La Saint-Vincent des Vins de Cahors

The festival of the patron saint of winegrowers in Cahors

Saint Vincent, a deacon and martyr from the 4th century, is the patron saint of winegrowers. Every year, around January 22nd, the wine world pays tribute to him to celebrate the start of the vine's cycle. In 2023, the Union Interprofessionnelle des Vins de Cahors (UIVC) decided to revive this age-old tradition by creating the Saint-Vincent des Vins de Cahors, a festive and wine tourism weekend aimed at affirming the positioning of the Cahors vineyard as an essential wine tourism destination in Occitanie.

A gala dinner under the sign of truffle and Malbec

The festival opens on Friday evening with a gala dinner at the restaurant La Chartreuse in Cahors. A collective of local chefs creates a five-course gastronomic menu, highlighting the black truffle from Lalbenque and the wines of the Cahors appellation. At each table, a winemaker presents their vintages and shares their passion for Malbec with the guests, creating a privileged moment of exchange between producers and wine lovers.

The walking tasting tour through the streets of Cahors

On Saturday, from 11 am to 5 pm, a walking tasting tour transforms the historic center of Cahors into a vast wine route. Starting from the Villa Cahors Malbec, Place François Mitterrand, participants with their tasting kits explore five stations spread across the most beautiful squares in the city: Place Galdemar, Place Champollion, the town hall square, Place des Républicains Espagnols, and Place François Mitterrand. Each stop offers tastings of AOP Cahors and IGP Côtes du Lot wines, accompanied by musical entertainment that enlivens the stroll.

Procession, mass, and the Confrérie des Vins de Cahors

Sunday morning marks the traditional highlight of the celebration. A procession departs from the Villa Cahors Malbec, led by the Confrérie des Vins de Cahors in ceremonial dress. A cart carrying a barrel of wine symbolizing the vintage and a statue of Saint Vincent parades through the streets, accompanied by children in traditional costumes. The procession joins the Saint-Étienne Cathedral where a Saint-Vincent mass is celebrated from 10:30 am to 12 pm. This is followed by the Confrérie's chapter, the induction of new members, and a convivial lunch.

Open houses in the Cahors vineyard

On Sunday afternoon, the festivities continue in the vineyard. About a dozen wine estates of the AOC Cahors appellation open their doors to the public for tastings, cellar tours, sensory workshops, and themed events. This is an opportunity to discover the richness and diversity of Cahors Malbec, the king grape of the appellation, through the varied terroirs of the Lot valley and the surrounding causses.

An event for Cahors wine tourism

The Saint-Vincent des Vins de Cahors brings together the men and women who work year-round in the vineyards and cellars of the appellation. By uniting winemakers, members of the Confrérie, restaurateurs, local producers, and visitors, the festival contributes to the influence of the Cahors vineyard and its millennia-old wine heritage. It is part of the wine tourism dynamic promoted by the UIVC to make Cahors a benchmark for wine tourism in France.