Somewhere in the south of France, nestled on the outskirts of the tiny town of Correns lies the idyllic Château Miraval Winery. Built in 1841, the sprawling 35-room estate is essentially a slice of heaven, complete with manicured gardens, ancient aqueducts, an onsite chapel, olive grove, and — of course, a vineyard. While, at first glance, the property is seemingly the epitome of peace and tranquility, in reality, it is at the center of an intense divorce battle between two of the world’s biggest celebrities: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Yes, the former couple is currently knee-deep in a dramatic battle over the estate’s booming rosé business. Which begs the question, what’s all the fuss about?
A quick history lesson for those not up to speed on the pair’s latest drama: Miraval was purchased by the former husband and wife back in 2011. In addition to the picturesque property, Pitt and Jolie also acquired its wine business, which they initially entrusted to be managed by the estate’s previous owner Tom Bove. According to a recent article by Mark Seal for Vanity Fair, at the time the vineyard was mainly “turning out a small selection of vintages.” However, it didn’t take long for Pitt’s interest in the wine business to be piqued and, after a fateful meeting with renowned wine producer Marc Perrin (the man behind cult-loved Whispering Angel), the actor and Jolie entered into a joint venture in 2013 with the industry veteran, honing in on rosé, which was rapidly rising in popularity at the time.
Together, the newly formed team went about creating its now signature pale pink elixir, made from Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, and Syrah grapes. The rosé quickly turned heads for its crisp, refreshing flavor that features notes of citrus, nice acidity, and a heaping dose of minerality. And yes, quickly is an understatement: The first 6,000 bottles produced of the rosé were reported to have sold out in a five hours.
Perhaps it was the star power propelling the wine to the forefront (each bottle was stamped with “Bottled by Jolie-Pitt & Perrin”), or the delicious taste, or perhaps it was just good timing — either way, within just a few years of launching, Miraval distribution skyrocketed from 150,000 bottles to a cool 10 million. In the coming years, the brand would add other vintage wines to its repertoire like the Coteaux Varois en Provence Blanc, Studio by Miraval Blanc, Studio by Miraval Rosé, Muse de Miraval Rosé, and Studio Fleur de Miraval Champagne. And the buzz hasn’t slowed: Most recently, in May of 2023, Miraval was named the “Most Desirable Provence Rosé Wine in the World” by Le Figaro magazine.)
With all the legal back and forth regarding the estate and brand, it’s hard to predict the future of this celebrated wine. In any case, we shopped out Miraval’s “miracle” products below to stock up on for all your summer entertaining.
