Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune

What to expect

Places in the sale room must be reserved in advance, and bidding requires registration with Sotheby's. The rest of the weekend is open to everyone. Wine houses and cellars hold special tastings, the Comité des Fêtes sets up a village of craft and food stalls on the place Carnot, folk groups fill the streets and a funfair sets up on the place Madeleine. The Fête des Grands Vins de Bourgogne and the Vente des Vins half marathon take place the same weekend.

History

The Hospices have owned vineyards for centuries, built up through gifts and bequests from benefactors. Their wines were first sold at a public auction in 1859, and the sale is now known as the most famous charity wine auction in the world. The estate covers about 60 hectares of vines, many of them premiers and grands crus, and its wines are sold young and in barrel. The auction was run by Christie's from 2005 to 2020 and has been run by Sotheby's since 2021. In January 2026 the Hospices renewed Sotheby's as auctioneer for the sales of 2026 to 2030.

Since 1945, a special barrel, the Pièce de Charité, has been sold each year for one or more good causes, with well-known figures as its sponsors. In 2025 the 165th sale raised 18,754,670 euros under the hammer, the third-highest total in its history, and the charity barrel sold for 400,000 euros. The proceeds help to preserve the Hôtel-Dieu and to modernise the hospital of Beaune. The 2026 charity barrel supports research and care for people with rare diseases.