Brangelina pours cash into Congo
FRANCE
A BARREL of organic white wine produced by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s estate in the south of France has been sold for more than 10,000 at auction, with the money going to support an agricultural project in Africa.
Winegrowers in the village of Correns, where Pitt and Jolie have their chateau, 80 kilometres inland from SaintTropez, organised the sale as part of an annual auction to raise funds for the Democratic Republic of Congo. The money was donated to an agricultural co-operative which aims to teach young people about sustainable farming in the Kivu region. The Pitt-Jolie barrel was by far the top seller and was bought by local wine merchant Vins Breban. A 60-gallon cask, signed by the couple, it holds approximately 300 bottles, with each bottle therefore worth around £28. This year’s sale made almost 25,000 for the charity, which operates in an area that Jolie visited in March this year alongside William Hague, Britain’s Foreign Secretary.
The couple bought the 17th-century Chateau Miraval in 2008 and since then have cultivated vines on their 988 acres. Both are said to take a keen interest in the process; speaking to local producers and discussing how to achieve the best blends. The 35-room estate – where the Hollywood couple spend their summers – is tucked away in its own private valley, with vines sprawling up the hillsides in stonewalled terraces that have been restored to their traditional form.
‘‘It’s a magical place,’’ said Marc Perrin, a winemaker. ‘‘The valley, property of the chateau, offers an unmatched ecosystem and gives the wines a unique style in terms of freshness and elegance.’’ Pitt and Jolie enlisted the Perrin family, which owns the Chateau de Beaucastel near Avignon – one of the most celebrated producers of Chateauneuf-du-Pape – to help produce their wine. The Perrin family began making Miraval’s wines with the 2012 harvest and their first 6,000 bottles of rose sold out within five hours.