Bichot dusts off wine storage and packaging to pamper the Burgundy wines and attract the workforce

Imposing windows occupy the bulk of the façade and allow you to look into the production line as well as the offices. From the outside, the new "Albert Bichot Technical Centre", south of Beaune, looks more like the headquarters of a start-up than a wine storage and packaging site.

In these 17,000 m², in service since September 2025, the wines of this house, which is both a merchant and owner, are aged, packaged, stored and then shipped, and which sells 5 to 6 million bottles per year. "Our activity has almost doubled in 30 years, which meant that the production tool valid for the end of the 1990s was no longer valid for the rest of the operations," says Matthieu Mangenot, technical director.

8,000 bottles/hour

The oenologist matured the project for a decade. "The objective was to bring together all the "downstream" part of our production in a single place, while keeping our dedicated winemaking sites in the wine-growing villages. We started with a flow study with the Ingeco firm to identify and quantify the number of hectolitres transferred, the number of bottles and truck rotations in order to rationalise everything."

Our visit begins with the gleaming winery, intended to receive about two-thirds of the house's wines for their final maturation. If the material is classic (Italian brand vats in bright annealing), it is the density that is surprising. "We have favoured height over size, with tanks close together but on two or three levels, and a system of walkways on each level. To limit handling, pump connections and drains are centralized on the ground floor."

The next room, larger, houses the three bottling lines. "The main one is clocked at 8,000 bottles per hour, complemented by a 4,000 bottles/hour take-back line and a 'haute couture' unit for prestigious micro-batches," explains the technical director. "We have invested in these high speeds in order to limit shift work in the morning/evening as much as possible. From now on, employees will be able to work during the day, unless there is a gunshot. This is essential to recruit and retain employees, two major challenges in Burgundy."

Photo: Maison Albert Bichot.

An attractiveness that also comes from the daylight, which enters through the large bay windows. The neon lights only complement. "It was a desire from the start, as well as the acoustics." Indeed, we can only hear the bottles clinking together, because "the washers or blowers to dry the bottles are hooded and insulated with foam." Adrien, an employee of the house, is delighted. "It's much more relaxing than in the other site. Even without earplugs, you can hear yourself talking."

Each group in the chain is controlled by a digital board. "Almost everything is automated, and the touch interface is very intuitive, it's really a different generation," notes the operator. "The settings go far in precision, and it can take time to be mastered. But it's motivating."

Not counting the robots, 8 in total. "We have installed them in boxing, unboxing, packing and palletizing to eliminate the most physical tasks, which cause pain in the hands and back," explains Matthieu Mangenot, pointing to the case packer on the main line. "We also had robots on the old site, but these are more autonomous. On this case packer, for example, it takes 15 minutes to go from bottle to magnum, compared to 45 minutes before, because the robot changes some parts itself." Alexis, an employee, appreciates this ease of work. "We save a lot of time, and we are more serene. You can feel it at the end of the day," says the robot's manager today.

The place allows for precise monitoring of productivity. "Each machine is interconnected on a computer network, which allows us to supervise the rates in real time, to identify in no time which part can slow down the whole, while anticipating breakdowns."

Downstream, the corkscrew storage is also a real eye-catcher. Positioned to the millimetre, the racks accommodate boxes on eight floors. Even the corridors between the shelves have been tightened. "There is 1.8 meters, just room for the forklift. Thanks to a wire-guided system, it cannot deflect and hit the racks. The operator only has to worry about stacking."

While the company does not wish to disclose the precise amount of the investment, it says that the project is equivalent to "about 40% of an annual turnover". All of this "entirely financed by a banking pool". How can we make it profitable? The company is counting on speeds, flow optimization and added value. While providing for energy savings: "the roof houses a 2,300 m² photovoltaic plant producing 500 kW-peak, which allows us to cover the needs of the site and supply another remote site via a collective self-consumption contract." Most likely a first in Burgundy winemaking.