Portraits of winemakers

COLETTE - LA BELLE COLLECTION: ‘OUR WINES PAY TRIBUTE TO EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE’.

Goodbye Winter Chill, Hello Sunshine! Discover the Belle Collection in Provence

To celebrate the return of sunny days, we head to Provence to meet Erwann de Barry and Alfred Laurent, who welcome us into the Belle Collection and share the story behind the cuvée “Colette.”

“I Don’t Want to Produce Rosés with Candy-Like Flavors”

Founded in 2013, the Belle Collection brand is the result of a meeting between three friends who share the same passions: wine and entrepreneurship. All the wines in the brand are crafted in partnership with Château Saint-Martin, using the typical grape varieties of Provence: Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, and more. “I want our wines to be fresh, expressive, and complex. They must not have the flavors of English candy. You know, those rosés with very bright colors and extremely sweet tastes that need to be diluted with tons of ice before drinking!”

For Erwann, wine is not just about taste. It’s also an opportunity to pay tribute to exceptional individuals. “I want to convey the qualities of people who have marked me through our wines,” he explains. This desire to personify his wines gave birth to what now defines the identity of La Belle Collection: the cuvée Colette. “Colette is known for her joy of life. With her, you feel like you're on vacation: she evokes café terraces in the sun, fine sand, pétanque games in the village square…”

Cuvée Colette: A Tribute to an Exceptional Woman

But who is this famous Colette? One might think of the renowned novelist who had a passionate relationship with wine. However, she was actually a woman from Erwann’s hometown. “She was remarkable! Always with extraordinary stories to tell. Very brave as well. She participated in the Provençal resistance during World War II. She reminded me a bit of Léa Delmas, the heroine of Régine Deforges' novel La Bicyclette Bleue. So, I thought it was fitting to illustrate the cuvée Colette with a woman on her bicycle.” Alfred Laurent, using his drawing skills and graphic design talents, created the label. Here’s the result.

Two New Cuvées to Discover in a Month

Erwann and Alfred don’t plan to stop with the cuvée Colette. The two partners are currently working on two new wines (a white and a red) inspired by two more exceptional characters. The first (red wine) is based on a famous World War I aviator. The second (white wine) is a woman “exceptional” enough, according to Erwann, that she could or should have been among the “great names in history.” Stay tuned…