In images, in pictures. The Consulate of Vinée de Bergerac, a seven-century-old institution, will celebrate 70 years of its rebirth

Saturday June 8, the Consulate of Vinée de Bergerac, in Dordogne, will celebrate its 70th anniversary. ” 70 years ? But he celebrated his 700th birthday in 2022! », will exclaim the loyal readers of “Sud Ouest” to whom, decidedly, we are not doing it. So, why this Benjamin Button scenario, this hero of David Fincher’s film who gets younger over time? Why this new anniversary?

The answer is simple, there are two dates of birth. The first, in 1322, with the creation of the Consulate which ran the city and which controlled the wine trade on the Dordogne until the end of the Ancien Régime. The second, in 1954, when the Interprofession des vins de Bergerac et Duras relaunched it, in the form of a Bacchic brotherhood, as exists for many French wines.

Each year, on the occasion of two or three “chapters” (meetings) organized in the Vinée cellar, under the Récollets cloister (today Quai Cyrano), the consuls induct new “applicants” during a very ritualized ceremonial. A liturgy larger than life, recreated from scratch, drawing inspiration from the old consulate and other Bacchic brotherhoods.

“Promote wines”

“Our role is to promote the wines of Bergerac and Duras, honor the personalities who appreciate them and delegate to them the role of ambassador,” explains winemaker and merchant Paul-André Barriat, grand master of the Consulate since 2008 and former president of the interprofessional. Some 2,500 people have been inducted since 1954 and seven grand masters have succeeded each other at the head of this institution.

The Consulate of Vinée would be nothing without the ceremonial that accompanies the inductions, like here, with Paul-André Barriat, grand master since 2008.

Archives Daniel Bozec

Among the celebrities to have received the consul medal are Sébastien Chabal, Richard Bohringer and Jean-Pierre Chevènement

Among the celebrities to have received the consul medal, we find the cook Alain Ducasse, the rugby players Sébastien Chabal and Romain Teulet, the actress and resistance fighter Hélène Duc, the American singer and presenter China Moses or even the producer and presenter Ève Ruggieri, the actor Richard Bohringer, singer Claude Nougaro and political figures like Yves Guéna and Jean-Pierre Chevènement.

“We have inducted many political figures, including the mayor of Bergerac who is an excellent ambassador,” recognizes Pierre-André Barriat. And also cooks, like Vincent Arnould, from Vieux Logis in Trémolat, or Cyril Boisviel, from the Paul-Bocuse institute in Lyon. »

This year, it is perhaps the most prestigious of its members that the Consulate is preparing to induct, Saturday June 8, for its 70th anniversary: ​​Cyrano de Bergerac in person. He will be played by Grégory Felzines, from the Théâtre de La Gargouille, who is staging Edmond Rostand’s play for this summer. This is a ceremony that will not lack panache!

Program

Saturday June 8, the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Consulate of Vinée will open at 10 a.m. with a stroll by the consuls in the town of Bergerac, accompanied by a banda (departure from Quai Cyrano). The ceremony and the enthronement of Cyrano will take place at Place Pélissière, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A lunch (wine and tapas) will be organized at Place du Livre-de-Vie, at 1 p.m. (10 euros, upon reservation).
The day before, the Bergerac and Duras Wine Competition will take place which will award gold, silver and bronze medals and designate the best winemaker of the year.