On March 9 in Burgundy, the Château du Clos de Vougeot was the setting for a defining moment in the history of the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges charity auction. Not only for the funds raised, but also for the important role played by iDealwine, the newly appointed auctioneer. Tasked with bringing the historic auction to a more international audience, the total amount raised—€856,950—attests to the effectiveness of the model adopted by the online platform, which combines digital expertise, an international network, and a real love of wine. Of this sum, €796,000 came from the sale of barrels from the 2024 vintage, whose average price per pièce soared by 41.5%, approaching the record set in 2022, with an additional €60,950 generated from lots of older vintages from the estate. All proceeds fund both the hospital’s projects and charitable initiatives, reaffirming the deep bond between viticulture and solidarity that defines this institution. The charity auction will once again by hosted by iDealwine in 2026, when it returns on March 8. For the estate, however, the next edition of the auction marks the beginning of a new era: after more than 35 years, Jean-Marc Moron is retiring. He will be succeeded, following a transition period, by Laurence Danel, the new General Manager of the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges wine estate—a figure bringing solid technical expertise and a deeply personal vision of wine.
2026 at the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges: Charity Auction Still Led by iDealwine, Laurence Danel Named Estate General Manager
“I come from Pas-de-Calais in the north of France, but I studied in Montpellier,” explains Laurence Danel in an exclusive interview with WineCouture International. “I discovered Burgundy during a harvest at Domaine des Perdrix in Premeaux-Prissey, and that’s when I realized I wanted to dedicate my life to oenology.” After earning her national diploma in 2003, her career took her first to Bouchard Père & Fils, then into oenological consulting between Bordeaux and Mâconnais, before returning permanently to production with Domaine Faiveley and later Domaine Fery. “Burgundy became my home. Here, I have built my life and my professional identity.”
For the French winemaker, wine is above all a language: “It’s about sharing, conviviality, an essential element of French gastronomy. It’s not just a job for me—it’s a passion.” A passion that takes shape in her winemaking style, honed over years of working with Pinot Noir. “In my wines, I seek finesse and elegance. I love the expression of fruit—black cherry—and I want the terroir to speak. I work toward silky, velvety tannins without excess: I don’t like oak to dominate the wine. I prefer light toasting and a vinification where pigeage plays an important role.” It is precisely this deep relationship with Pinot Noir that has shaped one of Danel’s strongest convictions: “I prefer working with Pinot Noir because with this variety you truly feel you’re contributing to the birth of the wine, working the material, nurturing the vintage with your own hands. You intervene much more, and it’s more rewarding. Chardonnay, as we vinify it in Burgundy, is different: everything happens very quickly at pressing. You put healthy grapes in the press, decide on a gentle pressing, clarify the must, put it in wood—and then the wine almost makes itself, with far less intervention. For me, working with Pinot Noir is more exciting. I feel a deeper connection with this grape.”
Laurence Danel’s oenological aesthetic has also been refined thanks to wines that inspired her work: “The most memorable was Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Aux Perdrix, in 1994. I said to myself: I want to reach that level too. Then there are the wines of Domaine Jacques Prieur and my mentor, Nadine Gublin: it was with her that I built my approach to oenology.” A coincidence—perhaps not—that Ludivine Griveau, appointed in 2015 as the first female winemaker at Domaine des Hospices de Beaune, comes from the same school. “We were both trained by her: a beautiful continuity.”
Laurence Danel’s arrival at the helm of the Hospices comes at a challenging time for wine. “Even in Burgundy, we feel the crisis: two vintages with low yields, an increasingly complex export market. The UK is improving, the US is not, China is inconsistent. And in France, people drink less and less wine. It’s a cultural issue: our heritage will be lost,” she explains. A challenge that also requires rethinking the relationship with younger generations: “It’s not easy to engage with 20–30-year-olds, but we have to try. Sommeliers can do a lot, but the first education starts at home: introducing wine, pairing it with food, passing our traditions on.”
She approaches her responsibility at the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges in the “spirit of continuity” required by the role: “I want to carry on Jean-Marc Moron’s work with the same rigor and precision. I want every parcel to find its identity in the wines.” Alongside continuity, however, emerges a personal conviction: “The environment will be my priority. I want to steer production toward practices that are more respectful of nature, fully eco-friendly.”
And while Burgundy remains her professional heartland, Laurence Danel’s outlook embraces the world: “I’m not like that—I don’t drink only Burgundy,” she tells WineCouture International. “I love wines from southern France: Grès de Montpellier, Terrasses du Larzac, everything from Pic-Saint-Loup. I also adore Italian wines: I recently tasted an extraordinary Amarone and Barbaresco. And then there’s Champagne—another passion of mine.”
With Laurence Danel’s appointment as Estate Manager, the Hospices de Nuits-Saint-Georges opens a new chapter, led by a figure who combines vast experience, technical knowledge, and a strong cultural attachment to wine. And as iDealwine strengthens its role in managing the charity auction, the synergy between terroir, savoir-faire, and social commitment seems destined to become even more central in the history of one of Burgundy’s most historic legacies.
