Jean-Marc Barthez

The world’s most famous wine region, Bordeaux has been popularly defined by the luxury stereotypes of its exclusive “first growth” châteaux, which produce some of today’s most highly coveted wines. But beyond this façade of wealth, there lies an “alternative” Bordeaux— one populated by the small independent estates that line the banks of the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers. This is the Bordeaux to which winemaker Jean Marc Barthez belongs.

The archetypal “dirt-under-the-fingernails” grower, far more likely to be spotted driving a tractor than a Porsche, he serves as the president of a small co-operative winery in Monségur, an ancient village founded by Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 13th century. There, he oversees a handful of growers who cultivate small family vineyards,many of which are certified organic, to produce Bordeaux wines that their friends and neighbors can actually afford.