The third week in November each year sees two famous wine festivals taking place in France: the Fete du Beaujolais Nouveau (the third Thursday of the month) and the Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune (the third Sunday of the month). Both of these annual events are a celebration of grapes harvested just a few weeks earlier. But apart from that, there is little point of comparison for these two events, the former being a fun, light-hearted celebration of the year's first wine bottlings to be released onto the market, and the latter a prestigious occasion in the wine world, where wines from famous Burgundian domaines are put up for auction.
I doubt many serious wine-lovers attend both events, but I arrived in Paris as the Beaujolais Nouveau was being delivered to restaurants and bars around the city; two days later I was pulling into Beaune station, where the city's streets were filled with marathon runners and onlookers, with colourful wine and food stalls packed into the Place Carnot, and marching bands threading their way through the crowds.
Of course, it's not only Paris where Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated; this slightly tongue-in-cheek event in the wine calendar is recognised throughout the wine-drinking world - especially the UK and Japan - as an opportunity to enjoy a young, fruity wine that has just been bottled from the recent harvest. This is not a wine for keeping or investment, just a celebration of a simple young wine - the forerunner of that year's Beaujolais, and a possible indicator of the quality of the vintage.
Meanwhile in Beaune, buyers from all over the world descend on the Halles opposite the Hospices de Beaune to place their bids, while many more congregate to observe the proceedings on a gigantic screen in the Place Carnot, watching the staggering bids as they progress. For many it is just an excuse to enjoy the festivities during the auction weekend, which comprises three main events, known as the Trois Glorieuses (Three Glorious Days). The name is taken from the French Revolution of 1830. The first 'glorious day' is marked by the Chevaliers du Tastevin at the Chateau du Clos de Vougeot on the Saturday; the auction takes place on the Sunday and finally La Paulee de Meursault at Chateau de Meursault on Monday lunchtime.
Money raised from the auction is utilised by the historic Hospices de Beaune for conservation work and modernisation of hospital equipment in the area, and is so much more than a tradition. The Hospices de Beaune Charity Auction is a hugely important event in the wine world.
