N°162 January 2012

MEET WITH THE BURGUNDY AT THE HEART OF THEIR TERROIR! Created in 1992, the Grands Jours de Bourgogne event takes place every two years in March: for a whole week you are invited to cover Burgundy from Chablis/Grand Auxerrois (Monday) to the Côte de Beaune (Friday), including the Côte de Nuits (Tuesday), the Mâconnais (Wednesday) and the Côte Chalonnaise (Thursday).

The success of the Grands Jours de Bourgogne in figures: 15 travelling tasting shows, 100 appellations presented, 1,000 Burgundy exhibitors, 10,000 Burgundy to be tasted, including the latest vintages, 2,000 visitors expected, 40 different countries, 10% rise in visitor numbers in 2010...

Several partners are supporting this 11th edition: the Board (BIVB), the Burgundy Regional Council, Chef & Sommelier, the General Council of Côte d’Or, the General Council of Saône et Loire and for the second time the Crédit Mutuel de Bourgogne. The Association for the inclusion of the “Climats” of the Burgundy vineyard as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is also associated with this international project.

Les Grands Jours by night…

Tuesday 20: conference/tasting on sustainable wine-growing and organic wines - 5 to 8pm - Palais des Congrès - Beaune Presentation of the Sustainable Development initiative launched by the BIVB within its Bourgognes Amplitude 2015 Plan and fields of investigation envisaged. Focus on the organic method of production followed by a tasting.

Wednesday 21: “Bourgognes et Saveurs du Monde” evening Organised for the 4th consecutive time by the BIVB, this evening is all about taste and unexpected sensory experiences! Come and try unusual combinations of expressive Burgundy wines with international cuisine.

Thursday 22: the Press Trophy will be awarded during the “Grandes Maisons & Grands Crus" evening Within the exceptional setting of the Clos de Vougeot, tasting of Burgundy’s Grand Crus followed by a gala dinner organised by the Union des Maisons de Vins de Bourgogne. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of this event, there will be the prize-giving ceremony of the Press Trophies of the Grands Jours de Bourgogne for the journalist with the most educational article and, new for 2012, the photographer with the best photo report on Burgundy wines.

Other events...

Wednesday 21: press conference on the appellations of the Mâconnais - 11am - Palais des Congrès- Beaune Focus on each appellation, latest news. Always improving

Roadbook, the practical guide to the event: new for 2012 is the creation of this made-to-measure guide where you can easily find every detail on the 15 tasting fairs but also a lot of other practical information (shuttles, etc.).

A mobile site designed for smartphones: available in French and English, it allows users to access practical information on the events and to prepare their schedule. Available from the end of January.

The website of the event: presents the complete programme of the week and allows visitors to register for the tastings on offer. Exhaustive list of exhibitors can be viewed from the beginning of 2012: www.grands-jours-bourgogne.fr

One single tasting notebook per day

An increased network of shuttles: free service; maps and timetables can be viewed on the Internet and on the mobile site.

Two key points for the press

A comfortable, practical press room is available every day with various services (press, Internet access, telephone, computers, etc.).

The Burgundy Press Trophy will be awarded to a journalist or photographer… for more information take a look on the online press room www.burgundy-wines.fr or on www.grands-jours-bourgogne.fr

FRENCH AGRICULTURE SHOW: AN IMPRESSIVE WINE STAND 2012 is the year of many great meetings! Burgundy is organising the “Grands Jours” from 19 to 24 March (see special page) and a few weeks earlier the “Salon de l'Agriculture” agricultural show will take place in Paris from 25 February to 4 March.At this key event for the French people and the world of agriculture, the wine sector will present a joint stand for the second time. Visitors will be able to discover or rediscover how vines are grown, the different methods of production, the diversity of French “Terroir”, food and wine pairing, etc.

This event will remind or convince the hundreds of thousands of visitors that wine is an integral part of their culture.

Convinced that the whole sector should join forces behind this key campaign, Burgundy has strongly supported the implementation of this initiative. In 2011, the association Vin & Société had reasserted the position of wine in our lifestyle. The objective was to underline that wine is a living heritage, of which France can be proud. We must learn to share it and appreciate it appropriately.

A new dimension has been given to this event. It is no longer just a question of defending, but to be properly established, to give meaning to the efforts and the work of the thousands of producers who enhance the French land. This initiative, carried out in cooperation with the different organisations of the sector on a national level (the Comité National des Interprofessions des Vins d'appellations d’origine, the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin, FranceAgriMer, ANIVIN) is a sign of the strong unity of all the men and women who share the same passion.

There is no doubt that the wine stand will hold its head up high in 2012.

