Open Doors of the Vézelay Vineyard

The Vézelay Vineyard: A Renaissance at the Foot of the Eternal Hill

The Bourgogne Vézelay appellation is one of the youngest and most endearing in Burgundy. Recognized as a protected designation of origin (AOC) in 1997, it crowns the renaissance of a multi-millennial vineyard that had almost disappeared in the 20th century. Benedictine monks from the Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica already cultivated vines on these limestone slopes as early as the Middle Ages, and Vézelay wines enjoyed a flattering reputation before phylloxera, wars, and rural exodus reduced the vineyard to almost nothing.

It was in the 1980s and 1990s that a handful of passionate winemakers replanted vines on the gentle slopes of the eternal hill and surrounding villages: Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay, Tharoiseau, Asquins, Saint-Moré. Today, seven estates share about twenty hectares planted mainly with Chardonnay, which produces dry, fresh, mineral, and floral white wines of great purity. Pinot Noir is also cultivated to produce light and fruity red wines. The cooperative Vignerons de la Colline Éternelle, located in Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay, brings together several producers and promotes the collective promotion of the appellation.

The Open Doors: A Weekend of Sharing and Discovery

The Open Doors of the Vézelay Vineyard are organized every spring, generally on a weekend in May, to offer the public a unique immersion into this human-scale wine world. For two days, participating estates welcome visitors to their cellars and plots for free or guided tours, guided tastings, and direct exchanges with the winemakers.

Each estate prepares a specific program: vineyard tours with explanations on cultivation practices (several estates are in organic or biodynamic agriculture), discovery of winemaking methods in the cellars, presentation of different cuvées from Bourgogne Vézelay white to plot-specific wines. The Colline Éternelle cooperative also offers electric bike packages to explore the vineyards and villages before ending with a tasting.

Participating Estates

• Vignerons de la Colline Éternelle (Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay): the cooperative cellar, a pioneer of the vineyard's renaissance
• Domaine Camu (Vézelay): Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Melon de Bourgogne at the foot of the basilica
• Domaine de la Croix Montjoie (Tharoiseau): organic wines, characterful whites and reds
• Cellier de l'Abbaye (Vézelay): organic wines produced in close relation to the Cistercian heritage
• Several other family estates in Saint-Père and surrounding villages

An Exceptional Territory for a Gourmet Escape

The Open Doors are set in the exceptional surroundings of Vézelay and its surroundings. The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage site and starting point for the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage towards Tours, overlooks a landscape of vines and forests of incomparable beauty in spring. The surrounding wine villages — Saint-Père-sous-Vézelay, Asquins, Pierre-Perthuis — retain remarkable Romanesque heritage.

This weekend is an opportunity to combine wine discovery with visits to the basilica, Vézelay museums, local spring markets, and hikes on the marked trails of the Morvan and Vézelien regions. Many restaurants and producers offer meals based on local products to accompany the appellation's tastings.

A Booming Appellation, Urgently to Discover

The Bourgogne Vézelay appellation is still too little known to the general public despite the growing quality of its wines and the beauty of its terroir. The Open Doors are the ideal opportunity to discover it at a lower cost, directly at the property, in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere far removed from the formalism of some great appellations. Prices remain accessible, producers are passionate and available, and the quality of the wines continues to improve, with whites now rivaling the best Burgundy villages.