Tag: Bordeaux

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Cite du Vin

NEW EXHIBITION AT THE CITE DU VIN:  ARGENTINA, LANDS OF CONTRASTS 

From 12 August to 17 november 2019

Direction South America! After having celebrated the vineyards of Georgia and the Douro Valley, the Cité du Vin is hosting Argentina from 12 August, for its next temporary exhibition featuring a Guest Wine Region.

A journey of the senses

From 12 August to 17 November, head for Argentina at the Cité du Vin! For 3 months, visitors are invited on a real journey across Argentina’s six main wine regions. Thanks to gigantic exhibits and digital and immersive displays, the exhibition offers a sensory and participative experience of Argentina’s nature in all its spectacular diversity. Visitors can feel the differences in altitude, landscapes, climates, geographical conditions… The goal is to understand the multitude of combinations allowing Argentina to offer such a wide range of wines with their infinite variety of flavours. The legendary Malbec and Torrontès, another famous grape variety to Argentina, naturally take pride of place. At each stage of this adventure, icons from the six regions relate the story of their wines, their gastronomy and their culture. Music and literature are also part of the journey, combining a past and a present that are intimately linked to the culture of the vine. 

2019 Guest Wine Region at the Cité du Vin 

Each year, the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations gives a partner wine region or country the opportunity to present its wine heritage. “The aim is to let the public discover a great wine country from the point of view of its culture and civilisation, through an original exhibition accompanied by numerous cultural events. We are delighted that Argentina is our 3rd Guest Wine Region!” says Philippe Massol, Managing Director. 
Georgia, the world’s oldest wine country, was the first Guest Wine Region in autumn 2017. In 2018, it was the Porto region, one of the world’s oldest appellations whose Upper Douro valley is inscribed as a cultural landscape in the UNESCO World Heritage List, that took the place of honour.
Various events will be held during the Argentina, lands of contrasts exhibition, to explore the themes it addresses in greater depth.

About the Cité du Vin

Located in Bordeaux, the Cité du Vin is a new generation cultural centre, unique in the world, where wine is presented in its cultural, civilizational, heritage and universal dimensions. A cultural facility, a tourist site and a place of life and outings for Bordeaux residents, the Cité du Vin showcases vineyards from around the world through a permanent tour, temporary exhibitions, wine culture workshops and numerous events. Managed and developed by the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations, the Cité du Vin is accessible to the greatest possible number and is open to all. A spectacular journey around the world, across the ages, in all cultures!

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Saint Emilion…Worth a Trip

Saint Emilion

Travel 20 or so kilometers from the bustling city of Bordeaux and you’re surrounded by vineyards. Some of the world’s most famous vineyards, these were planted here in Roman times.

Spend a day in Saint-Emilion, exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its Eglise Monolithe. This church carved out of the rocky hillside in the 11th century is now one of the largest of its kind in Europe, with its underground caverns and catacombs.

For a true wine tasting experience, set up a wine tasting class where you will learn about the subtle differences in wines where the same type of grapes are grown only a few feet from each other.

Bottom of the slopes, gravel terraces, sandy soils, limestone, high, low…all produce a slightly different taste. Cru, Grand Cru, large estates, small estates, non-classified, Premier Cru…there’s so much to learn! But, it sure is fun.

We weren’t there long…we’ll be back.

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Cite du Vin and Porto

Press Release from Cite du Vin…

From 5 October 2018 to 6 January 2019, La Cité du Vin is hosting an exhibition paying homage to the exceptional viticultural landscape of the Porto region: Douro, an alchemy between air, land and river. Inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2001, the Upper Douro valley is distinguished by its singular beauty, bearing witness to the evolution of wine and human activity over time. Offering a sensitive and multidisciplinary approach, the exhibition highlights the development of a landscape heritage melding air, land and river, but above all man and nature.