OFFICIAL INSTRUCTORS: AMBASSADORS FOR BURGUNDY The passion for Burgundy wines is infectious. There is nothing better than an experienced person to act as your guide to enter into the world of the Burgundy “Terroir”. This is why the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB) has developed a network of instructors over the last four years, in France and across the world. Since 2008, 48 persons have been trained in the export markets (in 15 countries) and 11 persons in France. By obtaining their diploma, provided by the BIVB and the School of Burgundy Wines, these instructors have proven their expertise and their passion for Burgundy wines but also their ability to share them with different audiences.

The “Official instructor of Burgundy wines” title is not handed out to amateurs: candidates must demonstrate their knowledge of Burgundy wines (the appellations, history, economy, etc.) and their quality as a taster. These instructors undertake to carry out at least eight training seminars dedicated to Burgundy wines in their country every year. The BIVB also calls on them to animate its own seminars in the countries in question.

FACEBOOK: JOIN THE FANS OF THE PAGE VINS DE BOURGOGNE Do you like Burgundy wines? Find them on Facebook! The page “Vins de Bourgogne (site officiel)” is waiting for YOU. Its fans will receive directly on their wall information on the appellations, events and campaigns organised in Burgundy and documents available at the BIVB, etc. New in 2012: animations (games, news, etc.) will regularly enrich the page to allow everyone to explore the endless culture of Burgundy wines.

EXPORT: TERROIRS & SIGNATURES DE BOURGOGNE TASTING IN THE USA Some forty Burgundy producers, winegrowers, merchants or caves cooperatives will travel to the USA at the end of April 2012. Two "Terroirs & Signatures de Bourgogne" tastings are scheduled: one in San Francisco on 24 April and the other in New York on 26 April.

In today’s world where everything is urgent and speed reigns absolute, the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB) has decided to highlight the importance of time and those who respect it. It takes time to make a great wine and even more time to maintain the “Terroirs” and “Climats” which are specific to the region. The Burgundy vineyard has reached excellence at the price of the stubbornness of civilisation. It took centuries to identify the “Terroirs”, to select the vines and to cultivate the land to reach such refinement in the expression of the link between a wine and its origins.

On the agenda during this trip: tasting seminars, meetings with the producers, press meetings. The USA has become Burgundy's leading export market by value. The previous week, Burgundy will be in Brazil on the occasion of a Wine Tour, co-organised by the BIVB and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Burgundy region. There will be meetings with the trade and the press in Sao Paulo on 17 April and in Rio de Janeiro on 19 April. Burgundy wines have seen growing popularity in Brazil (60% rise in exports from Burgundy to this market between 2007 and 2011).

NEW: BURGUNDY WINE TOURISM PRESS PACK With its new press pack “Wine Tourism in Burgundy”, the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB) offers a wide array of information on the region, its festivals, its heritage, its wines, its activities, its accommodation and its food. The five key parts of this press pack present the five wine regions via the “hills in villages” walk. The “Agenda” section contains a number of wine events which are selected amongst the hundred or so listed in the new brochure “En route vers les Bourgognes”. The “Address book” lists the best guest houses and tables d’hôtes situated in the heart of the wine estates, hotels and restaurants full of character, fun activities through the vines and the most legendary sites.

More than just a practical guide, this press pack is designed to give you the best information on Burgundy, its richness and its vineyard. It will be available online from mid-January on the BIVB's website: www.burgundy-wines.fr, under Press Room (in French only).

EXPORTS: BURGUNDY’S REVENUES CLOSE TO THEIR RECORD Despite the fact that the global economy is still fragile, Burgundy continues to recoup, month after month, the losses registered during the worst moments of the crisis. The revenues generated by the vineyard outside the country are now close to the record level achieved before the crisis.

The increase in value of close to 20% over the first ten months of 2011, after the 16% growth in 2010, could bring Burgundy’s export revenues to some 685 million euros over the full year; that is the 2nd best historical result, close to the record of the memorable year 2007. This is boosted by a significant increase in exports of the most expensive AOCs (particularly from Côtes de Nuits and Beaune).

The difference between the two periods resides essentially in the destination of exports. Although the North American market has regained its strength in the consumption of Burgundy wines, the traditional European markets seem to be giving way to the new consumption markets, i.e. Asia which has doubled its imports of Burgundy wines in just one year.

INDICATORS Winery sales +4% by volume (total for 12 months of campaign: August 2010/June 2011) French supermarket sales +1.2% by volume +2.9% by value (total for 12 months at October 2011/October 2010)

Exports +0.7% by volume +19.3% by value (total for 10 months 2011/2010)

(Note: changes in export volumes are questionable since changes were made to the declarative procedures carried out by French customs).

FOCUS ON A WINE: MERCUREY In the heart of the Côte Chalonnaise (12 kilometres from Chalon-sur-Saône), Mercurey is one of the largest appellations in Burgundy (645 hectares). With 80% red wines, they are reputed to be solid and deep. Around 160 hectares (30 “Climats”) are ranked Premier Cru. Protected from the damp winds by its hills, the vineyard reaches as far as the village of Saint-Martin-sous-Montaigu. Reunited around the Chanteflûte brotherhood (created in 1971), the winegrowers celebrate Mercurey and its reputation throughout the world.

