America's Greatest Burgundy Event Came to San Francisco

La Paulée came to San Francisco. Read more for an archival look at the events and why they mattered.

La Paulée is a storied celebration rooted in Burgundy's rich winemaking traditions, and commemorated its 25th anniversary in the United States with a series of exclusive events in San Francisco from February 27 to March 1, 2025, and in New York from March 5 to March 8, 2025. This milestone offered a distinctive opportunity for oenophiles to immerse themselves in the leading expressions of Burgundy's heritage.

A Brief History of La Paulée

The origins of La Paulée trace back to the early 20th century in Meursault, France. Traditionally, it was a communal feast marking the end of the grape harvest, where winemakers, cellar workers, and locals gathered to share in the season's bounty. In the mid-1920s, figures like Count Lafon and Jacques Prieur formalized this gathering, evolving it into a grand luncheon known as La Paulée de Meursault. Over time, this event became an integral part of "Les Trois Glorieuses," a trio of Burgundy wine festivities that also includes a charity auction at the Hospices de Beaune and a formal dinner at the Clos de Vougeot.

In 2000, esteemed sommelier Daniel Johnnes introduced La Paulée to the United States, adapting the convivial spirit of the original celebration for an American audience. Held alternately in New York City and San Francisco, La Paulée has grown into a multi-day festival featuring seminars, tastings, and gala dinners, all honoring the wines and winemakers of Burgundy.

San Francisco La Paulée 2025 Event Overview

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Lunch, Verjus, San Francisco

• Tasting of well-known Musigny Grand Cru wines, including rare white Musigny.

• Featured vintages from 1985 to 2017.

• Price: $1,995 + tax (Sold Out, Waitlist Available).

Rising Stars of the Côte de Beaune Dinner, The Morris, San Francisco

• Featuring top emerging producers: Domaine Rougeot & Domaine des Croix.

• Selection of Meursault and Beaune wines from 1999-2023.

• Price:$625 + tax (Exclusive to Amex Platinum & Centurion, Sold Out).

Friday, February 28, 2025

San Francisco Verticals Tasting, The Pearl, San Francisco

• A distinctive three-vintage vertical tasting across 25 Burgundy producers.

• Price: $495 + tax (Historical discount offer expired after the event).

Legends Dinner: Domaine Roulot & Domaine Dujac, Saison, San Francisco

• Ultra-premium Burgundy dinner with well-known producers.

• Featuring Domaine Roulot’s Meursault (jeroboams) & Dujac’s Echézeaux Grand Cru.

• Price: $5,500 + tax.

Saturday, March 1, 2025

A Natural Approach to Chablis Seminar, One Sansome, San Francisco

• Led by Athénaïs de Béru, focusing on biodynamic Chablis winemaking.

• Price: $195 + tax (Exclusive to Amex Platinum & Centurion).

Grand Tasting, One Sansome, San Francisco

• Walk-around tasting of 100+ wines from 25 Burgundy domaines, focusing on 2022 vintages.

• Price: $425 + tax (Historical discount offer expired after the event” for Historical discount offer expired after the event

Gala Dinner, One Sansome, San Francisco

• Featuring renowned chefs Daniel Boulud, Michael Tusk, and The Slanted Door team.

• Guests encouraged to bring their own Burgundy wines to share.

• Price: $1,600 + tax.

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Lunch

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Musigny is one of Burgundy’s most revered Grand Cru vineyards, and is a benchmark for elegance and complexity in Pinot Noir. This well-known site is known for producing wines of notable finesse, perfumed aromatics, and a distinctive mineral backbone. Unlike some of Burgundy’s more powerful Grand Crus, Musigny is cherished for its ethereal balance,its ability to combine intensity with a silk-like texture, making it among the more sought-after wines in the world. For Burgundy lovers, tasting a lineup of Musigny vintages is a rare and extraordinary opportunity.

The historic Musigny estate of Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé dates back to 1450, and has long been the significant proprietor of Musigny’s Grand Cru vineyards. Their flagship Musigny Vieilles Vignes, made from some of the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the region, is revered for its depth, aromatic complexity, and age-worthiness. Uniquely, the estate also produces a white wine from Musigny,a rarity in the Côte de Nuits,crafted from Chardonnay planted in the same storied limestone soils.

