Head for Burgundy at the end of January (30-31 January 2010) to celebrate the patron saint of winemakers – St Vincent. Every year the festival moves between different wine villages (hence St Vincent Tournante – revolving St Vincent) and for 2010 the venue is in one of the top appellations for white Burgundy – Chassagne Montrachet, south of the Côte de Beaune.
Montrachet boasts two Grand Cru vineyards – Montrachet and Bâtard-Montrachet – and then there is neighbouring village of Puligny-Montrachet. These vineyards produce some of the most expensive and long-lived white wines in the world – here the Chardonnay grape is supreme, although red wine is also made from the Pinot Noir grape.
For the weekend the village opens all its cellars for tastings; food stalls adorn the streets for snails, cheese, charcuterie and other burgundian gastronomic delights; a church service, parade and intronisation (induction) ceremony – a lively scene in this otherwise sleepy wine village.
For more info see www.st-vincent-tournante.fr
