Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin

The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin traces its roots to the Bacchic drinking fraternities of the 17th and 18th centuries, though its modern incarnation was formally registered on November 16, 1934, at the Caveau Nuiton cellar in Nuits-Saint-Georges. The founding was driven by urgent economic necessity: the Great Depression had devastated wine sales across France, and Burgundy's cellars were full of unsold wine. Two energetic locals, Georges Faiveley (a négociant and winemaker) and Camille Rodier (a local tourism organizer and writer), resolved to fight back not with despair but with conviviality. Inspired by the legend of the Knights of the Round Table and the Rabelaisian philosophy of joyful hospitality, they gathered friends to celebrate and promote Burgundy's wines. Their founding spirit was captured in a characteristically Burgundian declaration: their wines were a cause for joy, their cellars were full, and their friends were invited to help empty them.

• Formally registered on November 16, 1934, the eve of the annual Hospices de Beaune wine auction, at the Caveau Nuiton in Nuits-Saint-Georges
• Founded by Georges Faiveley (1905-1984) and Camille Rodier (1887-1976) as a direct response to collapsing wine sales during the Great Depression
• Deliberately revived older Bacchic confraternities from the 17th and 18th centuries that had fallen into oblivion
• The first international Commanderie was established in the United States in 1939, just five years after founding

The Confrérie's physical and spiritual home is the Château du Clos de Vougeot, one of the most iconic wine estates in the world. The château was originally built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks from the nearby Abbey of Cîteaux, who over several centuries assembled and walled the great 50.6-hectare Grand Cru vineyard. A Renaissance-style manor was added in 1551 by Dom Loisier, the 48th abbot of Cîteaux. After the French Revolution, the property passed through private hands until Etienne Camuzet, a vineyard owner and parliamentary député, put the château at the Confrérie's disposal. On November 29, 1944, it was sold to the Société civile des Amis du Château du Clos de Vougeot, which granted the Confrérie a 99-year lease. The Confrérie then undertook an ambitious restoration, turning the ancient vat house, Cistercian cellar, and Renaissance château into its ceremonial seat and one of France's most celebrated dining venues. The château does not produce wine, but stands as a symbol of Burgundy's winemaking heritage.

• Originally built in the 12th century by Cistercian monks of Cîteaux Abbey; a Renaissance château was added in 1551
• At 50.6 hectares, Clos de Vougeot is the largest Grand Cru vineyard in the Côte de Nuits, now divided among more than 80 owners
• Acquired by the Confrérie's affiliated society in 1944 on a 99-year lease; the Confrérie undertook extensive restoration work
• The château's medieval cellars accommodate up to approximately 500 guests at the elaborate Chapitre banquets held throughout the year

One of the Confrérie's most enduring contributions to the world of wine is the Tastevinage, a rigorous wine selection program created in 1950. Held twice each year at the Château du Clos de Vougeot, the Tastevinage is explicitly not a competition but a test of integrity: it aims to identify wines that are genuinely true to the character and quality claimed by their appellation and vintage. In the spring session, red Burgundies are evaluated; in the autumn, white Burgundies and Beaujolais Crus are assessed, with Champagne featured in both sessions. A jury of professional tasters drawn from winemakers, négociants, sommeliers, brokers, oenologists, and journalists evaluates each wine completely blind, judging for typicity, balance, and aromatic expression. The selection rate is consistently demanding, often falling below 33% of wines submitted. Wines earning the Tasteviné label are permitted to use the Confrérie's distinctive emblem on their bottles, providing consumers with an independent guarantee of quality and appellation authenticity. Eligible wines include all Burgundy AOPs: reds, whites, rosés, Crémant de Bourgogne, and the Crus du Beaujolais (excluding Beaujolais, Beaujolais-Villages, and Bourgogne Gamay).

