For years the Burgundslipp has been for the wineloving wine nerds. But the past years it’s gone down a different path. The first time I joined the queue back in 2019, the front runners were genuine wine lovers, with a keen interest in wine, especially wines from Burgundy. I remember sitting around, listening to them talk about things like the different vintages, terroir and producers. I was impressed with their passion and their knowledge, and was thankful to be included in those conversations and happy to be part of the queue.

For those who have no idea what I am talking about, here’s a quick summary: I might have to explain what the Burgundslipp actually is. Which is not an easy task. Because this phenomenon only happens in Norway, and if we’re really being honest, it’s concentrated around Aker Brygge in Oslo. Here are the broad strokes: on a Thursday in early February at 10 am, the doors open at 12 different Vinmonopol in Norway. And inside, there are hundreds (thousands?) of rare wines from Burgundy. But they are not only rare; they are quite cheap, relatively speaking. And so once a year, it’s possible to get your hands on rare, expensive wines for a fraction of the price of anywhere else in the world. 

The end of an era? 

When I first joined the queue in 2019, I joined the ranks of fellow wine lovers, and enjoyed countless conversations on the topic of Burgundy. Sometimes I even got to talk about Piemonte, but regardless, the topic was wine. We might have even shared a bottle or two. Maybe.  

Today, the queue is a whole other story. The previous front runners have been replaced with bottle flippers, who display little to no interest in wine. The ROI is so high that the temptation to spend 4-6  weeks out on the street in Norway in February in order to make a buck or two has changed the Burgundslipp queue. And it’s changed for the worse. 

It’s sad that so many of the bottles intended for the Norwegian market leave the country almost instantly. The majority of the DRC bottles that have been released in Norway are probably already scattered across the world. It’s sad that the majority of the people in the queue have little to no interest in wine. It’s sad that it’s become a business operation that prevents wine lovers from getting their hands on wine they otherwise might not be able to afford.

Now, let me get ahead of a few things

I want to be very clear: I’m not saying that no one ever sold any of the wines for profit before. That’s most likely been going on for years. The difference between then and now, is that there was a majority of genuine wine enthusiasts before. And the people at the front of the line also bought wines for themselves, that they would enjoy drinking later. In other words, they sold some of the more expensive bottles in order to fund their wine interest.

I also want to acknowledge that I understand the temptation to turn the Burgundy release into a profitable operation. I mean, it is tempting to be able to earn some (read A LOT) money without really doing anything, except sitting in a tent in the freezing Norwegian winter. If you take away the fact that it’s wine they are flipping, it’s really just another way to make money. I’m just sad that it’s happening to the Burgundslipp. 

Burgundslipp 2024 – disappointing  

Every year, the list of which wines will be available Thursday morning, is released the Friday before. And just like the previous years, I impatiently refreshed my browser. I was especially eager this year because Merete Bø had already revealed that Domaine Leflaive wouldn’t be on the list for the first time. So I wondered what else might be left off the list this year. And in the end, the selection of wines being released was extremely disappointing.  

Where was Liger-Belair? Or Angerville? Michel Lafarge? Maison AS? Cassiopee? Or countless other wines from producers far better than several on the Burgundslipp list. It was almost as disappointing as the Piemonte release. If it keeps going like this, pretty soon the only wines «worth» queuing for will be gone, and then what’s the point? I mean, if you’re not in it only for the money.  

Burgundslipp 2025 – even more disappointing 

Friday January 31st, 6 days before the release, and the list is uploaded. The people who had been queuing since December 28th (yes, you read that correctly) were happy because as per usual, there were 2 RC and 1 Montrachet. So they were set. But what about everyone else? I do really believe that we are headed towards the end of an era, because the selection of wines were disappointing. Wines that should have been under allocation wasn’t and wine that was allocated shouldn’t even have been on the list in the first place. And once again, a ton of wines were left off the release completely. Like Leflaive.  

What next? 

I get it. I get why the importer left Leflaive off of the list again. Because when the importer sells directly to private customers through Spesialbestilling, they are able to ensure that the majority ends up in the hands of people who will actually drink it and they are able to spread the allocation across a lager group of people.It’s not a perfect system, and I don’t think we will ever really find a perfect system where everyone is happy. But I do think the importers have the opportunity to make it more fair. And some have already started.  

The end? 

You’re still here? I am too. Every year I think long and hard about whether this Burgundslipp will be my last. Because I do feel a bit hypocritical participating in this circus. There are so many other good wines available in Norway that, for some reason, don’t make the cut. But there are still a couple of wonderful aspects about the Burgundslipp that I enjoy that I am not quite ready to let go. Like camping outside. Or drinking wine with fellow wine lovers. And getting my hands on a bottle or two that I likely wouldn’t get otherwise. Besides, as one of the very few women who partake in this, it would be shame to weaken that statistic. Can’t let the men have all the fun.