Verjus is the well-suited location for such a tasting due to its deep-rooted focus on notable wines and its intimate, Parisian-style ambiance. The restaurant’s small-plate dining approach, crafted by Chef Michael Tusk, ensures that each dish complements rather than overwhelms the delicate complexity of the wines. Additionally, its warm, convivial atmosphere fosters the kind of thoughtful discussion and shared appreciation that makes Burgundy tastings so special, enhancing the experience of savoring particularly well-known wines in the world.

List of Wines:

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Blanc Grand Cru 2017

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 2017

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 2002

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 2001

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1999

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1991

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1989

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1998

Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé, Musigny Vieilles Vignes 1985

• Location:Verjus - 550 Washington Street, San Francisco, CA 94111
• Time:12:00 PM PT Champagne Delamotte Reception; 12:30 PM PT Luncheon
• Price:$1,995 + tax
• Note: Currently sold out; waitlist available.

Rising Stars of the Côte de Beaune Dinner

Thursday, February 27, 2025

The Côte de Beaune, the southern half of Burgundy’s famed Côte d’Or, is celebrated for producing some of the leading Chardonnay in the world, alongside elegant Pinot Noir.

Unlike the Côte de Nuits, which is dominated by red wines, the Côte de Beaune is home to well-known white wine appellations such as Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, and Meursault, known for their richness, complexity, and age-worthiness.

However, the region is no less important for reds, with appellations like Pommard and Volnay crafting Pinot Noirs that range from powerfully structured to lacy and refined. The soils here, a mix of limestone and marl, combined with a slightly warmer climate than the Côte de Nuits, contribute to the distinctive expressions of the wines.

Meursault's Domaine Rougeot was founded in the 1970s and has been under the stewardship of Pierre-Henri Rougeot since 2010. The estate encompasses 13 hectares of organically farmed vineyards, producing wines that are both energetic and precise.

Pierre-Henri employs minimal intervention and low-sulfur vinification techniques, resulting in compelling wines that balance natural wine approaches with traditional Burgundian methods. Domaine des Croix on the other hand is newer on the scene.

Established in 2005 by winemaker David Croix, the estate spans approximately 6.37 hectares (15.74 acres), cultivating both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Committed to sustainable and organic viticulture, the domaine employs practices such as partial whole-cluster fermentation, ambient yeast fermentation, and aging in barrels with up to 40% new oak, avoiding fining and filtration.

Founded by veteran sommelier Paul Einbund, The Morris is a great match for any Burgundy tasting. The reds from Beaune, often more elegant and fruit-driven than the denser wines of the Côte de Nuits, have a natural acidity and fine tannins that complement The Morris’s signature dishes, such as smoked meats and rich, savory preparations. Meanwhile, the whites from Beaune, including those from Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne, offer a mix of minerality, lively acidity, and depth, making them well-suited for pairing with buttery, roasted, or umami-laden dishes that showcase Chef Gavin Schmidt’s refined yet bold cooking style.

List of Wines:

Domaine Rougeot, Bourgogne Passetoutgrain “Les Vercherres” 2023

Pierre-Henri Rougeot, Meursault “Le Limozin” 2020

Domaine Rougeot, Meursault “Sous la Velle” 2020

Domaine Rougeot, Meursault “Sous la Velle” Sans Soufre Ajouté 2020

Domaine Rougeot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2020

Domaine Rougeot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2019

Domaine Rougeot, Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 1999

Domaine des Croix, Beaune 1er Cru Pertuisots 2021

Domaine des Croix, Beaune 1er Cru Pertuisots 2017

Domaine des Croix, Beaune 1er Cru Pertuisots 2005

Domaine des Croix, Corton Grand Cru “Les Grèves” 2017

Domaine des Croix, Corton Grand Cru “Les Grèves” 2013

Domaine des Croix, Corton Grand Cru “Les Grèves” 2010

Domaine des Croix, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2011

• Location:The Morris - 2501 Mariposa Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
• Time:6:30 PM PT Champagne Delamotte Reception; 7:00 PM PT Dinner
• Price:$625 + tax
• Note:Exclusive to American Express Platinum Card® and Centurion® Members; currently sold out with a waitlist available.

The Verticals Tasting

Friday, February 28, 2025

Participants will have the chance to taste three-vintage verticals of signature wines from renowned domaines. The event showcases 25 different producers from different subregions of Burgundy, which gives an incredible overview of the region.

