Bonne Saint-Vincent Tournante 2023 !

Bonne Saint-Vincent tournante 2023 à tous ! Saint-Vincent, the patron saint of winemakers, is celebrated every year throughout France with fantastic wine festivals. One of the biggest and most famous celebrations is the Saint-Vincent Tournante of Bourgogne. Dating back to 1938, it is held in a different winemaking village in the region every  year (you can read more about its history here). I am happy to share my experience at the latest edition, held in Couchey on January 28-29, 2023. Over 40,000 people attended!

Couchey is a charming commune in the Côte-d’Or region of Bourgogne. Its vineyards are part of the Marsannay AOC. Although this is one of the newest AOCs (added in 1980s), wine has been produced here for many centuries. The wines include red (about ⅔ of production) and rosé made with Pinot noir. White is made with Chardonnay. Interestingly, Marsannay is the only village-level appellation which may produce rosés in Bourgogne (all others are restricted to the regional appellation).

The day started by getting our kits. They included a booklet with the program, information about the villages and tradition, maps, drink tickets, and a Lehmann Absolus 38 glass. This universal glass  can be used for red, white, and rosé wines. This year’s logo was etched on in colour. Everything fit into a handy pouch that we could wear around our necks to keep our hands free.

The drink tickets allowed us to taste 8 different cuvées: 4 reds, 2 whites, and a rosé. None of them featured a particular wine maker. Instead, they celebrated all winemakers in the area and were only available at the festival. The samples were served at different caveaux spread throughout the village.

My personal favourite was the Marsannay “Champs Perdrix” 2017. It had an interesting complexity with juicy red fruits, slight acidity, and nice vanilla oakiness. It was fresh, well-balanced, and paired perfectly with the foods I tasted.

Marsannay Rouge 2016 was another favourite. The taste reminded me of perfectly ripe dark cherries with fresh chantilly and a hint of chocolate. Very easy to drink!

Speaking of food, I was able to eat my way through Burgundian classics such as escargots and oeufs en meurette, two of my favourites. Little known outside of France, the second one is made with poached eggs in a wine sauce that also has bacon, onion, and other ingredients. It is decadent and perfect for chilly winter days!

Just like how every region in France has its own local wines, they also have local cheeses. Of course, I had to sample some of these too. I tried a tartine (open-faced toast) of melted “fromages forts“, aka strong cheeses. The cheeses included:

• Brillât savarin: one of my favourite cheeses ever, this is a soft-ripened triple cream cow’s milk cheese that tastes super buttery and delicious
• Époisses: a pungent soft cow’s-milk cheese with a rind washed in brine and Marc de Bourgogne (the local brandy)
• Bleu de Bresse: a creamy blue cheese that resembles brie but with mold inside
• Ami du Chambertin: another strong creamy cheese that is washed in Marc de Bourgogne brandy. It is slightly milder than Époisses and is made in a different village (Gevrey-Chambertin)
• Fromage blanc: the French version of Skyr, it is spreadable and tastes like yogurt
• Râpé: this is the general term for grated cheese. They did not specify what kind, but it is generally Emmental or Comté

The toast did not seem too strong while I was eating it, but I could still taste it in my mouth for at least another half hour or so afterwards…

We then caved and bought some other cheeses from the fromagerie next door. Beyond local cheeses, they also had alpine tomme and comté, Chaource from Champagne-Ardenne, and melty savoyard cheeses like Le Chôd Rond. The last one is typically melted in the oven and then served similarly to raclette, scooped onto boiled potatoes, charcuterie, cornichons, etc.

After all that hearty food, it was a nice idea to explore the village. Traditionally, host villages deck out their homes, streets, businesses, and town squares with homemade decorations. Fabric flowers and sculptures made with corks are popular. It is endearing and I absolutely love the festive spirit this brings!

You will often find quotes, poems, and funny sayings about wine too. Fables are also a favourite. This year featured the The Fox and the Crow (with Époisses in beak, of course), The Ant and the Grasshopper, and The Rooster and the Pearl. If you look closely, you can find references to escargots everywhere. Wild boars also make an appearance, as they are on the village’s coat of arms.

The decorations didn’t just stop inside the town either. Even the surrounding vineyards got a spirited glow-up!

But that’s not all. WOLVES are everywhere in town. But no need to be scared… the locals refer to themselves as loups, the French word for wolves! This was indeed the theme of many of the decorations.

Finally, I think that some of my favourite decorations were the “people”. Featured in everyday poses, they added another layer of conviviality. We actually wandered around town purposely trying to find them!

Overall, Saint-Vincent Tournante 2023 was another fantastic one for the books.It wasn’t just about amazing wine. It was also a celebration of the terroir, the culture, the food, art, and music. There was something for everyone there; even non-drinkers can appreciate this festival. I think it more than lived up to the hype and I am looking forward to attending again next year! Cheers!