The Hospices Civils de Strasbourg, one of France's oldest hospitals (founded in the 14th century), maintains an extraordinary wine cellar beneath the main hospital building on Place de l'Hôpital. The cellar has been in continuous operation since 1395 and contains what is believed to be the oldest wine in the world stored in its original barrel — a 1472 vintage that has been maintained ever since.
The barrel is displayed as a centrepiece; visits are organized through the hospices' tourism office and include a tasting of the current vintage produced on the hospital's vineyards in the Alsatian foothills. The hospital still uses the proceeds from wine sales to fund patient care — a medieval tradition still functioning in a modern medical institution.