In Les Arcs, the winegrowers' "colleague", Nicolas Sarkozy, "declares himself a Varois"

At the invitation of Eric Pastorino, president of the Interprofessional Council of Provence Wines, Nicolas Sarkozy visited the Var region on Wednesday, July 23. The former President of the Republic visited the Maison des Vins de Provence in Les Arcs to give a lecture to a select audience.

It was almost as a "colleague" winemaker that Nicolas Sarkozy was able to speak in front of numerous representatives of the wine world. Indeed, since 2023, Carla Bruni and Nicolas Sarkozy, associated with Stéphane Courbit, have been involved in the marketing of the 178 hectares of vines of the Cantarelle estate, in Brue-Auriac , in the Coteaux Varois appellation in Provence . Not far from the Var, the partners also preside, under the direction of Jean-Guillaume Prats, over the destinies of Villa Beaulieu (Rognes, 13) and Château d'Estoublon (Fontvieille, 13), respectively in AOP Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence and AOP Le Baux de Provence.

The vineyard, the land, the art of living in the Var

Although the press was not invited, several witnesses recounted the main lessons. Nicolas Sarkozy " spoke for more than two hours with around fifty Provençal winegrowers and merchants ," reported Olivier Nasles, president of the national committee for organic farming at the INAO (National Institute of Origin and Quality).

" With his usual eloquence and passion, he captivated his audience, recalling the assets of Provence's wine region and his commitment to marketing our rosés, of course, but especially those of the Roseblood brand, of which his wife Carla is the face. "

Guillaume Decard, president of Var Tourisme and vice-president of the departmental council, also recounts the " privilege of participating in such an exceptional meeting ." He evokes " a rich exchange around national politics, security issues, geopolitics... But also what forms the basis of our identity: the vineyard, the land, the Var art of living ."

Guillaume Decard took care to present to Nicolas Sarkozy the Le Var à Paris club " to bring together all those in Paris who hold the Var and its values dear to their hearts. This project aims to strengthen the links between our region and the capital, through economic, cultural and institutional networks ."

According to the elected representative from Raphaël, " Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his deep attachment to the Var, going so far as to say that he himself was from the Var. A powerful moment... and an obvious one: he becomes the first ambassador of the Var club in Paris, a living symbol of this emotional and strategic bond that we want to embody ," Guillaume Decard rejoices.