These wines evoke raspberry, strawberry, cherry and crisp fruit. With age they develop accents of undergrowth, spicy aromas of tobacco and cocoa beans. On the palate, a full wine, rich in body and in fruit. The tannins can sometimes lend a mineral firmness in their youth. They have a pleasant fleshy roundness on maturity. They are an ideal accompaniment to entrecotes, beef and lamb, either braised or with a sauce. Roast pork has also adopted it due to its aromatic richness, as is the case for stewed poultry. Exotic dishes are also a good match. For the cheese board, it suits soft cheeses as well as matured cheeses. The white wines display spicy, floral or mineral notes, making them highly suitable for fish – grilled or with a sauce – cooked seafood, Asian foods and hard cheeses. White Mercurey, made from , is also appreciated as an aperitif. Some 3 million bottles are produced every year (88% reds), of which 24% for the appellation Mercurey Premier Cru. Around 230 estates produce the AOC. The appellation is 50% marketed by the wine estates and 50% by Burgundy merchants.

CLIMATS OF THE BURGUNDY VINEYARD AT UNESCO: THE FILE PRESENTED TO THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT On 18 November 2011, the association for the inclusion of the “Climats” of the Burgundy vineyard as a UNESCO world heritage site was heard by the National committee of French sites for world heritage, which has to select two projects which will be presented to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The outcome will be known at the end of January. Mobilisation is strong on the ground.

The written press, radio, television and Internet have signed the Media pact proposed by the association which is chaired by Aubert de Villaine. 23 of Burgundy’s media have thereby undertaken “to distribute information about the application, to display their support on the website, to feed the counter showing the number of supporters and to pass on information about each key event in the application process to ensure it has the best possible media visibility.”

A MACON-VILLAGES DESIGNATED THIRD BEST WINE IN THE WORLD The Mâcon-Villages 2010 from the Cave de Lugny has recently been named third best wine in the world, all categories combined, by the Decanter competition. This Chardonnay from Burgundy’s leading wine cooperative has been rightly highlighted. A traditional Burgundy, light, fruity and not woody, it confirms the permanent progression in the quality of the wines of the Mâconnais and the wealth of an overlooked “Terroir”. A dry white wine from an assemblage of the different “Terroirs” which make up the vineyard of the Cave de Lugny, the Mâcon-Villages “Florières” is the result of stricter specifications. Harvested on a limestone-clay soil exposed to the south/south-east, it benefits from an optimum amount of sunshine. In the cellar, it benefits from ancestral expertise combined with the latest technologies and is matured on fine lees to conserve its full potential until bottling. The Cave de Lugny counts some 1,450 hectares of vines across 21 villages. BOISSET TAKES OVER SKALLI The Maison Boisset, based in Burgundy (Nuits-Saint-Georges) has taken over Skalli, a specialist of wines from the Languedoc and the Rhone Valley. “We are honoured to continue this magnificent family work and to thereby be able to establish ourselves physically, dynamically and qualitatively in one of the world’s greatest “Terroirs”, the Languedoc, and to strengthen our presence in the Rhone Valley,” announced Jean-Charles Boisset. “We are very happy to add new partners across the world thanks to the Skalli family and to thereby strengthen our presence abroad.” Vins Skalli is present in 70 countries across the globe.

The two families have known each other for a long time. At the beginning of the 1980s, their paths had already crossed during the sale by the Boisset family of a vineyard in California. As Skalli did not have a family succession for its wine activity in France, the current manager of the Group, Robert Skalli, turned to Boisset. The Burgundy wine merchant is present in various vineyards (Chablis, , Côtes de Beaune, Côtes de Nuits, Côte Chalonnaise, California, Canada, etc.). It already had a foothold in the Rhone Valley (Bonpas). This takeover will complement the rest of its range. Boisset is also strengthening itself as a major player of French wines abroad, with the Languedoc and the Rhone Valley representing France’s first two production regions.

REYANE ET PASCAL BOULEY Pierrick Bouley (24 years) is currently setting up on the family estate, Réyane et Pascal Bouley, in Volnay. He has increased the initiatives and has thereby produced a wine “100% vendanges entières Volnay 2009, Les Pluchots”. In the same vintage a brand new black label has been created for the special cuvée Bourgogne Optimum. His next project is to bring out a Volnay Premier Cru monopole, Les Grands Champs 2010. “It is a “Terroir” which we are honouring in the spirit of the project for the inclusion of our "Climats" in Unesco's World Heritage," the young winegrower explains.

