Saint-Vincent Tournante

When any wine lover thinks about Burgundy, prestige and exclusivity immediately come to mind. And I must admit, I felt the same. Burgundy, a small region of just 120 square miles in central France, represents the elusive, mysterious side of wine, one that has often felt too expensive and scarce for me to ever believe I’d truly understand it’s nuance. However, finding myself at the Saint-Vincent Tournante earlier this year opened my eyes to a different side to the region – one that’s accessible, jovial and unpretentious.

For the past 81 years, the people of Burgundy have had an annual celebration for the patron saint of winegrowers, Saint Vincent. Each January, the host village changes, providing an opportunity for each of the ~50 communities to demonstrate their Burgundian pride, hospitality and range of wines. Walking into Ladoix-Serrigny, I had no idea what to expect as I integrated into the crowd and picked up my tasting kit: wine glass, stylish wine glass lanyard to wear around my neck, 9 tasting tickets, and a map of the village.

A day and a half and 20,000 steps later, we had explored every street in the town, which were filled with handmade floral decorations that represented the two key themes: wine and Burgundian snails. Along the way, we completed a scavenger hunt to discover the nine wine tasting stations tied to our tickets that demonstrated the true range of the village vignerons – from Bourgnone Rouge to Ladoix Blanc to Corton Grand Cru. Of course, stopping for more than a few extra glasses of wine and food stalls along the way. I’ll trade hot dogs and funnel cakes for quennelles and roasted hazelnuts any day of the week.

Throughout the day we’d find ourselves in the middle of a brass band or a Burgundian folk ensemble that would drum up the crowd into a group rendition of “je suis fier d’etre bourguignon.” The music is more than entertainment—it creates a festive rhythm that unites the celebration.  Around every corner there was spontaneous bursts of song, accordion tunes drifting from behind a wine tent, or impromptu dancing among tipsy revelers with tasting glass lanyards swinging from their necks. (And yes, we were some of those tipsy revelers).

To that end, perhaps the best part of the experience was the other people at the festival. Of the 40,000 attendees, I can confidently say that 95% were French, predominantly those local to the broader region. This narrative of Burgundy wasn’t about scores and allocations, but connection and celebration

Something tells me this won’t be my last visit to Saint-Vincent, care to join? The 2026 festival will be hosted by Maranges on January 24-25, a village I discovered on the my trip to Beaune that may be one of the best values left in Burgundy. Can’t wait till January? Try my favorite here.