What a story !
Despite the health and economic crises, the 160th sale of the Hospices de Beaune (Côte-d'Or) set a new record on Sunday with a "charity piece", a barrel of Clos-de-la-Roche (Burgundy grand cru from la Côte-de-Nuits) sold to a Chinese for 780,000 euros, an unprecedented amount, the proceeds of which will go entirely to hospital victims of Covid-19.
Marc Lavoine, who chaired the video sale, ended with tears in his eyes.
The singer responded to all requests to raise the stakes, promised a guitar, a one-on-one meal.
Marc Lavoine "dazzled"
For a very long time, it was on the side of China that the bids steadily climbed.
And then Albéric Bichot, the winegrower pope of the trade in Burgundy, ended up announcing 660,000 euros on behalf of an anonymous Chinese buyer.
We were already very far from the previous record of 480,000 euros in 2015. But because it was for caregivers, an unknown person announced a donation of 100,000 euros for hospital staff, in addition to another of 20,000 euros.
We were therefore at 780,000 euros.
A historic record and a lot of emotion contained in the sparse room.
"We must be sober and dignified when we think of all the anonymous," said Alberic Bichot, with a word for Marie-Céline, a caregiver from Beaune, carried away by the coronavirus.
“I am dazzled, very moved.
Love is the prettiest nickname you can give to life.
What you have done is something reassuring, ”concluded Marc Lavoine, speaking of the republican ideal, to applause.
