SAINT-AUBIN, France (AP) — Oenophiles from across France
on Saturday gathered in this tiny Burgundian village amid pre-dawn
darkness to celebrate St. Vincent, the patron saint of winemakers.
In
a ceremony with roots in the Middle Ages, several hundred winemakers
from villages across Burgundy, some wearing bright red robes, formed an
early morning procession carrying antique wooden statues of their patron
saint through the vineyards in an annual rite known as the St. Vincent
Tournante.
Up to 40,000 people are expected for the two-day
festival, which takes place in a different Burgundian village each year.
Following the vineyard procession and a Mass, local winemakers throw
open their cellar doors for tastings of their chardonnays and pinot
noirs. Organizers say 15,000 bottles of wine will be opened during the
weekend.
Saint-Aubin is a village of 250 people on a hillside
south of Beaune, the center of the Burgundy wine region. Nearby are
villages with famous names where some of the most sought-after wines in
the world are made: Puligny-Montrachet, Pommard, Meursault.
The
tradition of celebrating Saint Vincent here dates back to the Middle
Ages, but by the early 20th century it had largely died out. Local
winemakers brought it back in 1938, and have since turned the annual
party into a clever way to draw attention to their wines.
Planning
the event is a major undertaking for the small villages that volunteer
to host it, said local winemaker Christian Roux, the head of this year’s
organizing committee.
Planning started three years ago, and in
recent weeks all of Saint-Aubin’s 250 inhabitants as well as several
hundred from neighboring villages have mobilized to prepare for hosting
the 20,000-40,000 people expected to come over the weekend, Roux said.
"We saw it was a good way to promote a whole generation of young, talented winemakers here,"
Roux said.
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