Held on January 29th  in Beaune, the General Assembly of the Burgundy Wine Board (Comité des vins de Bourgogne) saw the election of a new Standing Committee. At its head are two Presidents: Laurent Delaunay for the négociant trade, and Michel Barraud, succeeding François Labet, for the winegrowing sector. Elected for a four-year term, they will jointly lead the work to design the sector’s strategic plan for 2035, which is due to be put to a vote in early July.

Efficiency, unity and ambition to prepare the Burgundy of tomorrow

Before the appointment of the new Standing Committee, François Labet and Laurent Delaunay, co-Presidents since 2022, presented an overview of the state of the sector.

Laurent Delaunay immediately set the tone, entitling his address: “A year of transition, a year of intense reflection (…) as the moment and the situation call for a certain introspection and questioning, a reassessment of the role, missions and resources we wish to give our interprofessional body so that it can meet the ever more numerous and pressing challenges facing our sector.”

He then delivered an unvarnished assessment:
“The wine world has entered a genuine depression (…). The causes are multiple and cumulative: climate change, economic uncertainty and persistent inflation in many countries, geopolitical tensions and uncertainty, deregulation of international trade, tariff and non-tariff barriers, the denormalisation and stigmatisation of wine consumption in France and many other countries (hygienist and prohibitionist attacks), new societal expectations, and demographic trends that are unfavourable to us…”

In this context, Laurent Delaunay acknowledged that although Burgundy wines remain something of an exception, the indicators do not justify excessive optimism. He announced that “the first half of 2026 will be devoted to the collective drafting of what will become our new ten-year strategic plan,” expressing the hope that, over the next four years, “this strategy will be entirely focused on the pursuit of efficiency (…) in the service of the entire sector.”

This reflection was also at the heart of the “Vinosphère” meeting, dedicated to building a desirable future for Burgundy wines and launching the co-construction of the 2035 plan, which will be submitted to a vote at the General Assembly on 1 July.

Unity and action at the core of the mandate

Laurent Delaunay concluded on a clearly mobilising note:
“Burgundy has incredible assets. It is acclaimed and admired worldwide for the excellence of its terroir-based viticulture. It is up to us to make the most of this and to give ourselves the means to maintain our high standards and ambition.”

Michel Barraud, newly elected President representing the winegrowing college, opened his address with a clear call for “unity within the organisation, but also across the entire region, from north to south (…). I will therefore work to bring people together.”

In light of current challenges, he emphasised the importance of the three pillars of the interprofessional body:

  • Technical and Innovation Division, which must support the sector in the face of climate change and crop losses, while preserving qualitative excellence.

  • Economic and Strategic Intelligence Division, whose forward-looking study launched at the end of 2025 on the markets of tomorrow will serve as a key steering tool for reflection towards 2035.

  • Marketing and Communication Division, “because communication has always been one of (my) priorities.” He stressed the need to continue training key opinion-formers while strengthening direct links with consumers, particularly through the development of wine tourism. Welcoming visitors to the Cités des Climats et vins de Bourgogne will become a central asset. He also took the opportunity to welcome the arrival of Édouard Mognetti as head of this structure, which now encompasses the entire vineyard area.

The objective of carbon neutrality, which forms the foundation of the 2035 strategy, will be both the driving force and the underlying framework of the new ten-year plan. Michel Barraud concluded by sharing a thought from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, which he believes encapsulates the spirit of the beginning of this mandate:
*“The future is never anything but the present to be put in order. (…) You do not have to foresee it, but to enable it.”*¹

Two Presidents born at the heart of Burgundy’s terroirs

In accordance with the new regulations of the Burgundy Wine Board adopted in July 2025, Michel Barraud and Laurent Delaunay become co-Presidents for a four-year term. Each will represent the interprofessional body equally throughout the mandate, even though chairing meetings and leading delegations will continue to alternate every two years. It is a mandate of symbiosis, with shared responsibilities.

 

Michel Barraud was born in 1967 in Mâcon, into a family of winegrowers (the Barraud name can be traced around Sologny as far back as 1606), underscoring his deep attachment to the Mâconnais. Immersed in the wine world from childhood, he knew from the age of 11 that it would be his profession. He studied at the viticulture school in Beaune, obtained a BTS in Viticulture and Oenology, and set up in 1989 with his parents.

A cooperative winegrower by choice, he values the principles of this model. In 1998, the Cave de Sologny merged with the Caves of Prissé and Verzé to form the Cave des Vignerons des Terres Secrètes. Michel joined the Board of Directors in 2001 and became President in 2007.

President of the interprofessional Communication Commission from 2022 to 2026, Michel Barraud was also a board member and Treasurer of the CAVB (Confédération des Appellations et Vignerons de Bourgogne). He is also Vice-President of the Union des Producteurs de Vins Mâcon (UPVM) and a member of the Regional Committee of the INAO (National Institute of Origin and Quality).

Laurent Delaunay was born in 1965, the fifth generation of a family of producers and négociant-éleveurs. He grew up above the family winery and cellars, developing his palate at an early age alongside his father and grandfather. After obtaining a BTS in Viticulture and Oenology in Beaune and a National Diploma in Oenology in Dijon, he spent a year in Napa Valley as an assistant winemaker. He then specialised in commerce (ESSEC) and joined his father at Maison Edouard Delaunay.

In 1995, together with his wife Catherine, also an oenologist, he founded the company Badet-Clément. From 2003 onwards, they began marketing wines from independent family estates in Burgundy. In 2017, Laurent Delaunay took over the family house Edouard Delaunay in Nuits-Saint-Georges and its vinification facilities in the Hautes-Côtes.

He has long been involved in professional bodies, holding local mandates (Vice-President of the FNEB / UMVGB) and national ones (Specialised Council of FranceAgriMer, Vice-President of UMVIN). He is President of the Society of History and Archaeology of the Pays de Vergy, a member and patron of the Abbey of Saint-Vivant association, the Climats de Bourgogne, and the Musique & Vins au Clos Vougeot festival, and a Chevalier du Tastevin. Laurent and Catherine Delaunay have a daughter, Jeanne, aged 27, who joined the family business in 2023.

The new Standing Committee

  • Co-Presidents: Michel Barraud (71) for winegrowing and Laurent Delaunay (21) for the négociant trade

  • Treasurer: Marianne Vilain (89)

  • Secretary General: Jean Soubeyrand (21)

  • Active members: Bruno Verret (89); Francine Picard (21); Jérôme Chevalier (71); Florent Latour (21)

  • Ex officio members: Thiébault Huber (21), President of the CAVB (winegrowing), and Albéric Bichot (21), President of the FNEB / UMVGB (négociant-éleveurs)

Presidents of Thematic Committees

  • Marketing & Communication: Danièle Bonnardot (21) and Florian Migeon (21)

  • Technical & Innovation: Manuel Olivier (21) and Frédéric Barnier (21)

  • Economic Intelligence & Strategy: Mathieu Woillez (89) and Manoël Bouchet (21)

  • Chablis: Jean-François Bordet (89) and Paul Espitalié (89)

About the Burgundy Wine Board (Comité des vins de Bourgogne)

A professional organisation bringing together all Burgundy winegrowers and négociant-éleveurs. Its missions are to represent and defend the interests of Burgundy wines and professionals; define Burgundy wine policy in technical, economic and communication terms; and implement actions related to this policy.

Source:BIVB Mathilde Paturaud