Every year the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin organizes two sessions at the Château du Clos Vougeot, in Vougeot, one in the spring and a second one in fall. Two hundred tasters are selected from an elite of connoisseurs and discriminating palates (wine growers, wine merchants, wine brokers, oenologists, restaurant owners, etc…)

It consists of a rigurous examination of the wines produced in Burgundy which enables the stamp of the Confrérie to be granted to those which correspond faithfully to what should be expected from each appellation…in other terms ‘is this wine worthy of the appellation and the vintage on its label?

Approximately only a third of the lots presented are accepted and so entitled to display the coveted seal.

The Tastevinage is officially recognised by the European Union.

2012 March Tastevinage results here. The selection concerned the entire Burgundy Wine region: Beaujolais (the Beaujolais crus), the Mâconnais, the Côte Chalonnaise, the Côte de Beaune, the Côte de Nuits and wines from Chablis and greater Auxerrois regions. 1028 wines were submitted and 357 were accepted.

For three days visitors can wander through historical re-enactments of the ancient history of winemaking in the streets and piazzas of Alba. It is an opportunity to meet the winemakers who have contributed to Piemonte’s unique position in world of oenology.

Pavilions offer different wine tastings from all over the world and because of the strategic timing of the event, the festival opens the season for eno-tourism in Italy.

Vinum sets the stage for the best producers of Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera d’Alba, Roero and Roero Arneis.

4th International Thriller Film Festival in Beaune. In the world of the thriller, either in literature or in film, London occupies a most prominent place and is honored this year with the London Polar theme. Dates: March 28th to April 1st.

Musique et Vin at the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot. With the participation of the Soloists of the NY Metropolitan Opera, indulge yourself in a Classical music and Burgundy wine experience! Dates: June 20th to 29th

Musicaves in Givry is an eclectic music festival bringing together classical music with world music, jazz and wine tastings. Date: June 27th to July 1st

Baroque Music Festival in Beaune. Baroque concerts from leading ensembles each weekend throughout July in the courtyard of the 15th century Hospices and the Basilica of Notre-Dame. Dates: July 6th to 29th

Chalon dans la Rue, the internationally renowned street arts festival. Each year Chalon dans la Rue presents a startling array of shows as varied as thoughtful fables and storytelling, street art installations, dance, circus, percussion, theatre – all in the medieval streets of Chalon-sur-Saône. Dates: July 18th to 22nd

De Bach à Bacchus Classical Music Festival in Meursault. Grand Cru wines and music concerts are shared with the public in prestigious venues such as the Chateau de Meursault and the Church. Dates: July 21st to Aug. 5th

Festival Ciné-Rétro. Organized every year in the historical center of Beaune, the Silent Film festival showcases with live piano music the stars of the Silent Movie era: Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Laurel & Hardey, Billy Bevan, Max Linder, etc… Dates: July 3Oth to August 27th

Jazz à Beaune Festival. Dates: TBD September in October

Here is a selection of Itouch / Ipad apps to help you to explore and discover the Burgundy wine region of France.

BURGUNDY WINEincludes many fantastic images of castle vineyards, storehouses, and great vintage wines. You can also enjoy detailed information on each wine brand.Features:
1) Tons of high resolution Burgundy wine photos
2) Interactive vineyards map
3) Burgundy wine wiki library
4) Searches tweets related to Burgundy wine
5) Daily updated contents

Cost: $ 1.99

WINE EXPERTS RATING provides the expert ratings and selling price for Burgundy & Rhone wines like the wines produced by Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC), Domaine Leroy in Burgundy and Chateau de Beaucastel, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave in Rhone.
The experts(RP, WS, ST, CG) rating are available for most vintage of each Burgundy & Rhone wine. It is the best buying guide for Burgundy & Rhone wine!!

Cost: $ 5.99

SOUTHERN BURGUNDY EXPLORER is a mine of information about this beautiful part of France. With 120 entries and over 1,800 photos, this app will let you explore and learn about a part of France that many miss. Romanesque Churches, WWII historic sites, the once largest church in the world, prehistoric caves, forest adventures and leisurely cycle rides; whatever you’re looking for, Southern Burgundy has it. And don’t forget the world famous vineyards, where you buy wine direct from the producer. Southern Burgundy Explorer highlights what attractions to see, and contains a wealth of practical tips to ensure that you get the most out of your visit.

