When it comes to attracting celebrity wine investors, only Napa Valley and Champagne can hold a candle to Provence's awesome gravitational pull on the galaxy's biggest stars. And the French Riviera will soon celebrate one of the most highly anticipated celebrity wine forays in years—from someone who already conquered the coffee and tequila industries.
Husband-and-wife Provence estate and vineyard owners George and Amal Clooney are expected to release their first wines this spring, a white and a rosé produced at their Domaine du Canadel in Brignoles in the south of France. The wines will carry the Coteaux Varois en Provence AOC.
The Clooneys bought the 420-acre estate in 2021. In addition to a large manor, it came with olive orchards and 10 acres of vines planted two decades ago by winemaker and agronomist Laurence Berlemont.
Berlemont, who has considerable experience working with Hollywood stars turned winegrowers, remains the Clooneys' farmer-winemaker. Berlemont also worked with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at Miraval until 2015, as well as with George Lucas at Château Margüi.
Clooney seems to be taking his new role as wine producer seriously, having reportedly participated in blending sessions with Berlemont. “He gave us his opinion,” Berlemont told local newspaper Nice Matin. “He has a good palate. He’s very humble, ready to listen.”
The name of the wine has not yet been confirmed, and this will be the first wine associated with Domaine du Canadel. The grapes grown on the property were previously sold to a local cooperative. This means Clooney will be starting with a clean slate in terms of branding—something he's become quite successful with in the drinks business. Clooney's partnership with Nespresso has earned well over eight figures for him, and Clooney sold his Casamigos tequila brand to Diageo in 2017 in a deal worth up to $1 billion.
What Does 'Coteaux Varois en Provence' Mean?
Domaine du Canadel's wines will bear the Coteaux Varois en Provence AOC, or Appellation d'Origine Contrôllée, a subzone of France's Provence wine region. Coteaux Varois' principal red grape varieties are Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre, while the white wines lean heavily on Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, Sémillon and Ugni Blanc. Hollywood legend George Lucas' Château Margüi wines also carry the Coteaux Varois AOC.
Provence: Where the Rich and Famous Make Wine
George and Amal Clooney join a long list of celebrities making wine in Provence. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie purchased Château Miraval in 2012; the wine label they created is a huge hit, and the couple married on the property in 2014, but Miraval has since become a contentious bargaining chip in their divorce proceedings.
Star Wars creator and longtime Skywalker Ranch California Pinot Noir grower George Lucas purchased Château Margüi in Provence in 2017. Like Pitt, NBA Hall of Famer Tony Parker has invested in both Provence and Champagne. But before even Brangelina arrived in 2012, mercurial stage and film star John Malkovich was already being himself in the vineyards of Provence, making his Les Quelles de la Coste wines.
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