Burgundy's wine festivities began to unfold at the start of the year.
January brought the Saint Vincent Wine Festival. January 22 was Saint Vincent's day of martyrdom, and around this date each year, Burgundy's winegrowers began preparing to prune their vineyards for winter.
The Vincent Festival was held in different villages across Burgundy. Before dawn, volunteers from each village carried statues of their own Saint Vincent in procession. It was said that this tradition had endured for a thousand years.
February was Burgundy's hibernating season. The weather was foggy every day that month, with the occasional snowfall, making no one want to leave the house. Only one village still held the Saint Vincent Wine Festival at that time.
In March, the village of Saint George in Côte de Nuits held a red wine auction. It was not a large event, nor was it nearly as famous as the auction in Beaune, but sometimes winegrowers brought out top-quality wines at tastings in search of discerning kindred spirits.
Such opportunities did not come every year; it all depended on the winegrowers' moods. That was one of the distinctive features of the Côte de Nuits auction.
Starting in April, Burgundy officially began to awaken. It was an excellent season for buying white wine.
In May and June, Burgundy's weather became somewhat changeable, though sunny days still predominated, with the occasional clouds drifting across the sky.
At this time, every village held wine and food festivals. It was like going on an adventure: the organizers even gave visitors maps so they could stroll through the vineyards scattered across the hills.
There were many "supply stations" in the vineyards, and each one sold local wine and traditional Burgundy food.
Following the order of a traditional French meal, bread, appetizers, main courses, desserts, and cheese were