On 6 December, an exceptional charity gala was held at the Hospices de Beaune, initiated by François Ponnelle, who has been living with motor neurone disease for seven years. Originally from Beaune and diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ((ALS) a form of motor neurone disease) at the age of 31, François, with the help of his sister Aude, founded the association Fight Charcot. Their goal? To transform a personal tragedy into collective commitment. They have committed to raising public awareness about the disease, supporting research, and rallying people to the cause. Through charitable events, local initiatives and positive communication, Fight Charcot embodies hope, determination and solidarity, and the dinner on 6th December at the Hospices de Beaune marked the first major event for Fight Charcot.
Prior to the evening, François Ponnelle patiently gathered a fantastic collection of rare bottles, mostly Burgundian, but not exclusively, from his winemaker friends. These wines were listed online on iDealwine in a charity auction catalogue, sparking immediate and enthusiastic interest. Certain lots set the auctions ablaze, like a bottle of 1935 Échézeaux from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. It started at €1 like all the rest of the catalogue and soared to €20,088!
The gala on 6 December brought together 280 people to the historic buildings of the Hospices de Beaune. The evening started with a recital by pianist Anne Queffélec in the Pôvres room in the Hôtel-Dieu, which had been kept to one side just for her performance. The artist offered a moment of profound delicacy, performing works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy in front of a contemplative audience. In the front row of course sat François Ponnelle, but also his counterparts from the association Les Invincibles: Olivier Goy, one of its patrons, and Ludovic Besombes, its president. Besombes shared “What is magical about Les Invincibles is the encounters with other fighters who playing from the same score. François Ponnelle is among those. Last Saturday in Beaune, it was the Ode to Joy, not necessarily the tune one thinks of when afflicted with Motor Neurone Disease. And yet…”
A Michelin-starred dinner within the walls of the Hospices de Beaune
A gala dinner awaited the guests at the Bastion des Hospices. Five renowned chefs had rallied, invited by François Ponnelle and his close friends – the winemaker Pierre-Jean Villa in particular – to propose a top-class menu, skilfully orchestrated by Jean-Luc Mothu, Executive Chef of Maison Butard Enescot. The creations of Patrick Henriroux (La Pyramide in Vienne★★), Jacques Marcon (restaurant Régis ★★★), Louis-Philippe Vigilant (La Côte d’Or★★) and Jean-Michel Lorrain, La Côte Saint-Jacques ★★) followed each another, accompanied by a host of prestige wines. Donated by the partner estates and close friends of François Ponnelle, these had been meticulously prepared and served by the excellent trio of Xavier Thuizat (MOF – Meilleur Sommelier de France 2022), Éric Goettelmann (Bernard Loiseau Group), and Valentin Cotton (Mathieu Pacaud restaurants).
Success all round!
In addition to the wine auction organised on the iDealwine website, which brought together rare bottles donated by winemakers, estates and friends of François Ponnelle, six lots of amazing gastronomic and sporting experiences were auctioned during the gala. The part of the auction was preceded by a speech from Doctor Maria Amador, who came from Hôpital la Pitié Salpêtrière in Paris, and spoke about how research is opening new avenues while there is still so much to be done. The guests fought to win a meal at Le Meurice, a dinner at L’Assiette Champenoise and one at Clos des Sens in Annecy. The sports enthusiasts among the bidders were also able to treat themselves to an ascent of Mont Blanc and an hour of tennis with Richard Gasquet accompanied by two tickets to attend the next Roland Garros final, two pastimes that François Ponnelle practised extensively.
The room was in high spirits, thanks to the talent of the comedian Marine Bibas, the master of ceremonies, whose generosity and energy rebounded around the room. The auction in the room was led by Cyrille Jomand, President of iDealwine, who was supported by the work of entire iDealwine team steering this project towards success. He said, “The wine auction in aid of the charities Fight Charcot and The Invincibles received widespread support from our collector clients and generated significant engagement. This cause, which affects one of our employees personally, is close to our heart. Being able to contribute, through such a project, to funding research and improving the lives of patients affected by motor neurone disease, is an honour for us.”
A Beaune Premier Cru acquired during the Hospices de Beaune wine auction
Given that the Hospices de Beaune is intrinsically linked to wine and generosity, a barrel of Beaune Premier Cru Les Grèves bought by François Ponnelle at the 2025 edition of the famous wine auction was available to purchase in magnum form at the end of the meal. Those who bought bottles will receive them once the wine has finished maturing in specially chosen ceramic containers at Charles Lachaux.
The engagement of all participants, both in the online auction and at the gala, generated a record result. To the provisional amount of €440,000 collected during the evening, additional donations were added, bringing the final total to €520,000. This will be donated to the charity Les Invincibles, founded by Olivier Goy, Ludovic Besombes and John Scala. Les Invincibles aims to support scientific research on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that is still incurable. The association is committed to funding innovative research projects, supporting medical teams, and enhancing the quality of life for patients and their loved ones. Since its inception, Les Invincibles have created a vast network of volunteers, patrons, athletes, artists, and scientists to accelerate medical advancements.
François Ponnelle was touched by the support Fight Charcot’s first large event received, stating “The immense generosity and solidarity of all the stakeholders made this evening a magical and historic moment! This record marks the start of a shared journey where, at last, those with motor neurone disease are no longer alone. This shows us that, together, we can achieve the impossible and make motor neurone disease a distant bad memory.” Olivier Goy, ambassador for the Institut du Cerveau and patron of Les Invincibles, added: “When generosity flows, it transforms an evening into a surge of hope. This record isn’t a number: it’s proof that, together, we can change the fate of those with motor neurone disease.
The organisers made a point of thanking the numerous partners of the evening, volunteers and service providers such as Easy Sono, Maison Butard Enescot, Les Résistants and their committed producers, as well as the young students from the Vatel school, smiling all the way through to the end of the evening.
Did you miss this auction? You can still contribute by donating to the Les Invincibles association.
And, if your generous bids unfortunately did not meet the mark, you can continue to buy wine on iDealwine.
