Wines of the Hospices and from the vineyards of the Hospital de Dijon

This heritage is composed of vines, mainly in Côte-d’Or, bequeathed over the centuries by generous donors whose names can be found on the labels. The selection of wines from the Hospices sold at the Marché aux Vins, a professional merchant, is mainly the result of the famous Vente des Hospices de Beaune where wines are negotiated at auction in order to finance hospital facilities but also to support charitable associations.

The Hospices de Beaune were founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigone de Salins who did charity work by building the famous hôpital for poor and deprived person “Hôtel-Dieu” and donating their heritage to this institution. They set an example to the many donors, thanks to whom the wine heritage of the Hospices de Beaune represents 60 hectares of vines, mainly in Premiers Crus and Grands Crus. Ludivine Griveau leads his teams to the vineyard and the winery with great care and mastery. The quality of the wines lives up to their reputation.

The first hospital of Nuits Saint-Georges is older since it was built around 1270 but it was destroyed during the civil and religious wars, then rebuilt at its definitive location in 1633. It was in 1692 that the Sisters Hospitallers settled there. Donations over the years have made it possible to build a vineyard of just over 12 hectares in the Nuits Saint-Georges and Nuits Saint-Georges Premier cru appellation. Apart from a few acres planted with chardonnay, the vineyard is planted with pinot noir for the production of red wine.

Founded in the 13th century by Eudes III, the Hospices of Dijon lost their Grands Crus when a royal edict of 1830 forced the big hospitals to sell their lands. A century later, the hospital of Dijon reconstituted are vineyard. It is today owner of about twenty hectares. In 2006, he entrusted the Château de Marsannay with the management of 4.5 hectares of vineyards located from Marsannay to Puligny-Montrachet. The Château de Marsannay vinifies, raises and markets these wines under the name of “vigne de l’Hospital de Dijon”.

A charitable impulse that has passed through the centuries and still today its action is perennial. The annual financial surpluses of these wineries constitute a significant aid for the hospital investment of Côte d’Or.