Chase to make biodynamic wine and vermouth in Provence

By Emily Kearns

Published: 16 May, 2013

Potato farmer Will Chase, who sold his £30 million Tyrrells Crisps empire in 2010 to make potato vodka, has added a vineyard in Provence to his drinks portfolio.

The owner of Chase Vodka, which won Best Vodka in the World at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, has bought Château Constantin-Chevalier in the Luberon village of Lourmarin.

The 40ha vineyard will continue producing red, rosé and white wine like its previous owner Allen Chevalier who passed away in 2011.

Rosé vermouth will also be produced using Grenache and Syrah, English rhubarb and English vodka - an "Anglo-French" vermouth inspired by Chase's rhubarb vodka.

Chase, whose commercial success with spuds grown in England's difficult climate has earned him the nickname "the Potato Magnet", will turn his new vineyards biodynamic.

"I have a huge passion for Grenache and my main aim is to make a really fine red wine with it because it's one of the hardest grapes to work with," Chase told Harpers.

"The Grenache vines are 20 to 80 years old here and we're very close to Châteauneuf-du-Pape, so we have a similar climate, some high Syrah vineyards, Mourvèdre, Carignan and some Viognier."

It took five years for Chase to find his ideal Grenache vineyard and, after viewing around 80, spent €4 million on the estate, which will see a further €250,000 investment.

Chase's vast experience in agriculture has prepared him for working with Grenache. He said: "I've been through the best and the worst of English weather growing potatoes and even if you miss one day you never get it back. You've got to be in front of the weather all the time - you've got to be out there and feel it and have a genuine passion for what you do," he said.

Robert Eden, great nephew of former British Prime Minister Anthony Eden, is the biodynamic winemaker at Constantin-Chase, the new label for the château.

Its new eco-friendly winery has similar hemp blocks used at Eden's sustainable winery at Château Maris in the Languedoc.

Production at Constantin-Chase is set to increase from 150,000 bottles a year to 400,000 over five years. The château will also become a boutique hotel for wine lovers.

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