THE OLDEST WINE CHARITY AUCTION "VENTE DES VINS HOSPICES DE BEAUNE" EDITION NUMBER 154 ON NOVEMBER 16TH WILL CELEBRATE WITH 534 "PIÈCES" OF LA BEAUNE BLANC PREMIER CRU - CUVÉE SUZANNE ET RAYMOND

The history of the Hospices de Beaune begins in the fifteenth century, when men and women of the territory began to leave their assets to the institution as an inheritance. In Burgundy, of course, nothing, then or now, was more valuable than vineyards, and the 60 hectares of vines (including 50 of Pinot Noir and 10 of Chardonnay) the Hospices owns are the reflection of half a millennium of generosity. Since 1859 its history has been renewed through the common thread of "Vente des vins des Hospices de Beaune", the oldest wine charity auction in the world, which celebrates its 154th edition on November 16th (www.hospices-beaune.com).

The auction will be held, as it has been for some years, by Christie's, in the presence of, among others, Antoine Jacquet, Chief Executive of the Hospice de Beaune, Michael Ganne, manager of the department for the Continental Europe wine and Anthony Hanson, an international consultant of Christie’s wine department. New entry this year is a new white wine cuvée, the Beaune Premier Cru Blanc - Cuvée Suzanne et Raymond, while the "Pièce du Président" from 1945 that subsidizes one or more charitable organizations is a 228 liter tonneau, "Bressandes-Corton Grand Cru Cuvée des Présidents". There will be a total of 47 cuvées that bear the name of a historic Hospices benefactor or donor, of which 33 red and 14 white, for a total of 534 "pièces" (228 liter barrels), divided among 417 red and 117 white. It is a very high quality and rich production, considering that 88% of Hospices vineyards is classified as Premier Cru and Grand Cru, Auxey-Duresses, Beaune, Meursault, Monthélie, Pommard, Pernand-Vergelesses, Chassagne-Montrachet, Savigny-lès-Beaune, Volnay, Santenay and Saint Romain, and the work is carried out by 23 vignerons, coordinated by the oenologist Roland Masse.