Festival La Saint Vincent Tournante

The festival of La Saint Vincent Tournante is an integral part of the history of Burgundy wine. Every year on the Sunday closest to January 22, St Vincent is honoured as the patron saint of vine growers and wine makers – allegedly, he received this accolade because he was tortured under a wine press. Revived in 1938 by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the festival draws from a long-held tradition which harks back to medieval times, when the occasion was marked to foster the mutual collaboration and brotherhood of Burgundy’s vine growers. The festivities are held in a different community each year – hence tournante (rotating) in their title. In 2014, for the first time, the festival is being hosted by Saint-Aubin, one of the wine communes of the Côte de Beaune, situated near Montrachet and Mersault, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs.

La Saint Vincent provides the perfect chance to visit the picturesque village of Saint-Aubin, soak up a very special atmosphere and, of course, sample the six cuvées offered up for the occasion. You can’t go wrong with a day of strolling from one caveau to the next, your special souvenir glass in hand. It is a wonderful way to expand your wine knowledge and enjoy the festival atmosphere, which gets more congenial with every sip. The Saint-Aubin appellation produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir as its main grape varieties, with a ratio of around 75 percent white wine and 25 red. It covers 170 geologically diverse hectares and can boast 30 Premiers Crus.