bernard magrez

Watches for Wine: Magrez Gives Wine Journalists Cartier Presents

Wine tycoon Bernard Magrez has run afoul of journalists by offering them what looks to be a classic bribe. Decanter reports that Magrez and his partner in wine, French actor Gerard Depardieu hosted journalists at a press lunch at the Alain Ducasse restaurant at the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris on March 26. At the end of the lunch, journalists were giving a press kit and a box that contained a Cartier watch worth $2,641.

After what must have been some interesting moments of desire versus ethics, many of the journalists decided to either donate or return the watches. Magrez told Decanter he wasn't trying to buy good press, he was just using the watch as a way to commemorate the special occasion. The French website Backchich certainly isn't buying that. In their article titled The Advantages of Being a Wine Journalist, they feature a cartoon of a woman dressed in sparkling jewelry with a note pad and a glass of wine. My French is a bit rusty but I the caption roughly translates to this wine is rich and generous just like Mr. Depardieu.

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Tags: bernard magrez, cartier, gerard depardieu

Magrez Plans Mt. Fuji Wine

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about wine baron Bernard Magrez's recent wine moves, selling off estates in Bordeaux and picking up more land in Chile. Now in a move that is really intriguing, he as picked up a vineyard on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan. This makes Magrez the first French wine player to set up shop in the country. He has purchased a small six hectare domain (close to 15 acres). He plans to produce a high-end white wine. Magrez owns 35 vineyards on four continents.

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Bernard Magrez Sells in France, Buys in Chile

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

It could be argued that watching the moves of wine tycoon Bernard Magrez is a good way to chart what is happening in the world of wine on a global level. Decanter reports that the French winemaker has bought 200 hectares in Chile and sold three Bordeaux AOC estates. The move is part of Magrez's strategy to concentrate on high-end wines. Magrez intends to produce between 100,000 and 150,000 bottles per year from his new estate in the Colchagua Valley, located around an hour south of the capital Santiago. There are no vineyards on the estate yet but vines planted will include Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Carmenere. The wine from the estate will be called Hacienda de la Serenidad, the name of an existing estate in the area owned by Magrez.

A couple of years ago the words high-end wine and Chile might have sounded laughable but as a recent article by Laura Daniel proves, the pricier end of the Chilean wine market is booming. Big bold Chileans reds are commanding attention and winning rave reviews.

In France, Magrez is selling off a trio of AOC Bordeaux estates. It's not that he's given up on France (of his 32 estates, 18 are in Bordeaux and six are in Languedoc Roussillon) but the move does bring increased credibility to the already booming area of South American wine. It seems to be part of a global shift where China and Russia are picking up older estates in Bordeaux while French winemakers are bringing their expertise to areas with less vineyards (and lower land prices).

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Tags: bernard magrez, BernardMagrez, bordeaux, chile, expire-images:2009-3-13, frane, wine