Cost: $ 1.99

TASTEVINAGE aims to be of use to all lovers of Burgundy’s wines: as an invaluable landmark in the complex landscape of the region’s terroirs.
Find the finest wines with the tasteviné’s wine search engine.
Contact the éleveur and, moreover, learn about the Tastevinage and the history of the Confrérie des Cheveliers du Tastevin.

Cost: FREE

VINS ET TOURISME EN BOURGOGNE is a full app gathering producer contacts, vineyard maps, events and accommodation options. This add has been created in partnership of the BIVB (Burgundy Wine Bureau). Very useful to plan your trip to the Burgundy wine region of France!

Cost: FREE

TOPOFBOURGOGNE is your guide to help you to fill up your cellar! Based on the top 4 French wine buying books (Dussert Gerber, Hachette, Gault et Millau, La Revue du Vin de France), this app helps you to maximise your wine buying budget.

Cost: $ 3.99

GUIDE HACHETTE DES VINS 2012 is the French wine buying bible! With over 36 000 wines tasted, the guide brings you a selection of 10 000 wines praised for the quality/value they offer!

Cost: $ 18.99

Created in 1992, the “Grands Jours de Bourgogne” takes place every two years in March, bringing together journalists and the trade from all over the world, not in a large, impersonal room, but in the heart of the vineyard. For a whole week they are invited to cover Burgundy for wine-tasting sessions, from Chablis, to the Côte Chalonnaise (for practical reasons the Mâconnais wines will be exhibited in Beaune for a special day), via the Côte de Beaune and the Côte de Nuits.
The format seems to please everyone, providing the possibility to discover some 10,000 wines and to meet over 1,000 Burgundy wine-growers.
The 2010 edition confirmed this success with a 10% increase in the number of visitors, 40% of whom were new recruits compared to 2008. This international event welcomed visitors from 40 different countries, including 10 new countries!

International meetings Trade only. More info at www.grands-jours-bourgogne.com

DOWNLOAD the press release Grands Jours de Bourgogne Press

Petit Chablis 2010

Médaille d’Or
- Domaine Yvon Vocoret, Maligny

Médaille d’Argent
- Domaine de Pisse Loup, Beines
- Domaine Roland Laventureux, Lignorelles
- Isabelle et Denis Pommier, Poinchy

Médaille de Bronze
- Domaine Chevallier, Montallery

Chablis 2010

Médaille d’Or
- Domaine Servin, Chablis
- Domaine William Fèvre, Chablis

Médaille d’Argent
- GAEC De Oliviera Lecestre, Fontenay près Chablis
- Maison Lupé Cholet, Beaune

Médaille de Bronze
- Domaine Vincent Dampt, Milly

Chablis 1er Cru 2010, Rive Droite

Médaille d’Or
- Chablis 1e Cru Montée de Tonnerre, Damien & Romain Bouchard, Chablis
- Chablis 1e Cru Mont de Milieu, Domaine Jean Paul & Benoît Droin, Chablis
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaucoupin, Domaine de la Meulière, Fleys

Médaille d’Argent
- Chablis 1e Cru Fourchaume, Domaine Christophe et Fils, Fyé

Médaille de Bronze
- Chablis 1e Cru Mont de Milieu, Lamblin et Fils, Maligny
- Chablis 1e Cru Mont de Milieu, Samuel Billaud, La Chapelle

Chablis 1er Cru 2010, Rive Gauche

Médaille d’Or
- Chablis 1e Cru Montmains, Domaine Pinson Frères, Chablis

Médaille d’Argent
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaillons, Domaine Servin, Chablis

Médaille de Bronze
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaugiraut, Domaine Pinson Frères, Chablis
- Chablis 1e Cru Vaillons, Damien & Romain Bouchard, Chablis

Chablis Grand Cru 2009

Médaille d’Or
- Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses, La Chablisienne, Chablis
- Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos, Domaine Drouhin-Vaudon, Chablis

