in Burgundy, they buy wine to drink …

Le Bénaton started 10 years ago by Patrick Sauze & his wife, Claire. Le Bénaton really means the basket, depicting a time where machinery is not present. Workers harvest the grapes, carrying the Bénaton on their shoulders and after picking the grapes, throw it on the Bénaton. As Burgundy is a hilly area, not much machinery can be used, so in some areas the basket is still being used.

Le Bénaton carries exclusively French wines. When asked if he would carry other nation’s wines, the reply came fast, “if we are to house all of France’s wines, this shop will never be able to store them, even in limited quantities!”.

Le Bénaton first started selling wholesale to hotels & restaurants, introducing them, the more affordable range of Burgundy range of wines and those not from the “mainstream” or commercially branded names.

This is one of their unique propositions. Le Bénaton look for quality wines, even if they did not come from big names. But how can one sell it to purchasers from the hotels & restaurants, who are pressed for time and may not always have the nose & tongue to tell the difference. That job is up to Patrick Sauze to convince them differently; through the tasting session he conducts. He first asked if I drink a lot. I shared with him that I preferred Australian wines because they are easier to drink while I thought that French wines are little difficult to swallow, a more stronger side.

That sparked an initial swing comparing Old World & New World wines. Patrick describes the current globalization as proof that labels does not matter anymore. Some of the more popular vineyard in Australia, New Zealand & Africa is run by Frenchmen, while a vineyard in France is not a Frenchman. The Australian brand Wolf Blass for instance was started by Wolfgang Blass, a German.

Le Bénaton showcase wine that can be found in the Burgundy regions (région of Bourgogne). One of the highlights Patrick Sauze points out is that, the county of Lauduc is producing a number of wines that are good to drink. Patrick describes Lauduc as one of the poorest regions in France; where the wines were produced in mass quantities resulting in lower quality. Recently, they have been told to shape out or ship out, thus resulting in a higher quality output from their vineyards.

Patrick Sauze says that the boutique wine retail climate in Singapore is better. There are services where buyers by the casks and Le Bénaton amongst others, keep it in their storage or a third party logistical company in Singapore which provides for a constant air-cooled environment, to let the wines age.

Why is this post titled as above – some of you may be wondering. 000000;">People buy Bordeaux wine to speculate, while in Burgundy, they buy wine to drink. Drinking Burgundy wines requires knowledge & initiative. In Singapore, some of the serious Burgundy drinkers are ex-Bordeaux drinkers. Burgundy is still seen as an artisan or a craftsmanship village.

Perhaps no one say it better than William from Cre8Destiny who describes Burgundy wines as follows; cc0000;">“While Bordeaux makes a bold statement for all to see, Burgundy whispers it’s song to those who stop to listen. It’s up close and personal, almost like a little devil sitting on the left shoulder singing into your ears. Once you start listening, you start to slip down the slippery road to Burgundy Nirvana, bliss and perhaps financial ruin! Darn I love my little devil!”