Hip-hop star, actor and vintner Post Malone flew to France last month after wildfires swept through parts of Provence and burned thousands of acres in the French wine region best-known for rosé. The flames reached Château de Berne, from which some of the grapes for Malone's Maison No. 9 rosé are sourced. Malone and his business partner James Morrissey assessed the damage (which was minimal and did not impact production) and thanked the local fire department.
"We invited the local firefighters to join us for dinner at the Ultimate Provence winery, as we wanted to thank them in person for their courageous efforts in saving not only our vines, but also so many people’s lives locally," Morrissey told Wine Spectator via email. "It made us realize who the real heroes were this summer: those brave men and women who risk their lives every year to keep both people and the land safe."
Morrissey added that while the fires caused damage to winery facilities, Maison No.9's partners at MDCV (the collective that owns Château de Berne, Château des Bertrands, Château St.-Roux and Ultimate Provence) were well-prepped in combating the destruction. Maison No. 9 is on track to meet 2021 production goals and release its third vintage next year.
"When we saw the damage in real life over the past few weeks, it really made us hyper-aware of the devastation being fueled by global warming," Morrissey added. "It’s something we are going to remain very conscious of as we continue to build out our business."
Enjoy Unfiltered? The best of Unfiltered's round-up of drinks in pop culture can now be delivered straight to your inbox every other week! Sign up now to receive the Unfiltered e-mail newsletter, featuring the latest scoop on how wine intersects with film, TV, music, sports, politics and more.
