Côte-d'Or. Climats: "For these ten years, we absolutely wanted to mark the occasion"
To mark the tenth anniversary of the inscription of the Burgundy vineyard climates on the UNESCO World Heritage List (*), you wanted a special anniversary event. How did the “Guardians of the Climates” project come about?
"We absolutely wanted to mark the occasion and truly celebrate the July 4th anniversary. For us, it was essential that the event be significant, both to celebrate ten years of World Heritage, but also, right away, to look to the future."
What is the purpose of the event?
"It will be a festive moment, free and open to all; not just those who know wine. It aims to explain what the Climats are and the values they transmit, which everyone can take on board. It will also be a mobilizing moment, with stakeholders recommitting to the future, given the challenges, the problems of climate change, etc. This July 4, VIPs and public figures, those in charge, will come together to commit the region to a pact to signify that the adventure continues for 10-20 years, and to affirm it loud and clear."
Will any particular personalities be present at this “Pact of Guardians”, which will take place at the Château de Santenay, then at Puligny-Montrachet?
"We have two ministers coming: Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture, and François Rebsamen, Minister of Regional Planning and Decentralization. We also have a rather exceptional visit, as she rarely visits sites, from the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay. This demonstrates a very special attention to our region. At 2 p.m., at the Château de Santenay, we will have a signing session with some 200 partners. Then, there will be a solemn moment at the start of the "Quest" tour in Puligny."
Precisely, can you tell us more about this “Quest”, scheduled from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.?
“The theatrical, artistic, singing, etc. side is becoming increasingly important, with several dozen artists planned. The quest in the vineyards will be a journey with ten milestones, clues to discover and a sentence to find at the end of the journey to become a “guardian of the Climats”. Within these ten milestones, there will be intermediate milestones with a winemaker, a waller, etc. These are therefore theatrical, artistic and poetic times, punctuated by awareness-raising times, which will remain very short, because the idea remains that of a stroll. »S
Among the other highlights of this day (read elsewhere), can we consider the “Village” part, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., as a mini “Saint-Vincent Tour”?
"Yes, absolutely. It's a little Saint-Vincent, with a stroll through the village [of Puligny], activities, etc. But we won't compete in terms of numbers. For the tasting village, the difference is that the wines on offer will come from all the Climats, with a representative image of the entire Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits, with wines ranging from Marsannay to Maranges."
What about the final show starting at 9:30 p.m.?
"It's a pure and simple creation. It will last at least three-quarters of an hour and should be quite extraordinary, because it won't be a stage show. It's an artistic conflagration of the center of Puligny. The artists will be positioned all over the place, there will be large, quite complex installations, etc. I think it's going to be a very beautiful event, exceptional and atypical. After the show, the popular dance will take place in the central square of Puligny."
One month before the event, what is happening behind the scenes?
"The logistics are completely crazy. Behind the scenes, in terms of organizational security, there are a lot of constraints. In addition to local police and departmental services to limit speeds on nearby departmental roads, thanks to sponsorship funding, we have notably planned to hire security guards, to allow volunteers to be on duty that will allow them to see the show and be present in the village. For first aid, they will come from Lyon, because the premises were already taken."
What about the ecological impact of the event?
"We wanted it to be eco-responsible. For example, some of the decorations in the village will be made by a specialist workshop, using recycled fabrics, etc. Obviously, there are strict requirements regarding waste, and we're putting rules in place from the start."
(*) UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Guillaume Petitjean - “The show will be a grandiose moment, full of fire and light”
“With this event, we wanted to celebrate the “guardians of the past” and give everyone the keys to the Climats to enable people to become the Guardians of the Climats themselves.”
This is how Guillaume Petitjean, designer for Ebra Events (*), the event agency behind the “Gardiens des Climats” event, sums up the spirit of this event, which will take place on July 4th starting at 4 p.m. in Puligny-Montrachet. “The goal is to pay tribute to everything that has been done and to make people feel involved on the big day.”
"Right now, there's a lot of excitement.""Backstage, right now, there's a lot of excitement, with a build-up of power," he said on Tuesday. "We're currently preparing all the elements for the various highlights: 'The Quest,' 'The Village,' and the show. Auditions with local artists, including dancers and actors, have taken place in recent days and weeks. We also have the work of the director, Laurent-Guillaume Delhinger, for the show. In all, we have more than twenty artists working on 'The Quest' and the evening show." The first rehearsals are planned "in the coming days, in Dijon," notes Guillaume Petitjean.
"We are also in the process of manufacturing the various elements of the set, costumes, signage, etc. Everything is going well."
The evening show: “A truly original creation, made for the Climats, with local artists”Without revealing all the mysteries between now and July 4, Guillaume Petitjean emphasizes that “La Quête,” “this journey to discover the great vintages,” will aim to reveal “the soul of the Climats” and to highlight “the actors who protect this heritage.”
"Artists will be scattered across the 10 points of this tour, to bring the Climats' common thread to life and understand their identity. Educational experts will also be present." Regarding the evening show, Guillaume Petitjean emphasizes the aspect of "a truly original creation, made for the Climats, with local artists"; which explains why all the details cannot be revealed at this stage.
“But rest assured, we know where we’re going,” says the designer for Ebra Events. “The show will be a grandiose moment, full of fire and light, with dancing, comedy, and more. We wanted to create an exceptional moment to close the event with a dazzling finale.”
(*) Ebra Events is part of the Ebra Group, of which Le Bien Public is a part.
Le Bien Public
