163d Hospices de Beaune wine auction: the presidential charity barrel will support the cause of ageing well

Published 29 September 2023

Supporting the cause of ageing well

Every year, a specific barrel is sold at the Hospices de Beaune auction: a charity item known as the "Pièce des Présidents" sold to support one or several charities. This year, the charity barrel (probably a grand cru) will be sold in aid of two associations supporting the cause of ageing well.

Alain Suguenot, Mayor of Beaune and Chairman of the Hospices Civils de Beaune Supervisory Board, declares:

“This 163rd Hospices de Beaune wine auction is a charity sale, with all the proceeds going to fund investments by the hospital, which is currently carrying out a number of major projects. We will be witnessing a sale that promises to be a major event, and which this year will champion the cause of "ageing well". The charity item, known as the "Presidents' Piece", will be dedicated to research into the theme of ageing well. It will focus in particular on research into the brain and genes that can delay the ageing process.”

Marie-Catherine Moraillon, Acting Director of Hospices Civils de Beaune completes:

Ageing well is a key theme at the Hospices Civils de Beaune. In fact, the hospital is involved in a regional project for seniors with the EHPADs of the Groupement Hospitalier de Territoire du Sud Côte d'Or. The primary aim of this initiative is to adapt the care and support offered to the needs of the elderly, to enable them to remain at home, in good health, for as long as possible. To mark the sale of the charity coin known as the "Pièce des Présidents", the Hospices Civils de Beaune is taking action on this public health issue.
The institution will support one or more associations involved in prevention and preserving the independence of ageing people through the proceeds from the sale of this unique charity coin, known as the "Pièce des Présidents". Beyond caring for people and maintaining their quality of life, if possible, at home, one of the challenges for the future is to provide a scientific response to the ageing of the population. That's why, for the 163rd sale, the projects selected will include a strong element of research and prevention to combat ageing and the pathologies of old age, and to propose solutions to improve longevity in good health.”

The barrel for the "Pièce des Présidents" will be unique, coming from the same oak tree that will be used to rebuild the spire from cathedral Notre Dame de Paris

This year's charity barrel, known as the "Pièce des Présidents", will bring together three key players in the timber industry. We have been asked by the d'Harcourt family, owners of the forest estate in the Vibraye forest, to produce a very special cask that will contain an equally extraordinary wine. The barrel will be made from the wood of an oak tree that was also used to restore the spire of Notre Dame in Paris. A remaining part of this tree was entrusted to the Barraud stave mill in Charente and then to the Cadus cooperage to make the barrel.”

Bernard d'Harcourt, Manager of the Domaine de Vibraye forestry group (Sarthe) announces proudly:

“In 2019, when the spire of Notre Dame in Paris burned down, we discovered that it could be rebuilt identically in wood, thanks to a study by the chief architect of historic monuments, Rémi Fromont. In 2021, the d'Harcourt family decided to donate 10 prestigious trees for the restoration of the cathedral's nave and spire. One of these 220-year-old trees from the Vibraye forest measured 19 metres, whereas the architects only needed 15.5 metres. At that point, my father and I decided to donate the remaining amount for the charity piece known as the "Presidents' Piece". I then contacted Mr Barraud, a stave-maker in Charente for four generations, to entrust him with this wood and split it into staves. The d'Harcourt family donated the staves to the Hospices de Beaune. The Cadus cooperage, based near Beaune in Ladoix-Serrigny, was then asked to make the barrel.
This project is a great achievement. In 2023, the charity coin known as the "Pièces des Présidents" will have its eastern counterpart in the spire of Notre Dame in Paris.”