Hospices de Beaune director dies

Antoine Jacquet, director of the Hospices de Beaune, has died very suddenly while in China at the age of 64.

According to a statement issued by the town’s mayor, Jacquet died while on a promotional tour in Asia with the Christie’s team, in advance of the annual Hospices de Beaune wine auction this November.

The cause of his death has not yet been made known.

A release from the town’s deputy mayor, Alain Suguenot, said: “It is with immense sadness that I have learned of the death of Antoine Jacquet, director of the Hospices de Beaune, while on a mission to China alongside Christie’s to promote the next wine auction.

“Antoine was a profoundly good man, of great humanity and extremely professional.”

The president of the regional council for the Côte d’Or, François Sauvadet, added that Jacquet was, “a true connoisseur, in love with Burgundy, its wines and terroirs which he helped make known to the world through the wine auction.”

Jacquet became director of the Hospices in 1988 and was in charge of the running of the hospital and museum and closely involved with the running of the Hospices’ vineyards and winery and of course the annual charity auction.

He is survived by his wife and three children.