Auction of Burgundy appellation signs raised over €107,000

More than 600 retired appellation signs from Burgundy’s Grand Cru, Village Premier Cru, Village, and Régionale AOCs went under the hammer at the weekend, raising over €107,000 for projects in the region.

The signs  – a mixture of those used to indicate which vineyards motorists are passing, grands crus and regional or village appellations, as well as 280 ‘Bourgogne’ and 280 stylised ‘B’ signs – were in use for 20 years before being replaced in 2023.

According to the BIVB, who oversaw the sale with online auction house Drouot (a platform of Bourgogne-based auction house Quai des Enchères), 310 lots were sold out of the 600 or so lots offered.

Overall, 27 Grand Cru signs raked in €56,050 – just over half the total amount raised – with one bidder from London taking home ten signs – including 7 Grand Cru signs – for €16,480. However there were also lots available to bidders at a lower level, with 35 lots selling at €50.

The average price per sign of  €345 (starting prices ranged from €30 to €500), although the highest achieving lots far exceeded this – a Richebourg Grand Cru sign raised €4,300, while the Presidents’ Sign, Grands-Echezeaux Grand Cru, raised €3,500. The latter will help fund the Livres en Vignes cultural event, which has been held at the Château du Clos Vougeot for 17 years.

Bidders came from 13 different countries, with French buyers buying the most signs (106 lots, raising €45,388), followed by the UK (17, €20,010),  the USA, and Switzerland

The proceeds from the sale will be used to enhance the tourist and cultural appeal of the the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne.

Benoît de Charette, president of the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne association said the goal was “to firmly establish the three Cités within the region and to play an active role in transforming them into essential destinations,” he said.

Laurent Delaunay, President of the BIVB said that there was a need for a dedicated place for researchers and students to access books, documents, and archives, which is why they will be creating a documentary and bibliographic resource centre:

“The creation of a documentary and bibliographic collection would be immensely valuable,” he said. “This would involve purchasing documents, setting up a dedicated space, and hiring a staff member to welcome and assist visitors—a medium-term project that could be partially funded by the sign auction proceeds.”

 

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