Events

Tastevinage – Burgundy’s Premier Wine Evaluation Event – Prepares for an Anniversary Tasting

France

Tastevinage

On September 5, Tastevinage will celebrate its 75th anniversary during its 116th edition at the Château du Clos de Vougeot, the Winner of the Wine Travel Awards vote. As the most prestigious tasting event in Burgundy, Tastevinage brings together wines from across the entire region – from Chablis to the Beaujolais crus – to be evaluated by the country’s leading experts.

Founded in 1950 by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the event aims to select wines that best represent the diversity and excellence of Burgundy. Only those wines that meet the highest standards of their appellation and vintage are awarded the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin label, signifying their undeniable quality and distinction. This label helps consumers identify wines truly worthy of recognition. Each year, the Confrérie organizes two Tastevinage sessions: one in spring and another in autumn.

Tastevinage

The tasting jury consists of professionals from across the wine industry: winegrowers, négociants, cooperative representatives, brokers, sommeliers, oenologists, restaurateurs, distributors, journalists, and influencers. All wines are tasted blind to ensure complete impartiality in evaluation.

Gérard Margeon

Thanks to this rigorous selection process conducted over 116 sessions, more than 100 million bottles now proudly bear the Tastevinage badge.

Michel Bettane

Each tasting session traditionally has a curator – typically a prominent figure in the worlds of wine, gastronomy, or trade. Over the years, these curators have included: Gérard Margeon, Executive Director-Sommelier of the Ducasse Paris Group (2013); Jérôme Prince, President of the National Federation of Wine and Spirit Brokers of France (2014); Jean-Charles Arnaud, President of INAO (2016); Jeannie Cho Lee, the first female Master of Wine in Asia (100th session, 2017); Jasper Morris, MW, in charge of the Hospices de Beaune wine auction (102nd session, 2018); William Wouters, President of the International Sommelier Association (Autumn 2023); Xavier Thuizat, “Best Sommelier of France” (Spring 2024); Philippe Faure-Brac, “Best Sommelier of the World” 1992 (Autumn 2024); Michel Bettane, renowned wine critic and co-author of the Bettane & Desseauve guide (Spring 2025).

Tastevinage

Philippe Faure-Brac

This year’s anniversary tasting, on September 5, will be curated by the legendary chef Marc Veyrat.

Marc Veyrat is renowned not only for his groundbreaking culinary achievements but also for his bold stance against the Michelin Guide, having famously sued it after his restaurant La Maison des Bois was stripped of its third star. He later even barred Michelin inspectors from entering his new establishment, Le Restaurant Marc Veyrat.

Marc VeyratMarc Veyrat

Born in 1950 in Haute-Savoie into a farming family, Veyrat was inspired from a young age by Alpine products and wild herbs. He later became internationally acclaimed for his masterful use of aromatic plants and mountain flowers in cuisine. He remains the only chef to have been awarded three Michelin stars and a 20/20 score from Gault & Millau twice.

True to his roots, Veyrat champions a natural approach to cooking, free from artificial additives and industrial ingredients. He actively promotes ecological, honest, and health-conscious food.

On September 5, Tastevinage will mark its anniversary with a special edition bringing together more than 150 professionals from across the wine world including traders, buyers, wine association leaders, brokers, oenologists, restaurateurs, and journalists. During the autumn session, nearly 400 wines will be tasted and evaluated to determine which will bear the esteemed Tastevinage label, a mark of authenticity and excellence. The results will be announced on September 9.

But wine won’t be the only highlight. A new photo exhibition will also commemorate the event’s 75-year history, tracing the origins and key milestones of Tastevinage from 1950 to the present. With a curated selection of rare images from the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin archives, visitors will be able to relive the evolution of this prestigious tradition.

The exhibition will remain open throughout September.

So, the Tastevinage anniversary promises to be anything but ordinary. And how it all unfolds? That story will be told by the Drinks+ columnist, who has already been accredited for the autumn session.

Stay tuned for more coverage!

 

Tastevinage

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