Farming, Fame, and Futureproofing the Market: In Conversation With Charles Lachaux
In 2021, 30y old Burgundian winemaker Charles Lachaux was crowned Best Rising Star at the inaugural Golden Vines Awards, and the wine world lost its mind. Prices for his bottles skyrocketed on the secondary market, he was endorsed by President Macron, and suddenly this sixth-generation Burgundian was being hailed as the successor to Lalou Bize-Leroy.
But Lachaux’s rise didn’t begin with fame — and it hasn’t ended there either.
In this unusually frank conversation, Charles Lachaux joins Pauline Vicard to explain the sweeping changes he’s made to viticulture at his family estate in Vosne-Romanée: no tilling, no trimming, organic and biodynamic practices, and a firm belief in letting the vine “be.” He details how becoming a father clarified his approach to stewardship, why he uses ceramics instead of oak, and how his commitment to regenerative agriculture meant choosing quality over yield — even in the face of disastrous vintages.
We also go deep on the commercial fallout of success: why he pulled his wines from retail and changed his route to private clients, how NFTs are being used to track and reward consumption, and why he no longer submits his wines to wine critics.
An unfiltered look at the price of integrity in Burgundy — and what it means to build a legacy in a region that’s both tradition-bound and in flux.
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Miami's Wine Boom: What the Industry Can Learn From America's Hottest Luxury Market
Pauline spent a few days in the Florida capital and sat down with key players. Here is what we learned about the incredibly dynamic, passionate, hungry and growing wine scene of a city that might change a thing or two for the future of fine wine.
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NCNN ep5: How Demographics Shape Alcohol Consumption: In Conversation With Laurence Whyatt
Based in London, Laurence Whyatt is Head of European Beverages Research for Barclays Investment Bank, meaning that his job is to predict the future of alcohol consumption globally, so that companies can invest accordingly.
Drawing from his latest multi-year analysis, How Demographics and Economics Shape Global Alcohol Consumption, we answer some of the world of wine's burning questions on Gen Z, the role of women in premiumisation and the impact of cannabis and Ozempic on alcohol sales.
And if you want to know which markets represent the biggest opportunities for premium wine companies and why, stay tuned until the end of the episode.
This podcast series is part of a larger Areni Global research project. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to our articles and publications: https://bit.ly/AreniNewsletter
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Thriving Through Uncertainties: In Conversation with Lizzy Rudd
How should leaders prepare to succeed in an impossible-to-predict world?
Elizabeth (Lizzy) Rudd is the Chair of Berry Bros. & Rudd, Britain’s oldest wine merchant.
Founded in 1698 at number 3 St James street in London, the company still occupies the same address 327 years later. But today, it offers more than 1,500 SKUs and stores more than 1.5 million cases of wine in a state-of-the-art warehouse in Hampshire. They also have offices in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Singapore, and sell to customers in more than 100 countries.
After more than three centuries, there aren’t many changesthat Berry Bros & Rudd haven’t seen. The company has survived wars, riots,geopolitical turmoil, the Great Depression and more minor recessions.
From their investment in regenerativeviticulture to the huge budget they allocate to digital transformation, Lizzy Rudd, the Chair, explains how the company is planning to thrive through yet another challenging time.
Visit us at Areni Global to learn more about becoming a member and subscribe to our newsletter HERE.
Follow Areni on Instagram and Linkedin: @areniglobal
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Rethinking Education: Shaping the Future of the Wine Trade
What does the wine trade need to become more profitable?
At the very moment that everything is changing, it is important to take some time to evaluate professional wine education. Is it fit for purpose? How could a revised professional wine education answer some of our industry’s crucial issues?
Pauline Vicard and Felicity Carter present Areni's latest whitepaper key findings, based on 18 months of research.
They discuss:
What needs to be on the curriculum to make the wine trade more profitableWhat remains core knowledge, but also what set of skills are missing from the curriculumThe gap between what wine professionals love learning about and what they need to know, and how can this gap be bridgedWho should offer this training
Get access to the full publication HERE.
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About your hosts:
Pauline Vicard is the co-founder and executive director of Areni Global, the leading organization dedicated to addressing the critical challenges facing fine wine.
Felicity Carter is Editorial Director of Areni Global, and also writes for numerous wine publications. We highly recommend her podcast Drinks Insider.
Through a comprehensive research and publication programme, ARENI exists to inform, inspire and empower those invested in the future of Fine Wine. Join us as we explore the Future of Fine Wine, in conversation with experts.
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