Bourgogne Week comes to London

Next month will see the UK’s first official “Bourgogne Week”, featuring a series of Burgundy-themed events in London to coincide with the region’s 2013 vintage launch.

Aloxe-Corton in the Côte de Beaune. Photo credit: BIVB/GADENNE D

As merchants hold their annual en primeur Burgundy tastings, the Bureau Interprofessionnel des Vins de Bourgogne (BIVB) will install itself from 12-16 January at the Mayfair branch of 28-50 Wine Workshop & Kitchen.

Working in partnership with 28-50’s owner Xavier Rousset MS, the BIVB will use this space to host “The Bourgogne Wine Bar” as a focus point for growers, merchants, customers and journalists to meet. Among the activities taking place here will be a tasting on Thursday 15 January from 3-8pm, which will feature premier cru Chablis wines from the 2012 vintage.

In a bid to help the trade navigate the busy series of tastings, dinners and receptions surrounding this peak of the Burgundy trading season, the BIVB will run a website featuring a timetable of events. www.bourgogne-week.com is due to go live on 22 December.

This promotional push for Burgundy follows a difficult period for the region after a series of small, challenging harvests. Although the 1.5 million hectolitres expected from the 2014 vintage are expected to help address this shortfall, BIVB figures released this month show a 13.5% slide in exports for the nine months to September 2014.