Top International Award Goes to Vineyards-Bordeaux

Top International Award Goes to Vineyards-Bordeaux

On April 3rd and 4th Karin Maxwell and Michael Baynes attended the Christie’s International Real Estate annual global owners conference in Paris, held at the George V hotel. The conference brings together a collection of the most experienced and reputable real estate market leaders in the world – all of whom were invited to join the “invitation only” affiliation directly owned by the 253-year-old Christie’s auction house. It is honour enough just to be invited to join the affiliation and represent Christie’s International Real Estate, but each year, there is an award ceremony to single out especially outstanding performance amongst the affiliates.

As a market leader for vineyard transaction management and brokerage of vineyards for sale in Bordeaux, Vineyards-Bordeaux represents the affiliation for Christie’s International Real Estate. The Vineyards-Bordeaux team includes multi-lingual and multi-cultural professionals with technical experts, agents and advisors: Karin Maxwell, Michael Baynes, Jean-Christophe Servant, Benoit Sebastien and Li Lijuan (Lily). Working with an investor introduced through the Christie’s auction house the Vineyards-Bordeaux team recently completed the prestigious Bordeaux vineyard sale of Chateau de Cadillac.

The Bordeaux vineyard transaction market for vineyard Chateaux for sale is between 25 and 35 sales per year. Vineyard-Bordeaux typically handles about 10 transactions per year and is on track to maintain its vineyard market dominance with 3 chateau vineyards already closed in 2019 in the first three months to date, one further estate under contract soon to close, and 3 more with signed letters of intent underway.

Under its parent brand Maxwell-Baynes, Vineyards-Bordeaux celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2018 which coincided with the opening of its new Bordeaux city headquarters at 28 Cours du Chapeau Rouge close to the Grand Theatre (opera house) and the Grand Hotel (not forgetting the Apple store a few doors down too!).

The annual global conference for owners wraps up with an awards dinner which celebrates affiliates for outstanding achievements in their fields of operation for the previous year with the International Affiliate of the year. This year the awards dinner was held in the Gallery of the Wars in the Palace of Versailles and followed a private tour of the art works and state rooms, including the famous “hall of mirrors.” This esteemed award is presented by the management of Christie’s International Real Estate who work, month in month out, with all affiliates and each year vote on whom they believe to have (amongst other things) consistent top of class professional reputation, consistent market leaders including market share of sales and to have been outstanding ambassadors of the brand.

Charlotte Delaney in presenting the award noted: “Maxwell-Baynes and Vineyards-Bordeaux has for eight years been the network’s expert on vineyard sales. The firm joined Christie’s International Real Estate at a pivotal point in growing the business and last year dominated the Bordeaux vineyard market achieving three times the sales volume of its nearest competitor. In 2018, the company also posted a record with the €9 million sale of Château de Cadillac, one of the region’s seminal vineyards, also setting a record for price per hectare for vines.”

When Karin and Michael were invited to come to the stage and accept the award, they were both shocked and humbled. Since the International Affiliate of the Year award is a closely guarded secret they had no prepared speech or response.

Michael gave a brief acceptance speech thanking the CIRE team for recognizing the Maxwell-Baynes team and Vineyards-Bordeaux. He explained that amongst the world class professionals of the affiliate members he has always felt like a new school boy starting first trimester and looking up to the seniors as his heroes. To be recognized in such company was, for he and Karin, a remarkable and humbling moment. Michael mentioned that when at home and at times when there is something to celebrate he and his family call it a “champagne moment.” To receive the award was certainly a champagne moment and to mark it he read out a quote attributed to Lily Bollinger of the famed Bollinger champagne house that he had recently seen in the Financial Times. “I drink champagne when I am happy and when I am sad. Sometimes I drink it when I am alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am. Otherwise, I never touch it – unless I am thirsty.”

The International Affiliate of the Year Award was the proudest moment in their long and successful business partnership and Karin and Michael look forward to announcing some exciting new initiatives and projects in the coming months.

Main image photo credit: Etienne Begouen

Share: