The traditional Saint-Vincent Tournante 2023 parade in Couchey in photos!

The small village of Couchey (Côte-d’Or) hosts this Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January the feast of Saint-Vincent Tournante. The kick-off was given very early this morning with the traditional procession.

Created in 1938 by the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, the Saint-Vincent Tournante is a festival that symbolizes solidarity between winegrowers. It takes place this year on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January 2022 in Couchey, a small village south of Dijon.

The Saint-Vincent Tournante began at 7:30 a.m. with the traditional parade of 100 brotherhoods at the Rousseau cooperage. The brotherhood of Tastevin Knights led the procession.

A start with a bang! This Saturday, January 28, 2022, Couchey will wake up to music. A joy for the inhabitants of the town. “We got up early to attend the parade. Our friends from Montpellier even came this weekend for the Saint-Vincent Tournante. It’s great to see that, the atmosphere is always there and then it highlights Couchey”believes Lionel.

Son of a winegrower, Quentin is proud to participate in this celebration which highlights the profession of his father. The young man now lives in Picardy, but never misses this event. “It’s a highlight for Burgundy. I like this heritage side, there is a real story behind it. Each village has its flag and its saint and it’s beautiful to see”he assures.

The parade is accompanied by three brass bands from Nuits-Gevrey, Quétigny and Marsannay la Côte.

The weather was mild and the rain left the local winegrowers alone. Between 80 and 100 mutual benefit societies parade. They have been created with the aim of helping winegrowers who are sick or unable to take care of their vines.

The parade notably passed in front of the town hall, where many Burgundians took up local songs in chorus to accompany the winegrowers.

Winegrowers are welcomed into the town with trays of mulled wine. For the record, this is not the first time that Couchey has acted as host for the Saint-Vincent Tournante. The village has already been the scene of the most famous Burgundian meeting in 1982!

Around 10 a.m., the parade stopped at the cemetery for a tribute to the deceased of Couchey in front of the war memorial. Olivier Caracotch, the public prosecutor of Dijon, and François Sauvadet, president of the departmental council were present.