We had the opportunity during the 2012 Aspen Food and Wine Classic to sit down with the stylish and charming Jean-Charles Boisset of Boisset Family Estates. To refer to Jean-Charles, Wine Enthusiast Magazine 2009 Wine Innovator of the Year, as a “force of nature,” may be selling short his infectious enthusiasm accompanied by his passion for life and wine. Jean-Charles is a powerful blend of Old World sensibilities and New Word zeal.
Born in Vougeot, in the heart of Burgundy to a winemaking family, Jean-Charles came to the U.S. as a teenager to complete high school. From there he obtained his undergraduate degree from the London Business School and his MBA from UCLA. It was during his MBA studies that he decided to expand his family’s French winery holdings to California. Today Boisset Family Estates is the largest Pinot Noir producer in Burgundy and the third largest winery operation in France. In California, they operate 11 wineries and labels including Raymond Vineyards, DeLoach Vineyards, Lyeth Estate, Lockwood Vineyard, JCB and Buena Vista Winery. History is integral to Boisset wineries both here and abroad. Most of their acquisitions have some viticulture historical significance. As Jean-Charles said “we are here to share together a unique moment, not be manufacturers of a beverage.
Today, Jean-Charles resides in Napa Valley with his wife, winemaker Gina Gallo, of Gallo Family Vineyards and their toddling twin daughters. Continue reading »
