"In Burgundy, when we talk about a Climat, we don't raise our eyes to heaven, we lower them to earth".
BERNARD PIVOT, WRITER AND CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPPORT COMMITTEE

As you will have gathered by now, the word climate should not be confused with the term meteorology. "Climat" is a specifically Burgundian term for the wine-growing terroir.

In Burgundy, a Climat indicates a parcel of vines, progressively and precisely delimited by man, and which has been recognised by its name for centuries, often since the Middle Ages. Each Climat has specific geological, hydrometric and exposure characteristics. Each Climat is vinified separately, from a single grape variety, and the resulting wine takes the name of the Climat from which it is made. The personality of the Climat is expressed in the wine, vintage after vintage, thanks to the know-how of the winemaker. Nowhere else in the world has man sought to link wine production to its place of production in such a precise and intimate way.

Together, the Climats de Bourgogne constitute the very essence of the Burgundy winegrowing model (Source: Climats de Bourgogne website).


History of sponsorship :

The circle of patrons began in 2011 for the Marche des Climats. It officially took shape in 2012 at the first Patrons' Evening at the Hospices de Beaune.
For more than 10 years now, corporate sponsors have been providing around €200,000 in support each year, and more than 180 companies have taken part in the project over the years, according to their ability (support can vary from €150 to €10,000).


In March 2011, Maison Patriarche decided to support the project! On 27 August 2014, it became a Grand Mécène of the Association des Climats de Bourgogne. This association was created in 2009 to defend the classification of the Climats de Bourgogne as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.


What does being a Grand Patron entail?

First of all, it's worth remembering that patronage is defined as "material support given, without any direct consideration on the part of the beneficiary, to a work or person for the pursuit of activities of general interest" (source: www.culture.gouv.fr).

For Maison Patriarche, it was important to be able to take part in a regional project, to contribute to its dynamism and to the networking of its economic fabric.
As a Grand Mécène, Patriarche is therefore providing concrete support for the actions undertaken by the Association de Climats de Bourgogne to raise awareness among young people, and to mobilise and enrich the technical and scientific dossier.

These are the words of Brice Baveux, in charge of the Maison Patriarche, who was present in Beaune to seal this new Grand Mécénat:
"This sponsorship is a logical and natural outcome. It reaffirms the values on which the company was, and still is, founded, and unites all its members around this ambitious project". He adds, "This classification would help to raise the profile of our beautiful region around the world and attract even more visitors to our land and our cellars".