Douro, an alchemy between air, land and river

Porto is one of the oldest appellations in the world. An exceptional viticultural region, surrounded by mountains and shaped by the hands of man into terraces on the steep slopes of the river banks. The exhibition Douro, an alchemy between air, land and river is an invitation to travel through the landscapes of the Douro and across time. A sensitive journey, in both sound and images, and resolutely contemporary, will reflect this special alchemy between the air, the land and the river that gave birth to the famous Port wine, not forgetting the great vineyard of classic wines produced in the region.
Conferences, tastings, themed visits and shows will accompany this original exhibition.

The Guest Vineyard temporary exhibition

Each autumn, the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilisations gives a partner wine region or country the chance to present a “Guest Wine Region”. The aim is to let the public discover a wine-producing region through its culture and civilisation, in an original and aesthetic exhibition, accompanied by numerous cultural events.
Georgia, as the oldest wine region in the world, was the first Guest Wine Region in autumn 2017. This archaeological exhibition jointly organised with the Georgian state and the national museum of Tbilisi was a great success: more than 50 000 visitors discovered the historical richness and quality of the heritage of this country.

Douro, an alchemy between air, land and river will be the second exhibition dedicated to a Guest Wine Region, from 5 October 2018 to 6 January 2019.

Support the cultural seasons at La Cité du Vin with La Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin: https://fondation.laciteduvin.com/en

About La Cité du Vin:

La Cité du Vin is a new-generation cultural site, unique in the world, where the soul of wine is expressed through an immersive and sensory approach at the heart of an evocative architecture. La Cité du Vin shows wine in a different way, across the world, across the ages, in all cultures and in all civilisations. It offers a permanent tour, temporary exhibitions, wine-culture workshops and numerous events. Visitors can book their tickets on the website www.laciteduvin.com and on the door.
In September 2018, La Cité du Vin is open daily from 10am to 6pm (monday to friday), and from 10am to 7pm (from saturday to sunday).

Ongoing events at La Cité du Vin:

  • Visit of the Permanent Tour with the interactive travel companion and a world wine tasting in the Belvedere.
  • A rich and varied cultural programme, with a steady stream of high-quality performances, concerts, screenings and debates.

Check it out…sounds like a great trip.

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445,000 Visitors

In 2017 La Cite du Vin welcomed 445,000 visitors. Impressive…

In 2017, La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux welcomed 445,000 visitors of 176 different nationalities, more than 1,000 French and international journalists, 1,100 groups and 400 private events. La Cité du Vin has seen a great success with its first two temporary exhibitions: Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso from 17 March to 21 June welcomed nearly 40,000 paying visitors, and the Invited Vineyard exhibition Georgia, cradle of viticulture welcomed more than 50,000 visitors from 31 July to 5 November.

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Key attendance figures

· 445,000 visitors visited La Cité du Vin and the events in the cultural programme, to which can be added visitors to the free-access areas (La Boutique, the reading room, the gardens…) and the restaurants;

· 86% of the visitors were individuals, 14% visited in groups;

· More than 2,800 subscriptions have been sold: visitors convert their visit into a subscription so as to profit fully from the offer at La Cité du Vin.

Sales at the ticket counter

· 77% of visitors were French and 23% came from abroad.

· Among the French: 42% were residents, 40% French tourists and 18% were day trippers.

· Considering just the tourists, 43% of them were international and 57% French.

French visitors

· Bordeaux Métropole residents represent 42% of the French visitors and 87% of the visitors from the Gironde.

· Day trippers represent 16% of total sales, of which 42% Gironde, 11% Haute-Garonne and 13% Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

Breakdown by region

· The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region represents more than half of French sales (57%)

· Ile de France accounts for 1 French visitor in 10 on average (11%) and Occitanie 5%.

· Three regions stand out for their strong growth: PACA (+26%), Brittany (+38%) and Normandy (+60%).

Breakdown by conurbation

· Paris stands out (3% of visitors) followed by Toulouse (1% of visitors).

· Nantes, the south Arcachon basin and Lyon come next, with nearly 2,000 visitors (0.5% of the total).

· Levallois Perret is the headquarters for many works committees, which explains the high number of tickets, but the exact provenance cannot be identified.

In the Gironde

· The visitors live in a catchment area concentrated on a diagonal from Libourne to the south Arcachon basin.

