On the third Sunday in November there's an auction in Beaune, deep in the heart of Burgundy, which is the centrepiece of three days devoted to the celebration of Burgundian wines. But first, a little history.

Back in the fifteenth century a Burgundian from Beaune called Nicolas Rolin founded the famous 'Hospices de Beaune', a charitable organisation designed to give health care and succour to the poor and sick. The beautiful 'Hotel Dieu' was built in the centre of Beaune, its high cathedral-like ceiling giving it an air of spacious calm. Around the walls are the beds surrounded by thick curtains, where the sick had their brows wiped and their souls refreshed. Today, as a museum, it's one of Beaune's tourist attractions, but the Hospices itself is still very much a going concern. Over the centuries land owners have bequeathed plots of vineyards to the Hospices and today the Hospices own 60 hectares (150 acres) of some of the finest vineyards in Burgundy. These plots stretch from Dijon in the north to Macon in the south, and include many of the great name of Burgundy, such as Clos de La Roche, Mazis Chambertin and Batard Montrachet.

At the annual auction - this year being number 142 - these wines are sold by the barrel. The traditional 'piece' is 228 litres, the equivalent of about 300 bottles. The lots are mostly of five barrels, so it's common enough for dealers and restaurateurs to get together to buy a lot. Very little is sold for under €4,000 a barrel, so by the time you've added VAT, the cost of the barrel (yes, it's €465 extra) paid for the labelling, corking, bottling and distribution it's easy to see why you'll rarely see a bottle with 'Hospices de Beaune' on the label for much under €30.

What makes the auction go quickly is that the 39 different wines are sold 'a la bougie', a traditional Burgundian system whereby a taper is lit on each bid. If it burns out before any other bids are made, then the sale is done. The buyers tend to be <it>negociants</it> who may need to fill out their list with a good Meursault or Corton, and the auction is a good place to do this. Apart from anything else, the money is going to charity, so the buyers can feel virtuous as well.

Chateau de Beaune, 1998

Even entry level Burgundy is expensive, yet when you drink a good Burgundy it becomes easy to see why these wines have been lauded and appreciated for so long. The Chateau de Beaune itself sits imposingly just within Beaune's mediaeval walls, its roof decorated with three differently coloured slates. Underneath the castle, the castle grounds and the road, are the vast cellars housing some 5 million bottles of wine going back to 1846. This wine with its fine pedigree is a good introduction into what Burgundy has to offer.

Available McCabes, The Vintry Rathgar, Jus de Vine Portmarnock, some Supervalu. RRP €28.50