France is the most important country in the world to the wine trade. In terms of cities the top three in terms of importance are Reims in Champagne, Bordeaux and Beaune in Burgundy.
The former two are large cities with universities and diverse economies. Beaune is somewhat different. It is a town of around 20k population. That is the equivalent of a small English market town like Skipton or Ludlow, or an American small town or single suburban high school district.
And yet this small town, in one week every November, hosts a wine auction that sets the price of the most expensive wines on earth. This is a tradition that dates back over 500 years.
It is impossible to separate Beaune from wine. Without wine there would be no Beaune. And it could be argued that without Beaune, the international wine industry as we know it today would not exist.
Paradoxically, Burgundy produces almost half the amount of wine of Bordeaux. Burgundy’s exclusiveness relies on this, and on the fact that, thanks to Napoléonic inheritance laws cutting up the big holdings in the area, the average estate is just 6.5 hectares. An average estate in Bordeaux by way of comparison is 20 hectares. Add to that the fact that wine comes from a single cepage (that is to say a single grape variety – all Burgundy red wine comes from the Pinot Noir grape), yet tastes radically different depending on the soil type, exposure and cultivation of the vines (called the terroir). On top of that the climate often fights against the wine growers, with late frosts, floods, droughts, hail storms and scorching heat, all having a significant impact on both the harvest and the quality of the grape.
What does any of this really mean to a visitor? For a start off, it is unlikely that you will visit Beaune if you didn’t have at least a passing interest in wine. It is an agreeable town. It has a charming, medieval centre, but it is certainly not the loveliest town of its size in France.
Visit Hospices de Beaune
The biggest draw to the town centre is the Hôtel de Dieu – also known as the Hospices de Beaune (the Hôtel de Dieu or Hotel of God is the building and the Hospices de Beaune is the organisation).
The building was originally opened as a hospital in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin – the chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy, who ruled the region at the time.
The institute ended up being funded by centuries of donated vineyards, starting in 1457. Plot by plot they were donated by grateful patients and families.
Today the Hospices de Beaune estate covers 60 hectares across 120 parcels. As 85% of the land is classified as premier or Grand Cru (the best wines which make up just 2% of the Burgundy production) this places the land value of the Hospices estate at several hundred million euros. By value this is possibly the single most valuable vineyard estate in the world.
The wine is sold at auction in the barrel “en primeur” meaning this is that year’s wine not yet aged or bottled. Négotiants buy the wine – then age and bottle it. Given that the average price of a bottle’s worth of wine is around 110€ one can see how the prices of these wines skyrocket. This is the auction, each November, that sets the price of Burgundy wine for that year (or vintage).
The building itself, which is now a museum, is certainly worth a visit. A guide, or at the very least an audio guide, will help you make the most of it. It is a beautiful, Flemish influenced, gothic building with a remarkable roof. The roof features on many photographs and images of the area so you might recognise it.
One can easily imagine that the sick were very grateful to be looked after in such marvellous surroundings. The nursing was done by nuns and there are exhibits in the museum explaining the care that went on.
It seems remarkable that one man starting a hospital could have such an impact on the world wine market over 500 years later. That, in essence, is the story of Beaune.
Other than the hospices there is not a huge amount to do in the town itself. There is a market on Saturdays in the market hall, and a smaller one on Wednesdays in the square outside. There are ramparts to explore and a small mustard museum. The tourist office has a very good, free, exhibition which explains the different villages and wine nomenclature. It is a really good place to start to get a feel for where all the vineyards are and the importance of the terroir.
Wine Tasting in Beaune
There are also lots of options for wine tasting. We chose to Visit the Patriarche et Fils, one of the most important négotiants in the city. The building was originally a convent and was bought in 1796 after the French revolution dissolved religious orders and their properties became national assets available for sale. What interested Jean-Baptiste Patriarche was not the convent itself, but rather the vaulted underground galleries which are a perfect location for ageing wine. These galleries have been expanded over the past 70 years and now make up 5km of underground storage, a part of which can be visited.
