The ongoing row between actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt has taken a sharper turn in the beverage alcohol industry, with Stoli Group facing up to Campari Group this week over the Provence rosé producer Chateau Miraval.
The winery was purchased by Jolie and Pitt in 2012 prior to their wedding at the property two years later, but is now co-owned by Pitt and Stoli Group, which acquired Jolie’s 50% in 2021, following the pair’s separation and subsequent divorce. Earlier this week, however, Campari Group was announced as Miraval’s new distribution partner for France and the US.
The news prompted a frank response from Stoli Group, whose Tenute del Mondo wine subsidiary bought out Jolie, reportedly without Pitt’s blessing.
“There was no tender, and Stoli Group had no involvement whatsoever in the negotiation process,” the company said of the distribution announcement. “Stoli Group has been shockingly side-lined from any strategic sessions, commercial negotiations or distribution agreement talks as well as the decision-making process and negotiations at Miraval.”
The Stoli vodka brand owner laid the blame for the matter squarely with Pitt. “This blatant omission of a co-owner of the brand from critical discussions casts a harsh spotlight on the fairness and transparency of any future agreements and raises questions about legitimacy of the process used for selecting a distribution partner for Miraval.”
Stoli Group is yet to respond to Global Drinks Intel‘s request for more details about its next move, however a spokesperson for Campari Group said today [Friday]: “Campari Group has a proven track record of successful acquisitions and deals including in the proper and compliant legal management thereof.
“As with any other distribution relationship, Campari Group entered into the Miraval distribution agreements after having ensured that the counterparty had all the necessary powers to grant distribution rights.”
Coincidentally, an article in Global Drinks Intel magazine last year highlighted the attraction of consumers to the rosé wine category engendered by the Miraval saga. “Interest in Provence rosé in particular has been fuelled by the buzz surrounding wines such as Miraval, aided by the media soap opera around … Pitt and … Jolie,” the article noted.
Rosé on the rise as pink trend momentum stays strong – Consumer Intel
