Berenice Lurton has been elected the new president of the Sauternes and Barsac Crus Classes, it was announced today.
Lurton, who owns first growth Sauternes chateau Climens, succeeds Nancy de Bournazel of Chateau de Malle who held the post for eight years.
Appointed for three years, Lurton said the group’s strategy would be to change the common perception of the region’s wines. The group aims to attract younger drinkers and demonstrate its wines’ versatility.
‘The image of our wines is a bit fusty,’ she told decanter.com. ‘We want to show they can be drunk in all different circumstances – as aperitifs, with dishes, especially exotic ones.’
She said the appellation would look to take the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac beyond professional wine journalists ‘to food and lifestyle writers, as well as directly to consumers.’
She pointed to the forthcoming Vinexpo Asia-Pacific in Hong-Kong as a major focus of the group this year.
‘We’ll be doing things a bit differently this time,’ she said. ‘Including a masterclass, and food and wine matching activities for consumers.’
Written by Maggie Rosen
