New Aquitaine, a mainstay of the wine industry in France

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Global wine consumption was stable or even slightly up in 2018. It is declining in its producing countries, i.e. France, Italy and Spain in particular, according to the report of the French Wine Industry Of 2017 (1). However, the value of wine production in France estimated in 2017 was 11.2 billion euros according to INSEE (2), which is already substantial. However, wine-producing countries no longer find themselves to be the main consumers. Indeed, France was now only the second largest among all countries with 29% of the shares in 2017. The world’s largest consumer was the United States with 30.3% of the shares (2). With this wine trend on the North American continent, the French wine industry must reinvent itself and regain its leading position in the market. The majority of wine resources come from the New Aquitaine region.

The most important region of the French wine economy

The French wine industry, according to the French Wine Industry (1), is a major national economic sector, but also an important player in our territories, which brings added value in its historical, cultural, aesthetic and heritage dimensions.

The New Aquitaine region ranks first in terms of wine production in France, according to INSEE (3). This regional wine sector employs approximately 54,000 people in more than 14,000 establishments. It accounts for one third of the sector’s national jobs (3).

In 2015, France owned 220,000 hectares dedicated to vineyards, divided into 10 wine basins. The area was home to four of them. In order to treat its vines, the region has offered a real opportunity for jobs in the wine industry. Thus, the New Aquitaine region accounts for 93% of the total employment of the sector (3).

Local economy and international luxury

In addition to generating many jobs in the direct wine sector, the wine market also affects sectors that are not directly agricultural. Agriculture and trade are heavily involved in the sector, and are joined by the beverage industry, the manufacture of other industrial products as well as the manufacture and repair of winemaking equipment.

Bordeaux wines are very famous and are real luxury products that sell enormously and at a high export price. In 2015, the New Aquitaine region accounted for a quarter of France’s total exports.

With such agricultural potential, the New Aquitaine region is home to many estates or castles of great vintages. This is why New Aquitaine and more mainly Bordeaux are renowned for their agricultural heritage. Wine is now part of their culture,and even defines their identity.

From the perspective of preserving the Bordeaux tradition within the wine industry, the region protects and develops these areas. We can then take the example of the new house of Estournel de Saint-Estèphe, which opened very recently: on August 3rd.

Modernization of winery in Saint-Estèphe

Louis-Gaspard d’Estournel, since he inherited a few hectares of Estournel vineyards in 1791, has continued to expand his estate. For more than two centuries, its wine has been one of the great wines classified in 1855 (4). They were then ranked among the second vintages, alongside The Château Ducru-Beaucaillou and the Montrose Castle.

Eager to pay tribute to the “Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe”, Michel Reybier decided to recreate the architectural ensemble he had imagined: the Cos d’Estournel estate and his private country house where it is good to live.

Located north of the Médoc, along the Gironde estuary that can even be seen above the vineyards in the distance, the Cos d’Estournel is a place surrounded by many cultural and aesthetic beauties in addition to these wine riches.

Thus Michel Reybier decided to combine the estate of Cos d’Estournel and the private residence of Maharajah of Saint-Estèphe to combine its various and varied qualities. In fact, the House of Estournel now offers its guests 14 rooms, a restaurant, a library and a century-old park.

The rooms are distinguished across four categories in order to best meet the expectations of the guests. The Junior Suites and Junior Terrace allow you to enjoy a magnificent view of the vineyards, the park and even the Estuary of the Gironde on a sunny day. The Cos Rooms offers views of the iconic pagodas of Cos d’Estournel. The Pagoda Rooms, on the other hand, overlook the ornate roofs of the surrounding outbuildings.

Wine at the heart of the French cultural experience

Because the wine world is no longer just about the consumption of wines, but the atmosphere conferred by its establishment and its ancillary services, the Cos d’Estournel has now become a cultural experience.

Today, the estate offers a warm hotel and gastronomic service, with authentic décor. Many leisure activities are available nearby. Guests can enjoy a golf course, a bike ride in its two-hectare park or a lunch in the middle of the vineyards.

In addition to its nationally renowned wine, the Maison d’Estournel offers a quiet and reserved place that wishes to offer its guests a relaxed parenthesis that is rare on a daily basis.

France is one of the main producing countries in the wine industry. However, with the financial crisis of 2007/2008, the sale of fine wines has been gradually reduced. The Region of New Aquitaine, home to the majority of national wineries, sees a desire to modernize the latter. This is the case of the house of Estournel which has brought a dimension of leisure and disconnection to its terroir. Luxury wine is also a state of mind.

Sources

Estournel release La Filière Vitivinicole Française 2017 wine industry report for December 2017:

INSEE Agriculture Accounts for 2017, 05/07/18

Bordeaux-Aquitaine and Charentes-Cognac, pillars of Didier LAMPIN’s wine industry and Virginie RÉGNIER from 26/04/18:

Grand cru ranked in 1855 by Bordeaux Tradition in 2012

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