From the Vendée Globe to Ruchottes -Chambertin!

A Grand Cru A Burgundy wine, opened in the Atlantic Ocean, with a knife and teeth: a scene hard to imagine. And yet, Antoine Cornic, skipper of the Vendée Globe, did just that! On December 6, 2024, after 26 days of racing, the sailor rounded the Cape of Good Hope. To mark this moment, he decided to open, on video , half a bottle of Ruchottes -Chambertin Grand Cru 2022, his favorite wine, was a gift from the winemaking sisters Marie-Christine Teillaud-Mugneret and Marie-Andrée Nauleau-Mugneret. "It was a great source of pride for us to know that a Burgundy wine would be opened in such distant seas."

Without a corkscrew, he first uses a knife, then his teeth to uncork the bottle, succeeding effortlessly and enjoying it straight from the neck. He will repeat this at each major stage of his journey, since four half-bottles (one for each of the three capes and one for the finish) have been specially prepared for his voyage. A small solo pleasure, because as the saying goes, "a sailor who takes to the water doesn't mean he's giving up alcohol!"

When the sea meets the land

The video of this unusual tasting, shared on social media, reached the Burgundy Wine Board, which decided to express its gratitude to Antoine during a meeting this Monday on the very plot of land. Grand Cru . The event took place in the presence of the skipper and his wife, the winegrower sisters Marie-Christine Teillaud-Mugneret and Marie-Andrée Nauleau-Mugneret, as well as members of the domaine and representatives of BIVB .

Together, they recreated the scene where the skipper had uncorked the bottle. After two failed attempts, they had to use a corkscrew this time, although it wasn't really necessary considering that during his journey, Antoine had pushed the cork to the bottom of the bottle several times… To accompany this tasting: a canned beef bourguignon (a method of preserving food by heat sterilization) for the complete marine experience!

Just like the sailor, the wine has faced many challenges. During this round-the-world voyage of approximately 40,000 kilometers, extreme temperatures are experienced. In the south, near Antarctica, temperatures hover around 4°C, and near the equator, they can reach 50°C inside the ship.

The bottle celebrating the finish was enjoyed with family and the entire team. domaine after Antoine's arrival. "I found that the wine was more tired than the sailor," jokes Marie-Andrée Nauleau-Mugneret.

A friendship sealed by a passion for wine

Antoine Cornic, a chef and wine merchant on the Île de Ré, and the two winemaking sisters met in 2020 during a delivery of the domaine in the old restaurant from the skipper. A connection was immediately formed, "we were just supposed to drop off the boxes and we ended up spending two hours talking about vineyards and wine," shares Marie-Christine Teillaud-Mugneret. Antoine Cornic loves wine for the connection it creates between people: "for me, wine is all about sharing, and the best wine is the one you love and, above all, the one you share."

Beyond the anecdote, a true bridge between two worlds has been built. Anne Moreau, the Co-Chair of the Communication Commission of BIVB He saw it as a great opportunity to demystify wine tasting: "You embody what we want to convey: an accessible, joyful, vibrant wine. You are a fantastic ambassador, especially for young people."

The skipper is already looking straight ahead to the horizon and preparing to be selected for the next Route des Rhum and the next Vendée Globe in 2028, with, this time, hopefully, a corkscrew.

Morgane AIGU

Journalist (part-time)