BURGUNDY WINE FESTIVALS Find all the dates of Burgundy wine festivals on www.burgundy-wines.fr

21 January: Saint-Vincent des Grumeurs in Santenay (21). Tastings and events. 22 January: Saint-Vincent de Mercurey (71). Banquet and tastings. 22 January: Saint-Vincent de Montagny in Buxy (71). 21 and 22 January: Red and white Beaune wines in Beaune (21). Mini tasting fair and Saint-Vincent festivities. 22 January: Aux Amis de Chitry (89). Tasting, meeting with winegrowers. 28 January: La Table du vigneron in Pommard (21). Banquet. 28 January: Goutaillon de la Cousinerie de Bourgogne in Savigny-lès-Beaune (21). Banquet. 28 and 29 January: Saint-Vincent Tournante festival of the “Climats”. Beaune, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Dijon (21). 4 and 5 February: Saint-Vincent Tournante du Chablisien in Courgis (89). 9 to 11 March: Wines of France fair in Mâconnais (71). 10 and 11 March: Journées gourmandes in Marsannay-la-Côte (21). 17 March: Fête du Crémant Tape-Chaudrons à Chatillon-sur-Seine (21). 17 March: Semi-marathon et 10 km de la Vente des Vins des Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges 2012 (21). 17 and 18 March: Les Nuits au Grand Jour à Nuits-Saint-Georges (21). 18 March: 51st Vente des Vins des Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges (21). 18 March: La Route du Crémant en Fête dans le Châtillonnais (21). 30 March to 1st April: 20th Marché aux Vins de Givry (71).

EXPORT MEETINGS Export meetings 2012 (trade and journalists) of the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB)

6 to 10 February: Wine Tour Northern Europe with training seminars for the trade and press meetings: Sweden (Stockholm on 6/02), Finland (Helsinki on 8/02), Denmark (Copenhagen on 9/02). 29 February: Sensory press dinner for Chablis wines in New York. 19 to 24 March: Grands Jours de Bourgogne. 18 to 20 April: Wine Tour Brazil with training seminars for the trade: Sao Paulo (18 April) and Rio (20 April). 24 to 26 April: “Terroirs & Signatures de Bourgogne” tastings in the USA: San Francisco (24/04) and New York (26/04). 25 and 26 April: Training seminars in China for the trade: Xiamen (25/04) and Canton (26/04). 22 and 23 May: “Terroirs & Signatures de Bourgogne” tastings in Japan: Tokyo (22/05) and Osaka (23/05). 24 May: Korea Wine Tour with training seminar for the trade and press meeting in Seoul.

BURGUNDY WINE SCHOOL For details of training course and gift ideas, visit www.ecoledesvins-bourgogne.com Tel. 03 80 26 35 10

Perfect matches with the Burgundy Wine School! The Burgundy Wine School has developed a new training course on the rules which govern food and wine tasting for Burgundy wines. It meets the strong demand from wine enthusiasts who wish to find out more and understand them better.

The outline and the educational content were carried out in cooperation with one of the world’s best wine waiters and the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB). The training course is made up of several practical workshops combined with theoretical presentations on the products, the accompaniments, the sauces, types of cooking, etc. One section is also devoted to food and wine pairing with foreign foods, where Burgundy wines are often a perfect match.

Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 March in Beaune.

BURGUNDY OF YESTERYEAR What was Burgundy like in the Belle Epoque? By bringing together 400 old postcards in a magnificent book, Thérèse and Daniel Dubuisson allow us to relive this period from the beginning of the 20th century. The book covers 9 key topics amongst which wine clearly holds a key place. Numerous documents illustrate the harvests and vinifications. Thérèse Dubuisson teaches Visual arts at the Ecole normale and her husband, Daniel Dubuisson, is a qualified maths teacher. Both from Burgundy, they are passionate about their region and write a weekly chronicle in the daily newspaper Le Bien Public. “La Bourgogne d'Antan”, published by HC éditions.

TWO BELGIAN WINE WAITERS WIN AWARDS Annick Aters (restaurant Torsk in Brecht) and Stéphane Dardennes (Hôtel Zur Post in Saint-Vith), both Belgian wine waiters, won the 2011 edition of the Prix du Montrachet. This prize is awarded every year to a wine waiter working in a foreign country for his knowledge and the quality of his Burgundy white wine list. It was created in 1988 on the initiative of the Hôtel Le Montrachet in Puligny-Montrachet and is destined to contribute to the influence of white Burgundy wines, in particular Côtes de Beaune.

PRESS CONTACT - PLEASE INDICATE ALL SENDING ERRORS (LANGUAGE, SENDING METHOD, ETC.) Interested in finding out more?

Your dedicated contact: Cécile Mathiaud - BIVB Press Contact Tel. 33 (0)3 80 25 95 76 [email protected]

Online Press Room for all press releases: www.burgundy-wines.fr

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