
La Paulée de Meursault is a lunch celebrating the end of the
grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry (botany), berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non-Climacteric (botany), climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of ...
harvest in
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
.
[Steinberger, Mike, ''Slate.com'' (December 15, 2006)]
Days of Wine...and More Wine
/ref> Originally, the celebration included only winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:
*Cooperating with viticulturists
*Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to det ...
s, cellar workers, and the surrounding community. It has since evolved to become an international wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are ...
event, and an integral part of ''Les Trois Glorieuses'', which also includes a charity auction held at the Hospices de Beaune
The Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse in Beaune, France. It was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. The original hospital building, the Hôtel-Dieu, one o ...
and a formal dinner at the Clos de Vougeot. Approximately 700 people attend the lunch, held in the Château de Meursault.
The event was formally organized in the mid-1920s by the Count Lafon.[ Traditionally, the winemakers would compete to bring the best bottle of wine to impress their favorite clients. In the modern era, Dominique Lafon, grandson of Count Lafon, participates in and helps organize the event.
]
Other Paulées
Since 2000, Daniel Johnnes has been hosting La Paulée de New York and La Paulée de San Francisco, which have been officially recognized by the organizers of the original La Paulée de Meursault. A celebration of the greatest wines of Burgundy
Burgundy wine ( or ') is made in the Burgundy region of eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here, and those commonly referred to as "Burgundies," are dry red win ...
, Johnnes' version of La Paulée features seminars, tastings, and wine-paired dinners, culminating in the Saturday Grand Tasting and Gala Dinner. Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nikke ...
has asserted that La Paulée "can reasonably be described as the greatest Bacchanalia on the face of the earth".
Etymology
The name "La Paulée" comes from the French word for sauté pan, ''poile''. In its earliest incarnations, the post-harvest meal was so simple that it was cooked in a single ''poile''.[Stone, Larry, ''The Atlantic'' (January 21, 2011)]
Traditional Burgundy Bacchanal Returns to New York City
/ref>
References
External links
Official website for La Paulée de New York
{{DEFAULTSORT:La Paulee de Meursault
History of Burgundy
Burgundy wine
Wine-related events
Food and drink festivals in France
Wine festivals