• 20 october 2007 : Foulée des Vendanges :
  It’s s a tradition for runners and organizers to meet at the end of the day around the buffet at the Caveau. The atmosphere is always very relaxed but this time it was even better thanks to the year’s sponsors: Stephane Diagana, an ex-athlete now presiding the French league of athletics; Odile Lesage-Diagana , a five time heptathlon French champion; the biathlon Olympic champion Florence Baverel; handball player Jackson Richardson; judoka Lionel Grossain and Safia Otokoré, the Vice-President of the Conseil Regional. All day long, they showed an incredible kindness and availability.
 

J Richardson and the singers

J Richardson, O Lesage, F Baverel
 
The new Cousins showing their diplomas
   

• 17 november 2007 : Banquet de la Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune.
  We welcomed guests from England, Belgium, Luxemburg, Switzerland and… France, including several people from Alsace taking part to the Vente des Vins des Hospices de Beaune. Two old Cousins, fencers Laura Flessel and Erik Boisse, presided over the night along with the local French singer Yves Jamait.
 
  They largely contributed to the lively atmosphere of the night, joining the Joyeux Bourguignons in their repertoire.
 


  During the enrolments, a heurleur burst out laughing and that was so contagious that 15 minutes later, our guests were still weeping with laughter.
 
  And it all ended in a memorable ban bourguignon.
   

• 26 January 2008 : Saint Vincent Cousinages
  We innovated this year: the Syndicat des Vignerons de Savigny and the Cousinerie joined to celebrate Saint Vincent , the patron Saint of all winemakers.
After mass, the traditional march through the streets of Savigny lead Saint Vincent to Jean-Jacques Girard’s place. Our friendly intendant will no doubt do his best to look after the Saint for the whole year, and the better he does so, the better the wine of the year will taste.
 

“ The President “
  We all met in the Caveau , around Hervé Gabard , the President of the Beaune Tourist Office, who accepted to preside over the night. Our Belgian friends from Dinant were present, along with regular guests Mr and Mrs Prittchard, but also some people from Switzerland and even Japan. In front of this this quality audience, the Joyeux Bourguignons quickly created a festive atmosphere. The enrollments took place smoothly and our Mayeur -introducing a new habit? - gave a kiss to each of our new Cousins.
 

You can be a gentleman and be prudent...
  They promised to promote our traditional Burgundy hospitality and to be back soon because they have among their acquaintances several gentlemen and ladies who would undoubtedly be worthy to become Cousins.
 

The group of new and honourable Cousins
   

• 29 march 2008 : Spring Cousinages
  It has become customary for the Spring Goutaillon to be presided over by Miss Burgundy. This year, Vicky Michaud who was second runner-up at the Miss France contest joined us. She is beautiful and full of charm . She kindly signed a multitude of menus and posed with all our guests who had digital cameras.
 

The President is listening

The President and the sommeliers
  We were celebrating the 35th anniversary of the twinning of the Cousinerie with the Quarteniers de la Flamiche Dinantaise. Our Belgian friends, led by the Grand Conseil, largely contributed to create a warm and lively atmosphere on Saturday night which was still there the following day….
 
Partying in the Caveau
  Our sommeliers regularly served the six Savigny wines and the Crémant selected for the night and yet you could only see water bottles on the tables. That was no optical illusion….

The Trompes de la Saint Hubert welcomed each course with an appropriate tune ; our winemakers , when they had not forgotten their spectacles , presented the Savigny wines that were to be served to our guests.
 

Fabrice Bugaud

Anne Caillaud
  Among the dozen honourable new Cousins, along with Miss Burgundy , were six Quarteniers’ wives, Anne Caillaud the new town councillor in charge of the communication of Beaune and our Chef Fabrice Bugaud. They were all delighted to take the oath…..
 
The group of honourable new Cousins
 

•Summer Cousinage : 7 June 2008
 
Savigny looks like a real construction site these days : you can see workers everywhere , burying under the streets and pavements various pipes that will be hidden soon by magnificent ochre sandstones.
Therefore , it was not so easy for ladies wearing high heeled shoes to reach the Caveau. Hopefully, the Trompes de la Saint Hubert provided - as usual- a warm musical welcome that was greatly appreciated by our guests.
 
 
That 342nd Cousinage was presided over by Rebecca Manzoni, who hosts and produces a radio programme for France Inter (Eclectik) and a TV programme for Arte (Metropolis) .
Settled in Burgundy, she was immediately accepted as one of us and promised to mention the Cousinerie on national airwaves.
 


 
We also had two prestigious guests :
Jacky Rigaud , project manager for the University of Dijon , who wrote numerous books dealing with social studies and viticultural terroirs.
And our old Cousin , Francois Sauvadet, member of the French Parliament and newly elected President of the Conseil general de la Côte d’or (Regional Assembly)
 


 
The Joyeux bourguignons performed all the classic songs of their repertoire and started numerous bans bourguignons , cheered along by the whole assembly. Tous les convives ont apprécié les plats proposés par le chef, notre cousin Fabrice Bugaud :
Our guests seemed to appreciate the menu elaborated by our Cousin , Chef Fabrice Bugaud :
• After the traditional pork scratchings and gougères served with Aligoté 2007, we ate the first dish: devilfish and crab with aubergine confit , accompanied by a white bSavigny 2004.
• The œufs en meurette were served poached and warm with a red Savigny 1er cru 2000.
• To accompany the rasted quails, there was an excellent Savigny 1ier cru de 1999 . During the enrollment speeches , we drank a very pleasant Savigny 2003 .
• Bottles of Savigny 1992 and magnums of 1998 were served with local cheese.
• We finished this delightful meal with a tulipe de fruits rouges et sa panacotta aux fruits frais (red berries and cake with fresh fruit ) served with Crémant de Bourgogne .
 
 
Twenty one new honourable Cousins will have the noble obligation to keep Savigny wines in their cellars and open them when then invite their friends.
 
  • Take notes of our future events
 

• 20 July 2008 : the Cousinerie will take part , together with the local winemakers, to the event "Savigny en tous sens" .
  Come and join us for this promenade which will make you discover our village, our vineyard, and our wines.
The day will end up with an informal meal in the park of the Chateau de Savigny.
You can read details about it on the website : www.savigny-entoussens.com
   

• 15 november 2008 : Cousinage de la Vente des vins des Hospices de Beaune

 

The Chef has already given us his suggestions for the meal and the wine is maturing slowly in our cellars but to date we do not know who will preside over the night.
 

 
   

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