains and wine merchants to order bottles to be tasted at home, while waiting to come and meet them.
If you are just too impatient to taste the wines of the Côte de Beaune, discover our virtual tastings offered by certain domains.
The Gala Dinners during the festivities of the Wine Auction of the Hospices de Beaune.
This is a little like discovering Burgundy from the inside. To take part in a gala dinner in a Burgundian castle is a memorable experience. The other events will appear online on our site as and when finalized.
For Runners: The Half Marathon of the Vente des Vins 2023
A sporting rendezvous, the half-marathon brings together more and more runners each year. The 2023 edition of the half-marathon will take place on 18 November.
If you wish to receive our Newsletter to be kept informed about the Half-Marathon, you can sign up to our mailing list.
The length of a weekend: the streets of Beaune are bubbling for the Wine Auction of the Hospices de Beaune
We will meet again for a great festive weekend at the 163nd edition in November 2023.
Beaune changes appearance during the Wine Auction. The streets are animated, the people of Beaune all smiling. The three days of the Wine Auction are the ideal occasion for a party.
Between folkloric parades, gourmet food stands of local terroir produce and tastings on every street corner, coming to Beaune for this weekend is how to live Burgundy.
Burgundy's wine estates open their doors for you
Gala dinners during the festivities of the Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale
It's a bit like discovering Burgundy from the inside. Attending a gala dinner in a Burgundy château is a memorable experience. All events will be posted on our website as we go along. If you would like to receive our Newsletter to stay informed, you can sign up on our mailing list.For runners: Half-Marathon of the Wine Sale 2023
A great sporting event, the half-marathon brings together more runners each year. If you would like to receive our Newsletter to keep you informed about the Half-Marathon, you can register on our mailing list.Over the space of a weekend, the streets of Beaune are full of activity for the Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale
Beaune changes its whole look during the Wine Sale. The streets are full of life and the locals all have a smile on their faces. The 3 days of the Wine Sale are the perfect opportunity to party.Mixing folk parades, gourmet stalls of local products and tastings on every street corner, coming to Beaune during this weekend means living Burgundy life to the full.