A reservation is required for the visit, but this can be made online, and often for the day itself (as was our case). The visit to the cellars is not guided, though there are information panels along the route with details in both French and English. The tasting takes place in one of the underground galleries. You pick up a wine glass (which you get to keep) and then a sommelier serves you with 5 different wines and explains the differences. This is a tasting that is accessible to all levels of knowledge, and would make a good entry point if you have never been to a wine tasting before. The real trick to getting the most out of this visit is to question the sommeliers (they all spoke good English). Once you get them onto their favourite subject they will happily expand on even the smallest details, and will choose different wine to help prove their point. I prefer a wine with lots of depth and character, where as my daughter prefers a lighter, fruitier wine. The sommelier had us taste wines from the same parcels from different years to demonstrate what a difference the climate makes to the finished wine. At first glance the 25€ price tag seems a little steep, but given the quantity and quality of the wines we were tasting, as well as the education we received, I think this visit is very good value for money and I would highly recommend it.
As an extra, the shop at the end offers tastings of the crème de cassis that they make. This is the blackcurrant liquor that is local to the region and is what is used to make the popular aperitif drink kir. The one they make here is the best I have ever tasted.
Visit Vineyards near Beaune
To really appreciate the vineyards of the area you need to get out of town, and for that you will need a car. You can hire bikes and cycle to the nearer villages, but a car gives you far more flexibility. A map is available at the tourism office for the Route des Grands Crus – roads that will take you though the most important villages in the area. The map has some points with the best views noted, but beware, the map itself isn’t great and a GPS is a wise partner.
The drive is lovely, with some fabulous scenery over the surrounding hills. It really gives you a feel of quite how important wine it, especially when you see how many people are doing back breaking work in the fields. My favourite village was Monthelie for its lovely views and Nuit St Georges for its lovely high street.
This is also the opportunity to organise some tastings directly with the producers. These are best booked ahead. We hit lucky with the Clos du Moulin aux Moines, which we looked at specifically because they are one of the few producers making a Bourgogne aligoté white wine as well as a chardonnay. We were welcomed and given tastings of several wines before we chose which to buy. As well as the aligoté I also found a chardonnay I liked (which is rare) and my daughter found a fruity red which suited her palate. They do a pop-up restaurant here in the summer which would be a great way to combine wine tasting with an evening outside.
Beaune has a fair choice of restaurants, particularly heading towards the top end. Prices are more like I would expect to see in Paris rather than a provincial town. The stand out meal for me was at Loiseau des vignes that I talked about in my review of the Hotel Le Cep. The Oeufs en meurette I had there is one of the nicest meals I have ever eaten. All the restaurants have very long wine lists, and unless you know your Burgundy very well indeed I suggest asking the advice of the sommelier or waiter.
Best time to visit Beaune France
Beaune now treats the dates of the wine auction as reason to celebrate and various events take place across the town for three days (called the Trois Glorieuses). These include a semi-marathon, various concerts and parades and a meal for 500 invited guests. However, accommodation can be difficult to obtain, and it isn’t the best time to experience the vineyards as the harvest is over and the vines losing their leaves.
Late spring and summer see the area at its most beautiful, by September visits to vineyards become more difficult as the growers are occupied with the harvest. You can visit the area in winter, and the Hotel Le Cep for example has cosy fires to keep out the chill, and the local gastronomy, which is on the heavy side, suits the colder weather, but the vineyards can look rather barren in winter.
Is Beaune worth visiting?
If you are at all interested in wine then a visit to Beaune would be a great addition to your trip to France or Europe. Even if Burgundy isn’t your favourite wine (it isn’t mine, I prefer the richer, more tannic reds from the south, and the fresh crispness you get from a white sauvignon) you will get a deeper appreciation of how the different factors can affect the finished wine. That being said, I do think that Beaune is for wine tourists. If you want to visit the area but are not interested in wine I would suggest Dijon would be a better option. Whilst wine is still important in Dijon it doesn’t have the same importance to the town as it does to Beaune.
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