When It All Started…

Wine has been so deeply ingrained in French culture that it wasn't until 1956 that a law (finally enforced in 1981) forbade children under 14 from consuming wine at school lunches. In fact, back in 1897, a law declared wine as a healthful beverage to boost children's growth and mental clarity. For centuries, wine, like bread, was a daily staple consumed from morning until night, even finding its way into cooking. It wasn't until 2008 that alcohol sales were prohibited to minors under 18 in France.

A Rite of Passage in French Culture

Wine was once seen as a symbol of strength, virility, and a rite of passage to adulthood, guided by a father's supervision. By the age of 10, boys would receive a few drops of wine in their water, with the wine proportion increasing year by year until their glass was filled entirely with wine by age 16. I experienced this tradition firsthand.

Destiny led me from Paris to Bordeaux, where I studied at Ecole Supérieure de Commerce (now KEDGE Business School), followed by time at the University of Bordeaux. Surrounded by the world of wine, I inevitably surrendered to its charms, learning the good, the bad, and the ugly.

After two years of military service as a civil servant in French Congo—where wine was scarce—I turned my focus to the excitement of discovering exotic and mysterious places. Upon returning to France, my entrepreneurial spirit kicked in, leading to my first venture: importing natural beauty oil from Tahiti to the U.S. I spent time in Tahiti before heading to New York, where I sold the exotic oil to luxury department stores like Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. After the brand was acquired by a U.S. company, we packed up, bidding farewell to the city with "Hotel California" as our anthem.

The California Wine Chapter

In 1995, I embarked on a new venture in Southern California that still thrives today: a natural OTC medicine for non-apneic snoring. During this time, I developed a deep appreciation for California’s red wines—particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Petite Sirah. In fact, I began researching over 1,500 wineries producing Petite Sirah from San Diego to the Sierra Foothills, with the intention of writing the first book on the varietal.

The Birth of EdenGrapes™

Then COVID hit, and the project was paused. I flew back to France to care for my 98-year-old mother in Paris. While in France, I toured the Roussillon region in search of the perfect place to grow an experimental Petite Sirah/Durif vineyard in its birthplace. My mentor, Cyril Fhal of the renowned Clos du Rouge Gorge, advised me to spare myself years of struggle and, instead, focus on wines that suited my taste.

And so, EdenGrapes™ was born…

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