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Jean-Christophe Sibelya Talks Rosé at Monaco Grand Prix
When people think of St Tropez, wine-making may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But the chic fishing village on France’s Cote D'Azur is in fact a popular area for the production of some of the world’s most sought-after wines.
One company that favours the iconic village for its wine production is Bertaud Belieu. The French wine label hit the headlines in April when it launched the largest bottle of Rosé in the world – a 6-litre vessel exclusively available at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.
More recently, at the Monaco Grand Prix last month, the wine-maker sponsored racing driver Matt Halliday who was competing in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Race. During the event, Superyachts.com caught up with Jean-Christophe Sibelya of Bertaud Belieu to discuss the attraction of St Tropez and the company’s association with Porsche.
“St Tropez is very well known for beaches, restaurants, fun and nightclubs - but it’s also an area where we produce wines,” Mr Sibelya told Superyachts.com’s Shari Liu.
“Because of its agriculture, for more than 2,000 years there has been wine in St Tropez, so it’s very interesting to be there.”
Bertaud Belieu are producing a combination of red, white and its signature rosé wines in St Tropez – with the latter making up 80% of the production.
The brand remains a relative novice in an industry that is teeming with distinguished wine-makers, many of whom date back over a century. But Mr Sibelya is confident that they can compete with their illustrious counterparts thanks to the quality of the product.
“We are working in this business for five years and for me it’s like a part-time job, so it’s very interesting to have a famous brand, to make the brand grow up, to have good quality rosé,” he added.
"Because of its agriculture, for more than 2,000 years there has been wine in St Tropez, so it’s very interesting to be there"