On my flight to Napa a couple of weeks ago I had the chance to read the current (June 2014) issue of Wine Spectator.  The featured article is on Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their vineyard and winery.  The Jolie-Pitts, as they are now known, invested $60 million dollars in their Miraval project located in Provenance, France.  They partnered with the Perrin family for assistance in the vineyard management and wine making.  The first vintage of Miraval was released last year and surprised a lot of people by receiving critical acclaim (90 points WS) as well as fan fare.

The most interesting thing about the whole article is the transformation of Brad Pitt from Hollywood megastar into a rural farmer in France.  According to the article, Brad spend most of his time on the property now basically just farming and fixing things.  He discovered a retention wall on the property which was built in the 1200’s and has spent the last year or so painstakingly repairing it.

I have yet to taste any if Miraval’s releases, but I have noticed them at my local Costco, so I think I’ll give it a try.