Photo by: SW team
La Paulée is more than just a festival. It’s a celebration of camaraderie, laughter, and perhaps a few too many toasts. But this is what we love about it! Here's our view on one of the greatest Burgundy wine gatherings.
Of course we were there! La Paulée is a series of tastings, master-classes and meetings held since 2000 in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Aspen, dedicated to some of the top Burgundy wines. It’s organized by the known sommelier Daniel Johnnes and his team at Pressoir, who also produce the prestigious French wine festivals La Fête du Champagne and La Tablée. The La Paulée is inspired by Burgundy's own La Paulée de Meursault, which began in 1923. This celebration takes place at the end of the grape harvest and consists of a great lunch with top producers that starts at noon on Monday at the Château de Meursault, continuing into the evening. Annually La Paulée draws tons of attention from the wine community and gathers some of the most respectful players on the wine market from both sides – production and sales.
Dr Ilia Dolginov, owner of Symbolicwines.com and La Paulée founder, Daniel Johnnes.
In 2025 La Paulée was held in San Francisco from February 27 to March 1. It featured several tasting events with key producers, the Grand Tasting and the main event – the Gala Dinner. The latter one showcased a menu crafted by renowned chefs: Daniel Boulud of DANIEL, Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of The Progress and State Bird Provisions, Michael Tusk of Quince, and the team from the late Charles Phan’s Slanted Door. In keeping with the tradition of La Paulée de Meursault, guests were encouraged to bring treasured wines from their cellars and they did! The bottles shared alongside ones from attending winemakers were insanely rare and expensive. Among top Burgundy there even were some bottles of old Cristal Champagne. This generous atmosphere of the event – is one of the things that we love it for!
In his heart-touching speech at the end of the evening, the owner and organizer of La Paulée, Daniel Johnnes, said: “It's an honor for me to see that kind of dedication and support for what we are doing. So I want to thank all of you all. As I mentioned at the end of the day, I think the only vignerons in the room who have been coming since the very beginning are Pierre Gouges and Jean-Marc Roulot. And there's a whole new generation of winemakers who have been coming. What's important and what's meaningful to me is when I see the sparkle in the eyes of the young winemakers and the young sommeliers who are experiencing the glory of Burgundy – It's very touching and very emotional because Burgundy is a labor of love, a labor of passion”.
Here’s a shortlist of great wineries (just to mention a few😁) that appeared on La Paulée 2025 in San Francisco: Château de Béru, Bouchard Père & Fils, Domaine Chandon de Briailles, Domaine Robert Chevillon, Domaine Bruno Clair, Clos de Tart, Domaine Simon Colin, Domaine des Croix, Domaine Dugat-Py, Domaine Génot-Boulanger, Domaine Henri Germain, Domaine Henri Gouges, Le Grappin, Domaine Anne Gros, Maison Louis Jadot, Domaine Antoine Lienhardt, Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair, Domaine Moreau-Naudet, Domaine François Raveneau, Domaine Nicolas Rossignol, Domaine Rougeot, Domaine Roulot, Domaine Tollot-Beaut, Domaine Eleni & Edouard Vocoret, Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé.
Left to right: Nicolas Rossignol, Domaine Nicolas Rossignol; Nathalie Tollot, Domaine Tollot-Beaut; Dr. Ilia Dolginov, owner of Symbolicwines.com
So, why has La Paulée been and still is important for us, wine lovers? First of all it’s vital for the wine market. And even more so now, when raising tariffs on European wines loom over the U.S. The festival provides opportunities for tastings, expert panels, and networking, allowing importers and wine distributors to establish and strengthen relationships with Burgundy producers – no matter what happens. This exchange of knowledge and passion not only boosts sales of Burgundy wines in the U.S., but also reinforces the vitality of the global wine market, promoting a deeper understanding of regional distinctions and encouraging a diverse wine culture among American consumers. Through La Paulée, the connection between Burgundy and the U.S. wine market is strengthened and improved. And you can’t underestimate this importance for the wine scene. So, thank you, Daniel Johnnes, all the La Paulée team, the winemakers, sommeliers, chefs and wine traders involved in this beautiful event – this was unforgettable!
