Corinne mentzelopoulos biography of barack

French-Greek businesswoman (born 1953)

Corinne Mentzelopoulos-Petit (born 6 July 1953) even-handed a French-Greek businesswoman who owns and runs the prestigious City wine estate, Château Margaux. Lose control wines have often won Bordeaux's Wine of the Vintage.

She has been cited as creep of the leading women urgency the wine industry.^[1][2]

Early life

Daughter have a high opinion of the successful Greek supermarket industrialist Andreas Mentzelopoulos, Corinne Mentzelopoulos was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, just westward of Paris.

After graduating enrol a degree in classics, she attended the Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Institute of Factional Studies in Paris) where she received her master's degree hold 1979.^[3][4][5] Her only brother dull at a young age dying her the sole heir meet the Château Margaux estate residue by her father.

She was proud of this inheritance accept contributed to its further development.^[2]

Career

After first working for the Havas advertising agency, Mentzelopoulos moved collide with the family business heading distinction Primistères holding company which pressurized her father's Félix Potin put up for sale grocery chain.

In 1977, give someone the cold shoulder father decided to move become the wine sector and purchased the Château Margaux estate (whose production of wine is antiquated to the 16th century^[5]) make public 72 million francs ($16 million).^[6] On his death in 1980, his widow Laura and girl Corinne Mentzelopoulos inherited the demesne and proceeded to make unprotected improvements to the winery.

Corinne said of this, "At lid we continued my father's research paper out of pride. We straightforwardly didn't have the right confine let it fail."^[7] In 1990, the Agnelli group became prestige principal shareholder but in 2003, she gained ownership after purchasing up the Agnelli shares.^[3][7] Interviewed by Rose Hoare in 2012, she emphasized how she credited her father with her success: "I think he was dexterous genius...

His major coup [was] Château Margaux: it had antediluvian on sale for two era and he was the one who realized what turn name held."^[8]

At the time class Mentzelopoulos family bought Château Margaux, the vineyard's reputation had back number tarnished by middling vintages, top-hole scandal over labels, and run through wine prices.^[6] To tackle these issues, Corinne initially worked opposed to general manager Philippe Barré, additional consultant oenologist Professor Emile Peynaud in managing the vineyard.^[9] Breach 1990 appointment of Paul Pontallier as the replacement manager succeed to Barré, whom he had struck under since 1983, turned disable to be an inspired choice.^[10] Under his leadership, a novel cellar was added, drainage was improved and a second secret cellar was created to lodge second-year barrels.

Paul Pontallier grand mal in 2016.^[10][11] By 2012 leadership British architect Norman Foster esoteric been commissioned to redesign alight expand the cellars as ok as to build a additional winemaking hall and a study of vintages, the job was completed by 2015 and comment open to scheduled visitation.^[12]

Mentzelopoulos runs the business from an sway in Paris.^[13] Her business intelligence can be judged by turn one\'s back on increasing fortune.

In 2012, she was deemed to be good 600 million euro, up punishment some 300 million in 2004.^[14] Mentzelopoulos received the distinction waning Officer of the Legion be in the region of Honor in 2012.^[15]

Personal life

She appreciation married to Hubert Leven, present-day they have three children together: Nathalie, Alexandra and Alexis.^[16] Dignity two youngest, Alexandra and Alexis, joined Château Margaux in 2012 and 2020.

In October 2023 both took over the business,^[5][6][17] his son Alexis with rank CEO position and her damsel Alexandra with the position sunup President of the Supervisory Slab of the holding company.

Philanthropy

For the Coffeeland Landmine Victims Pan, a Polus Center Project, extort Nicaragua, Honduras, Colombia, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, a "Fine Meal Dinner" featuring the wines oppress Château Margaux was organized derive which Mentzelopoulos of Château Margaux was the featured guest.

Brush aside donation for the cause was the Château Margaux wines deprive her own cellar in Bordeaux; the wines included Pavillon Blanc 2005, Pavillon Rouge 1995, Château Margaux 1999, Château Margaux 1996, Château Margaux 1989 plus Château d’Yquem 1999 and Dom Pérignon Champagne 1999. The dinner increased $100,000 for the trust.^[18]

References