Celebrating The Inauguration Of Château Bel-Air

Celebrating The Inauguration Of Château Bel-Air

It’s been a busy year at Château Bel-Air !

Back in January we announced that the Château Bel-Air Bordeaux vineyard, that we were agents for, had been purchased by Golden Fields, a multinational food and beverage corporation situated in China (Shanghai & Beijing), Taiwan and France. It is the policy of Golden Fields to own its production sources to guarantee quality control, and it owns more than 4,000 restaurants and convenience stores as well as a very large online retail shop which has over 30 million members.

Karin Maxwell & Michael Baynes from Vineyards-Bordeaux at the Inauguration of Château Bel-Air
Karin Maxwell & Michael Baynes from Vineyards-Bordeaux at the Inauguration of Château Bel-Air

We were honoured to attend the official inauguration for Chateau Bel-Air on 18th September 2017, along with over 50 other guests. Golden Fields Chairman Lu Cheng-Chang (aka Stephen Lu) was proud to present his latest acquisition, and highlight the changes that had taken place.

Important Bordeaux Vineyard

The château is an important Bordeaux vineyard, selected by Golden Fields due to its outstanding terroir and production volume. The wine is sold under the name of Château Bel-Air, AOC Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux, with the 55 ha vineyard estate (80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc) producing around 400,000 bottles per year. It is located in Belvès-de-Castillon, adjacent to the St Emilion Golf course.
Not only is it an attractive commercial vineyard investment, the château itself is beautiful, dating from the 17th century. The previous owner had invested in the vineyard and the residence, and that investment and work will continue under Golden Fields. The existing team will continue at Château Bel-Air, and the former owner will also continue to support the transition of ownership.

Golden Fields Chairman Lu Cheng-Chang said: “this is an important moment for us as a company. “To own our own Bordeaux vineyard is an exciting step and although we plan to keep the existing wine distribution channels, we will also export to Japan, Taiwan, China and Southeast Asian countries to make the most of the existing wine distribution networks we have developed there. We want to pursue the traditions of the French wine culture and open a new page of history with Château Bel-Air.”

Celebrating the "Château Bel-Air" Inauguration: Golden Fields President Mr Wei, his wife Mrs Wei & Chairman Lu Cheng-Chang
Celebrating the “Château Bel-Air” Inauguration: Golden Fields President Mr Wei, his wife Mrs Wei & Chairman Lu Cheng-Chang

Beautiful Château Focus Of Social Event

It was lovely to see how beautifully the château has been re-decorated, to combine the old with a modern twist. The inauguration was a great social event and, of course, with plenty of networking opportunities for Karin & Michael. Vineyards-Bordeaux continues to dominate Bordeaux vineyard transactions, and to develop the affiliate relationship with Christie’s International Real Estate.

Alongside Golden Fields Chairman Lu Cheng-Chang, President Mr Wei and his wife, and other representatives from Golden Fields, other notable guests were Mayor of Belvès-de-Castillon, Daniel Fenelon, and Hervé Grandeau, President of the Fédération Des Grands Vins de Bordeaux. A highlight was our own Li Lijuan who sang, accompanied by the 17-piece FD Band. Singing is just one of the many accomplishments of Lili, who leads our China desk. Lily is a vineyard expert and as a Chinese national she navigates us through the important nuances in culture between Europe and China.

Li Lijuan Vineyards-Bordeaux sings at the Château Bel-Air Inauguration
Li Lijuan Vineyards-Bordeaux sings at the Château Bel-Air Inauguration

Naturally we took many photos whilst at the inauguration, and have shared a few here. It’s fantastic to celebrate another successful Bordeaux vineyard transaction here at Vineyards-Bordeaux!

View our portfolio of Bordeaux vineyards for sale or if you are interested in our properties for sale, then please do view our portfolio of Bordeaux residential properties for sale.

If you have a vineyard to sell – or are interested in buying a vineyard in Bordeaux or the surrounding areas – please contact: Michael Baynes on 00 33 (0)5 57 84 08 82 or email: michael@vineyardsbordeaux.com

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