Tag Archives: Burgund Slipp

Burgund Slipp 2020

Posted on by
1

Burgund Slipp takes place in February every year. Around the end of January, a small community pops up outside Vinmonopolet at Aker Brygge. I call it a community because a community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Which pretty much sums it up. And as far as communities go, I am very happy to be part of this one.

Last year was my first experience as a member of this community, and it blew my mind. It’s hard to convey with words what the queue experience is like. But I thought I’d try to answer some of the most common questions people ask me.

What is a Burgund Slipp?

In Norway we have one store that sells wine across the country. A monopoly. And every year in February, Vinmonopolet releases the newest vintage of Burgundy wines (you can see the list here). They do it that way in order to make it as fair as possible for the most people. These wines are so rare and hard to get a hold of, which leads some people to sleep on the streets in order to be the first one in line.

Why do you do it?

Why not?
I get to spend some quality time with other wine nerds who share my passion, and at the same time get some free PR. Seems like a no brainer to me.

The world is full of people who do all sorts of things. I understand that it probably seems strange to sleep on the street in order to buy some bottles of wine, but is it any stranger than sleeping outside a theater to buy tickets for Harry Potter? Or spending millions on cars that mainly sit in a garage?

What number were you in the Burgund Slipp queue?

I was number 7 this year! Last year I was number 16.

Do they keep the wine or sell it for profit?

I get this question a lot. And my answer will forever be the same: “It’s not something you ask. So I don’t know. And I personally don’t care.”

What my queue neighbors do with the wine they buy is really none of anyones business. I suspect some of them sell the wine, and financially it makes total sense. The ROI is quite high. So why the hell not?

What I want you to know is that my queue neighbors are decent people who have a genuine interest in wine.

Aren’t you scared, being the only woman?

No. Absolutely not. The men in the Burgund Slipp queue take such good care of me. Last year, I was welcomed into the community with open arms. They made sure I knew where the bahtrooms were, invited me to join them in the tent, included me in their dinners, and generally just made me feel very comfortable.

Another thing I’d like to add is that Aker Brygge is private property, so there are guards patrolling 24/7.

Burgund Slipp beds

What do you do all day? Don’t you get bored?

You wouldn’t believe how fast the days fly by. Between meals, trips into the wine store & conversations with curious strangers the hours go by quite quickly.

Not to mention the wine discussions amongst the queue members. Some of these guys really know their wine, especially burgundian wines, and the discussions are very interesting and educational. I’ts honestly wine nerd heaven, talking about vintages and terroir, winemakers and winemaking styles. It might be my favorite part of the queue life.

Will you be in the Burgund Slipp queue in 2021?

I hope so! Maybe there will be some more women next year as well!

Uh Oh

Posted on by
Reply

Good news for those who show up at 8:50 on Thursday. Aker Brygge is enforcing a new rule: maximum 12 quoted wines per customer. I’m guessing the people who have slept outside for the past 2 weeks are less than happy….

Is it fair to change the rules meere days before the release?

Last year, there was no maximum number of wines per customer, so as long as you adhered to the quota per wine, you could buy as much wine as you want. So it would be beneficial to sleep outside for days on end.

Any change is difficult. This change might piss a lot of people off. And make a lot of other people happy. Are they trying to make these rare wines available to more people? Or are they trying to get rid of the people sleeping outside for weeks at a time? Maybe those who spent 3 weeks vacation would have prioritized differently. I am excited to hear what Vinmonopolet has to say about it…

Btw, you’ll find the list here.

My 48 hour Burgund Slipp Adventure

Posted on by
4

It’s the middle of the night.
It’s cold.
It’s dark.
I’m lying on a cot on the street in Oslo, next to 5 men, and I’m thinking to myself: What on earth am I doing?

That is an excellent question. What am I doing?

I’ll tell you. I am waiting in line to get my hands on some of the rarest wine in the world. Every year, the Norwegian Vinmonopol releases the new vintage of burgundy wines, and if you want the best, the rarest and most expensive, you need to wait in line.

Now, let me be clear: I am not lying in the cold, dark, Norwegian winter next to 5 strange men to buy the Romanee-Conti from DRC. Partly because I’m too late, as number 16, but mostly because that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to experience a phenomenon native to Norway. The intricate brotherhood of the Burgund Slipp Kingdom.

I don’t think I know how to begin explaining this. I feel like I’ve entered another world where they have their own rules, routines and etiquette’s. Some of the rules are:
– No pictures
– No personal questions
– You’re supposed to put a symbolic placeholder in queue next to the entrance
– The last person in the queue is in a way responsible to inform the next person who arrives which number is next in line.
– You can leave for a while to eat, shower, go to the bathroom but there is a time limit.

These rules and norms are formed by what I call the Brotherhood. The veterans. The, let’s face it, boy’s club, that runs the Burgund Slipp. They have a big tent, where they spend days planning their “shopping list” and strategize for the big day. The list of wines circulates among them, they scribble and take notes, discuss and then do it all over again the next day. Until the big day arrives.

I sit on my cot, under my tarp, hiding from the snow and wind, while trying to absorb all the activities happening around me. I’m on the outside, looking in. At least for now.