The Hospices de Beaune auction:
history and purpose

The first Hospices de Beaune auctions took place in 1859

L'Hôtel-Dieu is a winegrowing hospital founded in 1443, owning 60 hectares of vines in Burgundy thanks to donations from generous donors. However, it wasn't until 1859 that the Domaine des Hospices de Beaune sold its harvest at auction, just after the harvest. Our house Albert Bichot participated in the auction for the first time in 1876. So we have a 150-year history with the institution.

The objective at the time was simple and remains relevant today: to take advantage of the craze for Burgundy wines and the reputation of the Domaine des Hospices to raise as much money as possible for the Hospital. Wine merchants and growers in Beaune and throughout Burgundy began acquiring the various Hospices cuvées a few weeks after the harvest, ageing them in their cellars and then marketing them. Historically, each house even had its own Hospices de Beaune label! Since the early 2000s, the label is now identical for all buyers.

An auction gone international since 2005

The auction used to take place in the courtyard of the Hôtel-Dieu, and each buyer had to purchase a series of several pieces of the same wine. In 2005, the auction was entrusted to an international auctioneer, and for the first time barrels could be purchased individually. Similarly, the "candlelight" sale was abandoned, and today only concerns the sale of the Pièce des Présidents.

Over the decades, the Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction has become the world's most famous charity wine auction, attracting professionals and enthusiasts from all over the world. Yet it retains its original function: to finance the Hospices Civils de Beaune. The substantial sums raised (24 M€ in 2023) enable the institution to carry out numerous projects using its own funds, benefiting all the inhabitants of the town and region. In the early 2020s, the Hospices launched a very ambitious project: the construction of a new hospital.

Buying at Hospices de Beaune auctions is easy thanks to Albert Bichot

In 2009, the renowned Beaune house decided to revolutionize auctioneering by creating a digital platform: www.hospices-beaune.com by Albert Bichot. The aim: to enable wine lovers from all over the world to support our hospital and take part in these exceptional auctions, from one bottle to a complete cask.