La Paulée Meursault
In a traditional sense, La Paulée de Meursault has always been a lunch celebrating the end of the grape harvest in Burgundy, France. In Burgundy, the traditional end-of-harvest meal which the winegrower offers to the pickers is called paulée. First initiated by the monks of Cîteaux, the custom disappeared at the time of the French Revolution. However, the beginning of the 1920's witnessed a return to the tradition and starting out as a very informal event held amongst only the winemakers, cellar workers, and close surrounding community; in 1923 it was fully revived as a more formal event led by Comte Jules Lafon. Initially only 35 guests gathered at Clos de la Barre winery. The following year, a few more winegrowers joined them, moving the meal to the village hall of the Chevreuil, at Mother Daugier's. Then in 1928, the winegrowing community brought together more than three hundred guests to enjoy the good wines and food.
Eventually, in 1932, the Brotherhood of the Knights of Tastevin was created to promote the wines of Burgundy around the world through encouraging producers and distributors to cooperate. This is when La Paulée gained its letters of nobility and its capital letter. From that year onwards, it has taken place on a fixed date, the third Monday of November, closing the Trois Glorieuses. The fiftieth was held at the Château de Meursault, where to this day it resides each year. Comte Jules Lafon, and now his descendants, invite hundreds of winegrowers to attend the event, each selecting their best bottles of the year to drink and share with friends, neighbours and strangers. It is a thriving and boisterous event focused on exquisite wine, delicious food and jovial and knowledgeable company.
With approximately 700 people in attendance, the revered lunch is still held in the Château de Meursault every year. The Paulée Committee have taken the helm and continue to bring thriving and boisterous enjoyment year after year while showcasing a range of Meursault’s best winemakers. As harvest can be a little unpredictable across all of France, the great lunch is held annually in the third week of November, on the third day of the "Trois Glorieuses" (three glorious days) on a Monday. The auction of the Hospices de Beaune takes place on the Sunday, with La Paulée rounding out the 3 day event.
It is presented as a long lunch, from 12pm to 7pm, with around 40 people per table to encourage discussion and community among various winegrowers and enthusiasts. There is a real focus on sharing in Meursault, with the growers themselves walking up and down tables proudly pouring their special bottles.