• Tastevinage was created in 1950; two sessions are held annually, spring for reds and autumn for whites, Beaujolais Crus, and Crémant
• Wines are tasted entirely blind by a jury of over 150 to 250 professional tasters; no label or producer reputation can influence the verdict
• Fewer than 33% of submitted wines typically receive the Tasteviné label, reflecting the program's strict standards for typicity and appellation authenticity
• Eligible appellations include all Burgundy AOPs from regional to Grand Cru level, submitted by producers, cooperatives, and négociants alike

The Confrérie's social and ceremonial life revolves around its Chapitres, elaborate banquets held approximately 16 times per year at the Château du Clos de Vougeot. Around 500 guests are invited to each event, which features multi-course Cordon Bleu meals paired with fine Burgundian wines, traditional costumes, theatrical performances, and, most memorably, the induction of new Chevaliers. At investiture ceremonies, prospective members don ornate red and gold robes modeled on 16th-century doctoral academic gowns and are dubbed with a petrified grapevine root from Burgundy. The formal proclamation of induction invokes Noah, Bacchus, and Saint Vincent. Members are organized hierarchically from Chevalier up through Commandeur, Officier-Commandeur, and Grand Officier. Governance rests with the Grand Conseil de France, led by the Grand Maître, and supported by a dozen officers bearing historic titles such as Grand Connétable, Grand Cellerier, and Grand Echanson. Membership is open to men and women from all walks of life; the rolls have included heads of state, diplomats, artists, athletes, and winemakers. Candidates must be sponsored by two existing members and demonstrate taste, merit, and decorum.

• Approximately 16 Chapitres are held each year at Clos de Vougeot, each hosting around 500 guests for multi-course black-tie banquets
• New Chevaliers are dubbed with a petrified Burgundian grapevine root; ceremonial robes are modeled on 16th-century French doctoral gowns
• Membership ranks in ascending order: Chevalier, Commandeur, Officier-Commandeur, Grand Officier; all governed by the Grand Conseil de France
• Members wear crimson and gold ribbons representing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a silver tastevin suspended from the ribbon as a personal emblem

The Confrérie plays a starring role in the most important weekend in the Burgundian wine calendar: Les Trois Glorieuses (The Three Glorious Days), held every third weekend of November. The celebration opens on Saturday evening with a black-tie Chapitre banquet hosted by the Confrérie at the Château du Clos de Vougeot, where new Chevaliers are inducted. On Sunday, the world-famous charity Hospices de Beaune wine auction takes place in Beaune, a benchmark event for global Burgundy pricing since 1859. The weekend closes on Monday with the convivial Paulée de Meursault luncheon, where winemakers bring their finest bottles to share. Together, these three events draw buyers, collectors, and enthusiasts from every corner of the world to the Côte d'Or each November. Beyond Les Trois Glorieuses, the Confrérie co-founded the Saint-Vincent Tournante in 1938, a rotating winter wine festival that moves to a different Burgundy village each year on the last weekend of January, celebrating Saint Vincent, the patron saint of vignerons.

• Les Trois Glorieuses takes place every third weekend of November: Chapitre at Clos de Vougeot (Saturday), Hospices de Beaune auction (Sunday), Paulée de Meursault (Monday)
• The Hospices de Beaune charity auction, first held in 1859, is widely regarded as the world's most famous charity wine auction and a bellwether for Burgundy prices
• The Saint-Vincent Tournante, co-founded by the Confrérie in 1938, rotates annually among Burgundy's winegrowing villages every last weekend of January
• The Confrérie also publishes Tastevin en Main, its official journal founded in 1946, twice per year, and awards an annual Grand Prix Littéraire through its Chambre des Arts et Belles Lettres, created in 1948

The name of the Confrérie derives from the tastevin (pronounced 'taht-vahn'), a small, shallow silver cup that has been used by Burgundian cellarmasters since at least the 15th or 16th century. Created to evaluate wine in candle-lit cellars long before the age of electricity, the tastevin's genius lies in its design: its dimpled, scalloped interior catches and reflects available light, allowing the taster to assess a wine's color, clarity, and condition even in deep darkness. A tastevin with linear grooves (gordons) was traditionally used for white wines, while one with rounded indentations (cupules) was used for red wines. The handle, often shaped as intertwined snakes, references Dionysus, the Greek god of wine. Today, the tastevin is rarely used for practical tasting; it has been largely superseded by modern glassware. However, within the Confrérie, it remains a powerful living symbol: each inducted Chevalier receives a personal silver tastevin worn suspended from crimson and gold ribbons, a wearable reminder of Burgundy's deepest winemaking traditions.

• The tastevin dates to at least the 15th or 16th century in Burgundy; its reflective silver interior was designed for evaluating wine in candle-lit cellars
• Linear groove design (gordons) was used for white wines; rounded indentation design (cupules) was used for red wines; some tastevins combined both
• Each inducted Chevalier wears a personal silver tastevin on crimson and gold ribbons; the colors symbolize Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
• The tastevin is the central symbol of the Confrérie and lends its name to both the organization and the Tastevinage selection program