Paulée du Vézelien
A harvest-end day of parades through the four villages of the Vézelay appellation, ending with the blessing of the vintage.
- Wine festival
- Vézelay
- 1 h 28 from Beaune
- Free entry
€320one way from Beaune with a private driver
Book a driver for this dayAdd to calendar
At a glance
- Entry
- Free
- Organised by
- Confrérie des quatre coteaux du Vézelien
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 28 by road (125 km), €320 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the event
The Paulée du Vézelien celebrates the end of the harvest across the four villages of the Vézelay appellation. Parades, games and a country lunch lead up to the evening at Vézelay, where the new vintage is blessed in front of the basilica.
What to expect
The day travels from village to village. At 10 am Tharoiseau opens a photo exhibition on the vineyard and starts a wine rally; at noon the brotherhood parades in Saint-Père before games and a country lunch; at 2.30 pm Asquins hosts another parade and vineyard games. At 5 pm the wine brotherhoods of the Yonne march with music to the basilica, where the vintage is blessed, grapes are pressed in the traditional way and visitors can taste bourru, the cloudy new wine, at a producers' market.
History
A paulée is the traditional Burgundian feast that marks the end of the grape harvest. In the Vézelien it is organised by the Confrérie des Quatre Coteaux du Vézelien, which also held a Paulée in October 2023.
The 2026 edition marks the brotherhood's 25th anniversary and closes Lueurs de Vézelay, a programme of events held across the Vézelien that year.
Good to know
Tips for the day
The events of the day are free. The closing buffet dinner at Montillot must be booked with the brotherhood. Vézelay is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Beaune, and with a driver you can follow the parades from village to village and taste the new wine without a thought for the road.
Around here
What to combine with Paulée du Vézelien on the same day, nearest first.
- Tradition
Pèlerinage de sainte Marie-Madeleine
Every year on 22 July, the feast of Mary MagdaleneVézelay - Food & markets
Fête de l’Automne et des Associations du Morvan
A weekend in early OctoberSaint-Brisson
Irancy
28 km away
- Abbey or church
Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Vézelay Basilique Sainte-Marie-Madeleine de Vézelay
1 km away
Questions
Paulée du Vézelien 2026 takes place in Vézelay (Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, Vézelay): Saturday, 17 October 2026.
Did you know? The day ends with the new vintage blessed in front of the basilica of Vézelay, followed by a traditional grape pressing and a tasting of bourru.
Sources
A private driver for the day
No parking to find, no one left as the designated driver: everyone enjoys a glass.