Médaille d’Argent
- Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir Domaine Bernard Defaix, Milly
- Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot, Domaine Vocoret et Fils, Chablis

Médaille de Bronze
- Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses, Domaine Servin, Chablis
- Chablis Grand Cru Valmur, Domaine William Fèvre, Chablis

• Loiseau des Vignes – Beaune
• Relais de Montmartre – Viré
• Le Bénaton – Beaune
• Le Charlemagne – Pernand-Vergelesse
• Hostellerie de Levernois – Levernois
• L’Abbaye de la Bussière – La Bussière-sur-Ouche
• La Table de Chaintré – Chaintré
• Le Montrachet - Puligny Montrachet
• Le Chassagne – Chassagne-Montrachet
• La Poularde – La Chapelle-de-Guinchay
• Le Pré aux Clercs – Dijon
• Stéphane Derbord – Dijon
• Hostellerie du Chapeau Rouge – Dijon
• Auberge de la Charme – Prenois (Dijon)
• Pierre – Mâcon
• Jean-Michel Couron – Nevers
• Restaurant Greuze – Tournus

2-star Restaurants

• La Madeleine – Sens
• L’Espérance – Saint-Père (Vézelay)

3-star Restaurants

• Lameloise – Chagny
• La Côte St-Jacques – Joigny
• Le Relais Bernard Loiseau – Saulieu

From the early 13th century there are also records of a fortified estate and a rural community which, ruled by the Falletti family, became an important centre of production over the centuries. In 1340 Petrino Falletti gained possession of the Marquis of Saluzzo’s portion of the Serralunga estate, in exchange for his military achievements. He had the fortified tower demolished and built the castle.

This castle is unique in Italy for its architectural structure: it resembles a French donjon, a castle keep. The building was used more to control local production than as a military castle, as borne out by the elegance of its structure, designed to underline the prestige of the Falletti family. Various parts of the residence date back to the 14th century. These include the Palacium, a long, compact block consisting of vast halls built one above the other (each measuring 80 square metres), a round tower featuring the most innovative architectural characteristics of 14th-century fortifications, a square tower and a small chapel with a vaulted ceiling and frescoes from the mid-15th century.

The manor was never transformed into a holiday residence and remained a medieval-style fortification for centuries. It aroused a great deal of interest amongst 19th-century scholars and was included in the list of Italian monuments under state protection. As such, it was able to benefit from the earliest laws aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage sites (Italian laws 185/1902, 1089/1939).

After World War II the Opera Pia Barolo (Barolo Charitable Organisation), founded by the last descendants of Falletti of Barolo, put the castle up for sale. It was bought by the state in 1949 and the first major restoration work was commissioned. Today the castle is managed by the Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio del Piemonte (Superintendency for Architectural Heritage and Landscape for Piemonte), based in Torino.

The castle’s great hall, called the Salone dei Valvassori (hall of vavasours) has a beautiful coffered ceiling. The hall is decorated with ancient frescoes from the votive chapel, frescoes from the mid-15th century depicting the Martyrdom of St. Catherine of Alexandria, alongside the figure of St. Francis, on the end wall, above which is the symbol of the Lamb of God.

Opening times
April to October
9 am-12 noon / 2 pm-6 pm
November to March
10 am-12 noon / 2 pm-5 pm
closed on Monday

gennaio-febbraio-2012

The central nucleus is built on a rectangular plan and stands three floors high, with machicolations at the top. There are two round defence towers; a tall, slender one at one corner and a shorter one on the opposite side. A large room with a wooden door leads to the inner court, a vast terreplein courtyard supported and defended by a wall. Despite changing hands many times and undergoing several renovations, the medieval features of the original structure of this tall, solid building have been preserved.

Set in a splendid hilltop position overlooking the plain towards Alba, the medieval village of Roddi grew up around its castle, in the manner typical of the rural communities in this gently rolling landscape. The village overlooks the Tanaro valley. It is mentioned in documents dating back to before the year one thousand, although its actual origins can be traced back to Roman times.
The village belonged to the St. Benedictine monks, who built an abbey there dedicated to St. Stephen. Today there is no trace of that building, which also had a great deal of land.

Opening times
Currently closed due to renovation work