Terre de Vins · 21 May 2024
Pirates under the panelling
By Henry Clemens
Jean-Baptiste Duquesne from Château Cazebonne reflects on an event organised by the 'bordeaux pirate' association. This initiative saw a dozen winemakers present seventy-two bottles to Bordeaux City Hall to enrich its official cellar. The aim was to promote another facet of Gironde winemaking expertise and showcase innovative, organic wines. Château Cazebonne is taking part in this initiative by including its cuvées in the 'bordeaux pirate' collection.
The article in Terre de Vins, 'Des pirates sous les lambris', details an event organised by the 'bordeaux pirate' association at Bordeaux City Hall. Jean-Baptiste Duquesne from Château Cazebonne is interviewed and explains the approach. The idea was to present innovative, unconventional, and often organic Bordeaux wines so that they could enter the City Hall's official cellar and be served during official dinners. The initiative aimed to showcase a different and more virtuous image of the Bordeaux vineyard.
This symbolic event, where winemakers brought their own picnics and cuvées, opened up a dialogue with elected officials and made a lasting impression. Jean-Baptiste Duquesne emphasises that the primary goal was 'saying what we did, rather than just doing it!', highlighting the symbolic and communicative impact of the initiative. It is all about introducing cuvées bearing the 'bordeaux pirate' or 'cuvée pirate' logo (for vins de France) under the panelling of City Hall, in order to shine a light on the innovation and diversity of the Bordeaux terroir in a context of crisis.