There are wine events, and then there are Wine Events. There are events where you can taste some Burgundy, and then there are events like La Paulée, where everything, including the air itself, seems saturated with the world’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. I’ve always maintained that, apart from my own wedding, La Paulée is the single greatest party I’ve ever been to in my life.

For those unfamiliar with this event, known officially as La Paulée de Meursault, it is a yearly harvest celebration held by the vintners of Meursault that begins with a mid-day lunch and ends late into that drunken evening. The food is always good, but what everyone goes for is the BOYB community bacchanalia. Everyone attending is expected to bring bottles to share, and boy, do they bring, and boy do they share.

When I attended in 2010, the Meursault vintner who invited me brought 14 bottles to share, and he wasn’t an outlier. With a mere two bottles under my arm, I felt woefully cheap and ungenerous. But no one noticed, and I went on to taste and drink some of the greatest Burgundies I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing, not to mention a wild assortment of old Riojas, Champagnes, and many other things.

In short, La Paulée, one of the Les Tres Glorieuses of the Hospices de Beaune weekend held every November in Beaune, is THE legendary event for Burgundy lovers.

It’s no wonder, then, that sommelier Daniel Johnnes thought it might be a good idea to take the La Paulée concept traveling around the world. During his tenure as wine director at Restaurant DANIEL in New York, Johnnes launched La Paulée de New York, and it has since spread to San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Johnnes’ La Paulée is not just a single epic meal, but a whole series of events—a week-long deep dive into Burgundy for everyone from the Burgundy-curious to the Burgundy-obsessed. The event features seminars, lunches, and winemaker dinners in addition to the two main events: a walk-around grand tasting populated with some of Burgundy’s greatest names pouring their wines, and the BYOB Gala Dinner, where the crazy bottles come out, and you have the opportunity to watch (and taste) millions of dollars worth of wine end up in its proper place: the stomachs of true believers.

You can learn more about the various seminars and lunches on the event website, but I’m here to highlight these two main events. The Grand Tasting is, simply put, the single best opportunity to taste top Burgundy wines outside of the region. In many cases, it also represents an opportunity to taste wines from several legendary producers that you wouldn’t be able to visit without an introduction, even if you were in the region. With that in mind, the $425 price tag for a ticket ends up almost feeling like a bargain.

Here are the producers pouring at the Grand Tasting: Domaine Amiot-Servelle, Domaine Marquis d’Angerville, Domaine Bachelet-Monnot, Domaine Thomas Bouley, Domaine René Bouvier, Domaine Jean-Marc Brocard, Domaine Henri & Gilles Buisson, Camille & Guillaume Boillot, Domaine François Carillon, Domaine des Chezeaux, Domaine Clos de la Chapelle, Clos de Tart, Domaine David Duband, Domaine Fontaine-Gagnard, Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat, Maison Louis Jadot, Domaine Antoine Jobard, Domaine des Lambrays, Domaine Hubert Lamy, Domaine Roland Lavantureux, Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair, Domaine Louis Michel, Domaine Matrot, Domaine de Montille, Domaine Pierre Morey, Domaine Ponsot, Domaine Camille Thiriet, La Commune de Meursault, Champagne Salon, Champagne Delamotte.

The Gala Dinner, which will cost you $1600, is a different level of spend, but for many people, it too will feel like a bargain, given that depending on which table you sit at and how friendly you get with those in the room, you might have the opportunity to taste the stuff of legends.

I’ve been lucky enough to taste DRC a few times in my life. Once, I was an invitee to the estate’s annual vintage launch for the trade, when they were still holding it in California. Every other time has been at some incarnation of La Paulée.

Long story short: if you are a Burgundy lover, or aspire to be one, or maybe have yet to have a Burgundy that truly makes it clear what all the fuss is about, you should consider attending La Paulée de San Francisco. It only comes around every few years.

2026 La Paulée de San Francisco Grand Tasting
Saturday, February 28th – 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
The Conservatory at One Sansome
1 Sansome Street
San Francisco, CA 94104 (map)

These events usually sell out, so purchase your tickets in advance online. There are typically a lot more sportcoats (if not actual neckties!) at this tasting than your typical public tasting, if you care about dress code. Dark colors, of course, are a must to avoid an errant red wine stain, along with pre-hydration and spitting your wine so you can taste more, learn more, and regret less.

Parking near the venue will be expensive and not easy (though not as difficult as it would be on a weekday). Consider parking some distance away and taking a rideshare, taxi, or public transportation to the venue (which is right on top of the Montgomery Street BART station).