Participants can anticipate tasting flights such as Château de Béru's Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin from 2009, 2012, and 2017; Bouchard Père & Fils' Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru from 2012, 2015, and 2017; andClos de Tart's Grand Cru from 2015, 2017, and 2019.

This format allows attendees to appreciate the nuances of each region as well as the development of each wine over different years; providing insights into the winemaking process, vintage variations, and the aging potential of Burgundy wines.

List of Wines (Link)

• Location:The Pearl - 601 19th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
• Time:10:00 AM - 1:00 PM PT
• Price:$495 + tax

Legends Dinner: Domaine Roulot Tesson & Domaine Dujac Echézeaux

Friday, February 28, 2025

particularly extravagent dinner at this year's La Paulée San Francisco, the Legends Dinner is bound to astound even particularly avid Burgundy collectors. Domaine Roulotwill be pouring their well-known Meursault (out of jeroboam no less). The estate is renowned for its notable white wines, particularly from premier cru vineyards likeLes PerrièresandClos des Bouchères. Winemaker Jean-Marc Roulot's commitment to organic farming and minimal intervention winemaking has polished the domaine's reputation, producing wines celebrated for their purity, precision, and expression of terroir. At this event, Jean-Marc will be pouring one of the domaine’s standout cuvées -"À Mon Plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson."This is a Meursault lieu-dit bottling known for its balance of richness and minerality, offering lively citrus and floral notes with a signature tension on the palate.

The reds were provided by Domaine Dujac, one of the benchmarks for notable Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The domaine is renowned for its commitment to organic and biodynamic viticulture, emphasizing minimal intervention to allow each terroir's distinctive expression.

The Seysses family, now led by Jacques' sons Jeremy and Alec, along with Jeremy's wife Diana, continues to uphold these principles, producing wines celebrated for their elegance, complexity, and reflection of their origins. Among their esteemed holdings, Domaine Dujac's Échezeaux Grand Cru is distinctive for its delicate yet refined character.

Sourced from the Champs Traversins climat, situated at about 919 feet of elevation with eastern-facing slopes, the vineyard features thin soils of sand and marl over hard rock.

Organically farmed since 2001, this parcel yields wines with a distinctive elegance and complexity, showcasing the domaine's dedication to expressing the distinctive qualities of each terroir.

Saison is a strong venue for such a a high-end Burgundy tasting dinner. As a two Michelin-starred restaurant, it is renowned for its open wood-fire cooking under the leadership of Executive Chef Richard Lee, emphasizing the bounty of California's evolving terroir and its incredible farmers, ranchers, and fishermen and women.

Saison has a Wine Spectator Grand Award-winning list with a special emphasis on Burgundy, curated by Wine Director Mark Bright and Beverage Director Molly Greene. The restaurant's dynamic space fosters an intimate and culture-shifting experience, making it an ideal setting for connoisseurs to explore the nuanced complexities of Burgundy wines.

• Location:Saison - 178 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
• Time:6:30 PM PT Champagne Salon Reception; 7:00 PM PT Dinner
• Price:$5,500 + tax

List of Wines

Domaine Roulot, Meursault “A mon plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson” 2015en jeroboam

Domaine Roulot, Meursault “A mon plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson” 2008en jeroboam

Domaine Roulot, Meursault “A mon plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson” 2006en jeroboam

Domaine Roulot, Meursault “A mon plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson” 2004en jeroboam

Domaine Roulot, Meursault “A mon plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson” 2002en jeroboam

Domaine Roulot, Meursault “A mon plaisir, Clos du Haut Tesson” 1992en jeroboam

Domaine Dujac, Echézeaux Grand Cru 2015

Domaine Dujac, Echézeaux Grand Cru 2009

Domaine Dujac, Echézeaux Grand Cru 2006

Domaine Dujac, Echézeaux Grand Cru 2002

Domaine Dujac, Echézeaux Grand Cru 1999

Domaine Dujac, Echézeaux Grand Cru 1995en magnum

A Natural Approach to Chablis Seminar

Saturday, March 1, 2025

Chablis, the northernmost wine region of Burgundy, is internationally recognized for its pure, mineral-driven Chardonnay. Unlike the richer, oak-influenced white wines of the Côte de Beaune, Chablis is defined by its cool climate and Kimmeridgian limestone soils, which contribute to its hallmark crisp acidity, steely minerality, and distinctive flinty notes.