Internationally

· 176 nationalities are represented: outside France, the English are in a majority, followed by the Americans and then the Spanish.

· 5 foreign countries account for 50% of sales: United Kingdom, United States, Spain, Switzerland and Italy.

· Top 7 European countries: United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

· Top 7 countries outside Europe: United States, Canada, Australia, China, Brazil, Japan and Mexico.

Visitor satisfaction

A survey undertaken by Kedge Business School last August, in the scope of regular measures of visitor satisfaction, revealed that 96.5% of visitors were satisfied or delighted by their visit.

Opinion makers

More than 1,000 journalists and bloggers, French and international, were received at La Cité du Vin, generating more than 1,300 press mentions.

Temporary exhibitions

La Cité du Vin has seen a great success with its first two temporary exhibitions: Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso was held from 17 March to 21 June and welcomed nearly 40,000 paying visitors.

From 31 July to 5 November, the Invited Vineyard exhibition Georgia, cradle of viticulture welcomed more than 50,000 visitors. These exhibitions generated more than 300 articles in the press.

Private hire, an offer intended for companies and institutions

La Cité du Vin offers private hire of various areas for the organisation of corporate or institutional events. The Thomas Jefferson auditorium (250 seats) equipped with a control room and translation booths, and the belvedere (with a capacity of 200 people) situated at a height of 35 metres and offering an exceptional view of the city and the Garonne, are the core of the offer for private events. Added to these areas are the modular reception rooms with a total capacity of 250 people, as well as several meeting rooms with capacities from 12 to 70 people. In 2017, La Cité du Vin hosted 400 private corporate events, offering more than 27,000 professionals some unique experiences: private hire of the belvedere, the permanent tour, tasting workshops and private tours of the temporary exhibition.

Support the cultural seasons at La Cité du Vin with the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin: http://fondation.laciteduvin.com/en

About La Cité du Vin:

La Cité du Vin is a unique cultural facility located in Bordeaux, dedicated to wine as a cultural, universal and living heritage. It offers a spectacular journey around the world, through the ages and in all cultures. Visitors can purchase tickets at www.laciteduvin.com and at La Cité du Vin.

Ongoing events at La Cité du Vin:

· Visit of the Permanent Tour with the interactive travel companion and a world wine tasting in the Belvedere.

· Temporary exhibition: following the success of the major temporary exhibition Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso in 2017, La Cité du Vin will be presenting Wine and Music, harmony and dissonance from 23 March to 24 June 2018. The exhibition will include 150 works from regional, national and European collections, as well as a selection of musical works illustrating the association between wine and music, based on themes ranging from the mythical to the profane, epicurean to moralistic.

· A rich and varied cultural programme, with a steady stream of high-quality performances, concerts, screenings and debates.
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Cite du Vin

Following the success of the major temporary exhibition Bistro! From Baudelaire to Picasso in 2017, La Cité du Vin will be presenting Wine and Music, harmony and dissonance (16th – 19thcentury) from 23 March to 24 June 2018.

The exhibition will include 150 works (paintings and pottery, music books, models, instruments, stage jewellery, etc.) from regional, national and European collections, as well as a selection of musical works (operas, ballets, drinking songs) illustrating the association between wine and music, based on themes ranging from the mythical to the profane, epicurean to moralistic. This original exhibition will be accompanied by a wide and eclectic cultural programme.

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A broad range of themes :

During the Renaissance period and the late 19th century there were numerous representations of wine and music, with inspiration taken from Antiquity. Such evocations appeared in new forms in every social category, whether princely, bourgeois or common.

The exhibition pays tribute to this diversity and is based on six themes (Dionysus, wine and music – Dance, bacchanal, ballet and the open-air ball – Love and intoxication – Figures and allegories – Home concerts and gracious tables – Banquets, taverns and cabarets).

The exhibition brings together all musical forms and artistic mediums, from court ballets to opera, from drinking songs to dance tunes, from paintings to tableware and popular imagery.

At the beginning of each section, an old work evokes the historical depth of the subject and the reference to ancient myths. Dionysus, followed by Bacchus, incarnated intoxication, sensual pleasures, fertility and creativity. The allegory of music is often associated with love, sensuality and wine.

