Gerard Bertrand Languedoc Wine Ambassador
The first-class lounge of almost any major airport exists as a stunning jewel-box of exclusivity. Beautifully tailored receptionists greet guests with warmth, and after examining credentials, whisk them into the rarified air of privilege.
Wines such as Dom Perignon and Cru Classé Bordeaux can often be found. Yet on a 2020 visit to the American Airlines Executive Lounge at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, the only wines on display were the Languedoc-based delights from Gérard Bertrand.
A smile curled my lips upward as I thought to myself, Mr. Bertrand has done it again.
Just days earlier, I had lunched with him in the dining room of his gorgeous estate, Château l’Hospitalet.
He had invited myself, and a half dozen fellow students from the OIV wine business management program, to spend a day at his Chateau.
Upon arrival we tasted his range of wines in a very impressive Masterclass that introduced us to grape varieties from appellations throughout the Languedoc.
During our lunch together in the dining room of Château l’Hospitalet, Mr. Bertrand impressed me as a keenly intelligent, charming, and philosophical man. Handsome with an almost oversized presence that comes from years spent as a French rugby star.
Lunch with Mr. Bertrand
Gérard Bertrand was born in a winemaking family, though his father worked as a rugby referee and broker of local wines.
The family home and vineyard stood in the Corbières AOC of the Southern French Languedoc region. This stunning Mediterranean jewel dazzles the eye with its ancient Roman arenas, vast blue skies, and sharply defined mountains.
From the age of ten, Mr. Bertrand worked the family wines and dreamed of a life spent making wine. But fate had other plans, and in the fullness of time, he quickly earned fame as a top rugby star.
Even in the height of athletic stardom, he continued his involvement in his family’s vineyards. Upon retirement from professional rugby in 1994, Mr. Bertrand made wine the focus of his life.
Today, Mr. Bertrand has surpassed his once modest dream of becoming a vigneron. He thrives as the founder of Gérard Bertrand wines, comprising 15 wine estates. They are all either certified biodynamic or in the process of becoming so. Beneath Mr. Bertrand’s sophisticated demeanor is a man with figurative dirt beneath his fingernails, juice-stained with the fruit of the vines.
In 2002, Mr. Bertrand bought Château l’Hospitalet and its vineyards in the Languedoc village of Narbonne. Dating back to 1561, the history of the Château fit perfectly with his plan to use it as a base for developing wine tourism.
With bank loans and a solid business plan, Mr. Bertrand slowly made Château l’Hospitalet a showcase for the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Today Château l’Hospitalet includes a gastronomic restaurant called l’Art de Vivre and a 38-room hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
Bertrand Reason for Biodynamic Farming
Always interested in the works of Rudolf Steiner, Mr. Bertrand became increasingly interested in biodynamic vineyards. Steiner was a man of numerous talents. He is known for his spirituality, as well as his work in the medical and physical sciences.
Regarded today as the father of organic farming, Steiner also developed various esoteric concepts incorporated in biodynamic viticulture. Vignerons should treat soil fertility, plant growth, and the care of livestock as interrelated ecological tasks.
Converting a vineyard to organic, and especially biodynamic, viticulture requires an enormous investment of time, money, and resources. The first of Mr. Bertrand’s vineyards to be converted to biodynamic agriculture and achieve certification was Cigalus in 2002 and the plan is for all the vineyards to be certified by 2023.
Always interested in the works of Rudolf Steiner, Mr. Bertrand became increasingly interested in biodynamic vineyards. Steiner was a man of numerous talents. He is known for his spirituality, as well as his work in the medical and physical sciences.
Regarded today as the father of organic farming, Steiner also developed various esoteric concepts incorporated in biodynamic viticulture. Vignerons should treat soil fertility, plant growth, and the care of livestock as interrelated ecological tasks.
Ambassador for Languedoc Wine Region
Thanks in part to Mr. Bertrand, more consumers around the world are aware of the quality wines from the Languedoc. The terroir in this large area is quite diverse, because of the differences of soil type, altitude, and proximity to the sea.
The Future for Gérard Bertrand
As a benchmark of how far the Languedoc has come in recent years, we must circle back to the American Airlines Executive Lounge in Paris serving Mr. Bertrand’s highly regarded Chardonnay-based sparkling wine from the Limoux AOC instead of Champagne.
While continuing to focus on wine tourism in the Languedoc, Mr. Bertrand is also concentrating on helping local growers convert to organic agriculture. Beyond signing partnerships with the growers, Mr. Bertrand’s company also lends equipment and other resources to them, as well as teaching them why and how to grow organically.
When looking at the story of Mr. Bertrand’s life, it is interesting to think about how his success—and endurance—as a rugby player helped him navigate the rocky road to his present success in the wine world. Beyond achieving success for his personal ventures, he deserves credit for raising the profile of the Languedoc region for both wine and tourism.