The region is divided into four classifications: Petit Chablis, Chablis, Chablis Premier Cru, and Chablis Grand Cru, with the latter producing particularly structured and age-worthy wines. Winemakers in Chablis traditionally use little to no oak, preserving the grape’s natural freshness and precision.

These wines are prized for their zesty citrus, green apple, and saline characteristics, making them particularly food-friendly white wines in the world, particularly with seafood and oysters.

This seminar will be led by Athénaïs de Béru of Château de Béru, discussing biodynamic viticulture and low-intervention winemaking in Chablis. The historic Béru estate has been in Athénaïs' family for over 400 years.

After replanting the vineyards in the late 20th century, Athénaïs took over winemaking in 2005, implementing organic and biodynamic practices to revitalize the estate. She is committed to low-intervention winemaking, allowing each wine to express its distinctive terroir.

In addition to estate wines, Athénaïs produces sought-after négociant wines from organically or biodynamically farmed grapes sourced from local vineyards, showcasing her creative freedom and dedication to authentic expressions of the region.

• Location:The Conservatory at One Sansome - 1 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
• Time:11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PT
• Price:$195 + tax
• Note:Exclusive to American Express Platinum Card® and Centurion® Members.

The Grand Tasting

Saturday, March 1, 2025

La Paulée's Grand Tasting is a highlight of the festival, offering attendees an unusual opportunity to explore the latest Burgundy vintages. This walk-around tasting event features over 100 wines from 25 esteemed Burgundy domaines, with a focus on the highly acclaimed 2022 vintage.

Held in the elegant Conservatory at One Sansome in San Francisco, the Grand Tasting allows guests to engage directly with winemakers and estate representatives, gaining insights into the nuances of each wine.

Complementing the notable wines, the event also showcases culinary offerings from some of San Francisco's most noteworthy restaurants and fine purveyors, creating a harmonious blend of flavors that enhance the tasting experience.

Whether you're a seasoned Burgundy enthusiast or new to the region's wines, the Grand Tasting provides a comprehensive and immersive exploration of Burgundy's diverse terroirs and winemaking styles.

Some highlights include the 2022 vintages of Clos de Tart Grand Cru, Domaine Dugat Py Mazoyeres-Chambertin Grand Cru, Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair Richebourg Grand Cru, and Domaine François RaveneauChablis Grand Cru Les Clos.

List of Wines (Link)

• Location:The Conservatory at One Sansome - 1 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
• Time:12:00 PM - 3:00 PM PT
• Price:$425 + tax

Gala Dinner

Saturday, March 1, 2025

La Paulée's Gala Dinner in San Francisco is the pinnacle of the festival's celebration of Burgundy. Scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2025, at The Conservatory at One Sansome, the evening begins at 6:30 PM with a Champagne Delamotte Reception, followed by dinner at 7:00 PM.

The event features a distinguished culinary team, including Chef Daniel Boulud of DANIEL, Chef Michael Tusk of Quince, and the team from the late Charles Phan's The Slanted Door.

In the spirit of the traditional La Paulée de Meursault, guests are encouraged to bring cherished bottles from their personal collections to share alongside those from attending winemakers, fostering an atmosphere of generosity and camaraderie.

This communal approach, combined with the strong cuisine and internationally prominent wines, makes the Gala Dinner a memorable experience for Burgundy enthusiasts.

• Location:The Conservatory at One Sansome - 1 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104
• Time:6:30 PM PT Champagne Delamotte Reception; 7:00 PM PT Dinner
• Price:$1,600 + tax

A Final Toast: Celebrating 25 Years of La Paulée in America

Celebrating 25 years of La Paulée in the United States, the 2025 events in San Francisco and New York promise a captivating immersion into Burgundy’s leading wines and culinary talent. From exclusive vertical tastings and engaging seminars to walk-around tastings and a lively Gala Dinner, La Paulée offers something for wine lovers at every level. At its heart, this beloved tradition unites history, hospitality, and a shared passion for notable wines,a memorable experience for both seasoned connoisseurs and newcomers alike.

You can also check out last year's recap fromLa Paulee Los Angeles2024.