The tour is accompanied by a soundtrack.

Eight individual listening points and three communal listening cabinets play excerpts from musical works (ballets by Lully, Rameau, Massenet, Duvernoy, etc.), videos of great operatic arias (Puccini, Verdi) and unique recordings of drinking songs.

The scientific committee with Florence Gétreau

The curator of the exhibition is Florence Gétreau, Director Emeritus of Research at the CNRS, Institute for Research in Musicology. Florence Gétreau is an art and musicology historian, working as Heritage Curator until 2004 (Museum of Music, Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions) and has directed two research teams at the CNRS.

An accessible exhibition, open to all

The layout and choice of works presented are suitable for all audiences. The explanatory texts are presented in different parts (by theme, group of works or major works), helping visitors in their discovery of the different sections. Some collections of sketches,

manuscripts and other written collections are presented on digital displays for visitors to browse.

A special tour has been designed for young people. Through an accompanying booklet and a selection of key exhibits, they will discover the history of instruments and musical genres, and the variety to be found in sets, costumes and stage jewellery.

Original scenography

The scenography was designed by architect-scenographer Loretta Gaïtis, who has also created projects for the Musée d’Orsay, Grand Palais and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

The exhibition progresses through an atmosphere of warm colours, structured by breaks and musical interludes. Extracts from sheet music, books and etchings provide the backdrop for the scenography. Different perspectives and transparencies gradually reveal the items on display, showcased behind glass using light effects. Three musical cabinets blend naturally into the exhibition, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the sounds of both familiar or original works.

Events during the exhibition period

La Cité du Vin is also offering an eclectic cultural programme in connection with the exhibition (the full cultural programme can be viewed at: laciteduvin.com) with conferences, symposiums, concerts, “Culinary cinema” screenings, workshops, guided tours and tastings etc. A small stage for musical performances has been included in the exhibition space.

An exhibition catalogue will be published by Éditions Gallimard.

This exhibition is brought to you with the support of the Bibliothèque nationale de France.

This exhibition is brought to you with the support of thecultural season Patrons of La Cité du Vin:

  • Bellot
  • CIC / CM-CIC Investissement
  • Castel
  • Clarence and Anne Dillon Trust
  • Keolis Bordeaux Métropole
  • Château Kirwan
  • Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite)
  • Duclot

With the support of La Maison de Champagne Krug.

In partnership with France Musique, live from La Cité du Vin on 23 and 24 March 2018, and Le Figaro.

Practical information

The exhibition Wine and Music, harmony and dissonance – 23 March – 24 June 2018

  • La Cité du Vin – 1, esplanade de Pontac – 33300 Bordeaux – France
  • Exhibition cost: €8 (full rate)
  • Combined ticket for the Permanent Tour with the interactive travelling companion (including a tasting of world wine in the Belvedere) and the exhibition: €24 (full rate)

The exhibition press kit and related cultural programme is available upon request. Visuals and acknowledgements may be sent upon request.

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Support the cultural seasons at La Cité du Vin with the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin:

Individuals and companies can support La Cité du Vin’s cultural events. Thanks to donations from Patrons and Friends, the Fondation pour la culture et les civilisations du vin, an officially recognised non-profit organisation, provides a rich and varied cultural programme all year round at La Cité du Vin, informing and enlightening as many people as possible about the millennial culture of wine and helping to protect this intangible and universal heritage.

=> As a company – by joining the Patrons of the cultural season from €5,000/year.

=> As an individual – with the ‘Friend’s Card’ (for a donation of €250/year), or the ‘Benefactor’s Card’ (for a donation of €1,000/year).

=> As an international donor – by joining the American Friends or International Friends of La Cité du Vin.

About La Cité du Vin:

La Cité du Vin is a unique cultural facility located in Bordeaux, dedicated to wine as a cultural, universal and living heritage. It offers a spectacular journey around the world, through the ages and in all cultures. Visitors can purchase tickets at www.laciteduvin.com and at La Cité du Vin.