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A weekend of celebrations and tastings

There’s plenty of entertainment to punctuate this weekend of festivities, including street performances, a folk festival, a gastronomic village and semi-marathons through the streets and vineyards of Beaune. The great wine houses of Beaune compete in creativity and organise prestigious tastings: wines from the Hospices, rare vintages, appellations from all over Burgundy and themed or gourmet tastings are on the programme. In Beaune and the surrounding winegrowing area, winegrowers will be offering tastings of old or new vintages in their cellars. Gathered in Confréries viticoles, they organise gala dinners and inductions of new ambassadors of the wines of Burgundy. The Festivinales programme is coming soon.

Book your oenological experiences during the Wine Sale

The Auction

The highlight of the weekend, the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune Auction takes place in the afternoon of the 3rd Sunday in November, under Les Halles de Beaune. It is organised by Sotheby’s. The vintages up for sale, from an estate built up through donations and legacies over more than 500 years, total more than 60 hectares, the majority of which are classified as Grands Crus and Premiers Crus. This charity wine auction is an international barometer for the prestige wine market, bringing together the great Beaune wine houses and buyers from all over the world. However, due to its charitable vocation, the prices of the wines are generally much lower than usual. Proceeds from the sale are used to conserve and maintain the hospital’s heritage and structures. Each year, one vat 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 Room below. At the end of the sale, a gala dinner will be held in the magnificent setting of the bastion of the Hôtel Dieu.

What does a part of the wine sale correspond to?

“The wines from the Hospices de Beaune estate are all sold in pièce at the Sale. The pièce corresponds to the Burgundian tonneau, the equivalent of 228 litres or 300 bottles”

Prestigious vintages

Wine Sales

The estate’s 60 hectares are spread across parcels of Grands Crus, Premiers Crus and other prestigious appellations and delight buyers at the Wine Sale. You will certainly be familiar with some of these 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

The sponsors of the 2024 Charity Coin

The Presidents for the Pièce de Charité 2024 auctions have been announced! And there’s a great turnout from 2 continents: Europe and the United States.

Two stars of French cinema who’ve won over the public

Honour to the ladies, with Zabou Breitman. This multi-talented woman is sure to raise the roof with her humour and quick wit. From Club Dorothée to the film Se Souvenir des Belles Choses, for which she won a César, Zabou has always endeared herself to audiences. Her talent as a performer will also be important in finding the right words and defending Médecins sans Frontières – MSF, the charity she will be representing at this 164èth Wine Sale. A celebrated French actor, Jean Reno has captured the affection of French and international audiences since Subway. His appeal is unquestionable and his stature inspires confidence. There’s no doubt that the buyers of the vintages from the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune will follow him into the auction. There will be a bit of Enzo Maiorca behind the auctioneer’s desk at Sotheby’s on 17 November 2024 à Beaune. Opération séduction pour la Vente des Vins 2024 The charming Eva Longoria will try to impose her 57 mètre against Jean Reno’s 88 mètre to dynamite the auctions of the Pièce de Charité. The charity 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 be wafting through the Halles de Beaune on Sunday 17 November 2024. Dominic West will be flying the colours of Médecins sans Frontières – MSF alongside Zabou Breitman. French humour and British humour will make a splash. The Théron 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 money from the 2024 Charity Coin go?

Médecins sans Frontières and Global Gift Foundation

Since 1443, the vocation of the Hospices de Beaune has been to provide health care for the most vulnerable. This spirit continues to this day. The money raised through the sale of the Pi&egrave ce de Charité will fund 2 international associations this year 2024.

Médecins sans Frontières – MSF: fighting tropical diseases

The MSF association, founded in 1971, provides humanitarian aid to populations threatened by conflicts, epidemics, natural disasters, etc. The funds raised from the sale of the Charity House will be used to finance a specific project: the fight against neglected tropical diseases. These diseases particularly affect vulnerable populations, who will be increasingly affected by climate change and massive urbanisation. 1.7 billion people are affected and several thousand die every year.

Global Gift Foundation: developing a home for children

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

2 news items not to be missed

About the Charity Coin

A record in 2022

The pièce has reached new heights in 2022: 810,000€ will be donated to the two associations œurant for the cause of children.

Its capacity

The pièce corresponds to the Burgundian tonneau, the equivalent of 228 litres or 300 bottles.

©Author photographer|Micha Patault - Sotheby's

A look back at 2022 - A record year!

Each year, Les Hospices de Beaune supports one or more charities represented by a well-known figure from the world of arts and entertainment. The Presidents’ pieces are sold in the traditional and picturesque way, i.e. by the candle, and the profits are donated to the charity supported. In 2022, Benoît Magimel and Flavie Flament were at the helm of the Pièce de Charité sale. They raised the sum of 810,000 euros. Another record broken. And a magnificent record too, as all the proceeds were donated to the 2 charities they represented: Princess Margot and Vision du Monde. The room containing the 2022 vintage was designed in honour of Louis-Fabrice Latour, a leading figure in Burgundy wine, who died in 2022. This is a very special event that will leave a lasting impression on the people of Beaune, especially as a number of local winegrowers who were close to Louis-Fabrice Latour have come forward to make the purchase. These two personalities followed in the footsteps of Pio Marmai and Jeanne Balibar in 2021, as well as Charles Aznavour, Julie Depardieu and Marc Olivier Fogiel a few years ago.

Discover the Hospices de Beaune

Hospices de Beaune Wine Sale

The Three Glorious Years

The sale of the wines is the heart of a true Rabelaisian festivity, part of an event known as the Three Glorious Burgundies. It is also part of a series of events known as Les Trois Glorieuses (The Three Glorious Ones) in Burgundy. It is presented on the Saturday of the Chapter of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin and a dicirc;ner 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 a lunch, the Paulée», at the château de Meursault. During this traditional meal, each guest brings his or her own bottles, giving this wine a rounded, convivial Burgundian feel. The “Three Glorious” stages:

Le Chapitre au Clos de Vougeot
Le Dîner de gala de la Vente des Hospices de Beaune
La Paulée de Meursault au Château de Meursault

Burgundy wine estates

open their doors to you

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

Les Festivinales, a new way to experience the Wine Sale

Since 2022, the Wine Sale Festivities have been called the Festivinales. Every year, exceptional guests come to parade through the streets of Beaune and almost become true Burgundians by the end of the weekend.

The Burgundian village

From Friday 15 to Sunday 17 November, the Place Carnot will be welcoming all food lovers and gourmets to the thirty or so exhibitors present at the Village Bourguignon. Eggs en meurette, cheeses and charcuterie, foie gras, snails, beer and, of course, wine will all be on offer.

Things are happening in Burgundy

The weekend of the Wine Sale

During this not-to-be-missed weekend in the Burgundy season, musical groups play in the town’s historic centre. And we’re delighted to welcome back the bottle corking competition on Place Fleury. A torch-lit parade takes you to Place Carnot for a musical finale. The funfair at Place Madeleine, a popular meeting place for young and old alike, is sure to get Beaune’s heart racing. And of course, from 2.30pm on Sunday, come and watch the live auction on Place de la Halle.

Find out more about the Festivinales

The Half Marathon

Wine Sales

Sport all weekend long!

The semi-marathon takes place on the Saturday of the Wine Sale (November 15 for 2025). But it’s from Friday onwards that the trainers take to the streets of Beaune. The youngsters compete on Friday morning, while the less sporty take part in a friendly evening jog through the centre of Beaune. On Saturday, youth races, Nordic walking, canicross and, of course, the half-marathon and the Foulées Beaunoises bring the streets of Beaune and the surrounding paths to life.