Portraits of winemakers

CHÂTEAU OGIER DE GOURGUE: LIKE FATHER, LIKE DAUGHTER

323 Views Posted on: 2024-06-05
 

Father-Daughter Partnership

Jean-Marc was working in the construction industry, while Claire was in cosmetics—two very different worlds that seemed unlikely to bring this father and daughter together in a professional capacity. However, for over three years, they have been managing the Château Ogier de Gourgue vineyard as a team. "My father was a business owner. Seven years ago, he decided to leave everything behind to focus on his passion: wine. He began exploring the Bordeaux region in search of a domain. That’s how he discovered Château Ogier de Gourgue. It was love at first sight. In February 2010, he officially became its owner," recounts Claire.

Two years later, Claire left her position at Sephora to join her father in this new venture. "I was starting to feel like I had reached a plateau in my job, and I wanted a change. The idea of building a project with my father was very appealing to me." At Château Ogier de Gourgue, responsibilities are clearly divided: Jean-Marc handles everything related to winemaking, while Claire oversees sales and communications. As for the harvests, they work together, assisted by seasonal pickers.

Harvesting Exclusively by Hand

"We carry out the harvest by hand, provided the weather conditions are favorable," explains Jean-Marc. The winemaking process follows a precise method: "Before entering the winery, the grapes are placed on an optical sorting table, which allows us to distinguish intact berries from damaged ones, remove any foreign objects, and sort the grapes according to their ripeness. In the end, we only keep the healthy berries that are sufficiently ripe for vinification," details Jean-Marc.