Basketball and Wine
Tony Parker and his wine ventures
It seems like everyone has a wine brand these days, right? When you come into a lotta bit of money, the next thing to do is invest in a vineyard or two. All the celebrities are doing it. They make it seem like it must be easy to sell wine in a very saturated market.
So, it should come as no surprise that one of the most awarded basketball players in NBA history is also involved in the wine industry. But with Tony Parker, it’s a little different (and not just because he is French).
Champagne Jeeper and Château La Mascaronne
Tony recently teamed up with French entrepreneur, Michel Reybier, as a partner in some of Reybier’s properties and products, including Champagne Jeeper and Château La Mascaronne.
Some background: Monsieur Reybier got his start in food and hospitality through distribution before he founded the first fine European charcuterie, Aoste. After he sold that company in 1996, he began investing in wineries, hotels, healthcare, and wellness. Along with his family, he is the founder and owner of La Réserve hotels in Paris, Geneva, Zurich and Ramatuelle, as well as Domaines Reybier, which includes wineries such as Cos d’Estournel, Domaine Impérial Tokaj-Hétszölö, Champagne Michel Reybier, Champagne Jeeper, Château La Mascaronne, and La Lauzade in Provence. In 2014, he invested in two Swiss hotel groups. Since creating Michel Reybier Hospitality, he has headed more than 15 iconic hotels in France, Switzerland, and England.
Now, it can be a bit confusing when these high-profile folks get involved with wine brands. You may be thinking — are they making the wine? Did they start the brand? What is their involvement, exactly? And these are all questions I also have every time I hear another big name promoting a wine.
In this case, Tony is not magically a winemaker; he did not invent this brand but is part owner and a partner of Reybier’s. The men are also connected through basketball. Specifically, Reybier was once an investor in the French basketball team that Tony now owns. So, this seems to be a case of great minds thinking alike, and shared interests bringing together business partners in wine. Haven’t we all enjoyed a bottle of wine and thought, I’d like to own this?
Though not classically trained in wine, Tony is learning more about the ins and outs of winemaking by spending time with the viticulture and winemaking teams at each winery. His interest in the industry does seem to transcend purely business endeavors. And as any wine enthusiast knows, it’s easy to get sucked into this world if you have an ounce of curiosity.
Both the Jeeper and La Mascaronne brands are top-notch, in my opinion. I’ve had the opportunity to taste them several times over the years, both in the comfort of my own home and out and about in the world. Most recently, at a dinner here in Miami with Tony Parker himself. Each time, I’ve been impressed. In other words, this isn’t just some cheap winemaking with a celebrity name slapped on it. These are real wines with legacy and substance.
The other night, we were introduced to the history behind the Champagne Jeeper name. Founded in 1949, the name “Jeeper” is in reference to an American military jeep that the former owner would ride around the vineyards in after the war. Imagine the word “jeeper” but with a French accent, and this is what people called him - Monsieur Jeeper. The name stuck and became the brand. An endearing nickname born from the remnants of war when the entire region of Champagne was ransacked by Nazis who pillaged and ravished the land.
For more about this terrible time in history and how it affected the French wine industry across the country, I recommend the book, Wine & War.
Back to the present day! It was lovely to spend an evening with Tony. He is a gracious, soft-spoken guy who takes the time to listen and make you feel welcome, even if it is his 50th event of the day. Our dinner the other night included Jeeper’s Blanc de Blancs Reserve, vintage 2008, and Grand Rosé NV, as well as the Mascaronne Rosé 2022 and Rouge 2019. The Provençal wines both stand out as some of the top wines among the bottles I’ve had more recently from that region. Excellent choices for lovers of Southern French wines.
It also might be nice to mention that both these brands are committed to environmental sustainability. Champagne Jeeper has set the goal of being carbon neutral by 2025, and La Mascaronne has been certified Agriculture Biologique (organic) since 2016.
