Work begins on ground-breaking Cités du Vins projects

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 22 March, 2021

Work is now underway to lay the foundations of three entirely new cultural and tourism-related wine centres across Burgundy with the site in Beaune now officially underway.

The first stone has now been laid for the Cité in Beaune, a new 3,600m2 construction site in the region’s historic city centre which, when completed, will offer a panoramic view of the surrounding vines.

It’s just one of a total of three new wine-focused centres which form the basis of a joint project between the BIVB (Bourgogne Wine Board) and the Association for the Climats of Bourgogne.

Due to be completed by early 2022, the Cités des Vins et des Climats de Bourgogne project is due to offer 6,000m2 of “entertainment and discovery” including visitor trails to immerse visitors in the world of Burgundy winegrowing.

The Cité in Mâcon will lay its first stone on 29 March, with work starting at the end of April.

The Cité in Chablis meanwhile has just been granted its construction permit with work due to start this summer.

The three Cités will all differ in terms of location, size and design. For example, the building in Beaune takes its inspiration from a vine tendril winding its way around a post. It will stand at 24m high, offering views across the vines from its panoramic terrace once completed.

Despite their differences, according to the BIVB, all three cities share the same aim, “To promote the culture of winegrowing in Bourgogne with as many people as possible, through a wide range of offers and services focusing on the world of vines and wine”.

The first stone for the Cité in Beaune was laid on 12 March.

Plans for the Cités were announced in December 2019. At the time, the BIVB’s Cecile Mathiaud told Harpers that the three new sites are a Burgundy specific project.

Despite the similarity in name to Bordeaux’s La Cite du Vin, which takes a global look at the culture of wine, Burgundy’s three Cités des Vins aim to deliver a regional experience for visitors, with the focus on Burgundy’s vineyards and climates.

The BIVB added that the name was chosen before Bordeaux began its project.

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