A day at the Saint-Vincent Tournante
Every year, the last weekend of January, an appellation of the vineyard organises this celebration of Saint-Vincent, the patron saint of winegrowers. In a friendly atmosphere, the fraternities from each winemaking village, as well as thousands of visitors, come together to celebrate these traditions and taste the local production! The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (a Bacchanalian fraternity) organised the very first Saint-Vincent "Tournante" in 1938, and the event has evolved over the years, but remains an institution that pays tribute to the "terroir" and the winegrowers of the area.
Beginning of the procession
Come to the decorated host village for this event, to watch the traditional procession of the 85 " fraternal benefit societies" wearing the costumes of the ancient fraternities and carrying the statues of the saints of each village. Leading the procession is the society from the host village and the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin is at the end of this procession accompanied by Burgundian music. Even if you're not really a morning person, we recommend coming to this procession, to really get the full experience of this traditional event!
Ceremonies and enthronements
At the end of the procession, a formal ceremony is held at the War Memorial, followed by a religious ceremony, during which the various statues of the saints are put on display outside the church. (Take the opportunity to see them up close!) Enthronement ceremonies are then carried out by the fraternities with former winegrowers or celebrities, to bring the morning's traditional events to a close.
The wine cellars open to visitors
Late morning, it's the moment everyone has been waiting for... A dozen wine cellars will be opening to the public for wine tastings! To enjoy this event, in moderation, of course, visitors will be provided with a tasting kit with a glass (bearing the event's logo, to keep as a souvenir), a glass holder (very practical!) and tasting tickets that allow you to taste several vintages and some wines that have been especially produced for the occasion. Take advantage of this moment to come and talk to the winegrowers.
There are actually several Saint-Vincent events!
Along the same lines as the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin's Saint-Vincent Tournante event, one of the 19 villages of the Chablisien vineyard organises the Saint-Vincent du Chablisien every year. Tens of thousands of participants come to this celebration from all over the world, to admire the decorated host village and to taste a vintage wine, created especially by the village's winegrowers for this occasion.
Other villages in Burgundy also honour the patron saint of winegrowers, such as Santenay, Beaune and Montagny.
Lunch break
A glass of good wine is always better with some great food, so there are several stands serving local specialities such as "œufs en meurette", specialities with Epoisses cheese and Burgundy snails. If you would prefer to eat indoors, the local specialities of Burgundy always feature on the menus of the restaurants in the village.
Our top tip: make sure you book a table or arrive as early as possible, because they can get very busy.
Explore the villages in the surrounding area
Depending on how long you plan on staying in Burgundy, take advantage of your stay at the heart of the Burgundy vineyard to wander around the villages near the host village for the Saint-Vincent Tournante event.
Traditional Burgundian dinner
The host villages often organise a gourmet dinner with local specialities and unique wines (often produced especially for the occasion using the grapes from different winegrowers), with musical entertainment from Burgundian folk groups. Or go for dinner in a traditional restaurant and taste the local Burgundy ham terrine, beef bourguignon and local cheeses… always served with good Burgundy wines, of course!
Next edition
The next edition of the Saint-Vincent Tournante celebration will be organised by the winegrowers of Couchey on the 28th and 29th January 2023. Just like every year, wine connoisseurs will be delighted with great wines and of course the local Marsannay appellation.
So, make sure you come here the last weekend of January and see for yourselves this unique weekend in Burgundy!
