Meet the team!
Every vineyard has one and ours is as diverse as our soil is. Driven by the same excitement to be part of a tough challenge, they strive to make each day in Biac a great one, in spite of all the unexpected hurdles we may face…
Without them, Biac truly wouldn’t be the same.
19, Rue de la Ruasse
33550 Langoiran
France
42, Route de Cadillac
33550 Langoiran
France
BP 35
33550 Langoiran
France
Youmna and Tony were born meters away from each other in Beirut… in different vintages!
Life brought them together in 1977, but due to the war in Lebanon (1975 – 1991), the path ahead was never going to be easy, with Tony going and coming from London to Beirut via rickety boats from Cyprus when the Beirut airport was closed, and Youmna holding the fort in London to raise the children.
Eventually, they discovered the beauty of the Bordeaux region during several summers spent in a lovely Chartreuse 6 km away from Biac!
However, never in their wildest dreams did they think that “retirement” would translate into owning Biac itself.
They now divide their time between Beirut, where Tony’s main office remains, and Biac, where their hearts lie.
Some would say Yasmina has crossed over to the dark side. Trained and qualified as a nutritional therapist, she’s a believer that “selling” wine is much more fun than “prohibiting” it. She now preaches the good virtues of Biac wines alongside the importance of eating and drinking in a way that nourishes mind, body and soul. Having spent eight years in the financial industry (New York, Beirut and Paris) she understands the pressures and stressors that come with fast-paced living and very much embodies the Biac solution.
Slow down. Enjoy. Taste Bordeaux in a glass.
Joined the family at the beginning of a typically enchanting London spring one year… Soon to be sandwiched between two girls, Gabriel had to show his muscles quite soon! He managed to break all records at school for swimming competitions (he is a Pisces after all!) and soon developed a fan club of adoring young ladies at a very tender age!
By the time he had graduated from Imperial College, the internet age had invaded the world. His hobby of helping “Mum’s technologically impaired friends” became a real vocation, leading him to set up his company in 2006 – Gabsit. “Gabs”, as he is known to his friends/clients, can be seen most days on his beloved motorbike, zooming around London, helping them stay connected and out of trouble!
It is extremely reassuring to know he is at the other end of the curser moving around our screens in Biac when he remotes in from London! (Especially for “Mum”).
Outside his techie life, Gabs loves food and is the custodian of his grandmother’s ice cream recipes. His smile and good humor illuminate our vineyard life when he is around, especially when he dishes out Carambar sticks to help keep spirits up during harvest!
Last but not least, Antonia is the youngest! Like her brother, she preferred to remain working in London and immediately fell into her first job at Burberry where she learned the tricks of the trade in digital marketing.
She then decided to explore bits of the world, but realized that London really was home and came back to find a place within The Business of Fashion, a rapidly expanding start up.
Antonia comes readily to Biac for a break from the city and although not involved full on with the life of the vineyard, her work experience is very handy to help the team address the marketing meanders of social networks.
Diva, Bijou and Bambi, named by our team’s children, are repeatedly awarded the title of “Employees of the Month”! Their sole job is to eat the grass on a very steep part of the hill… Something which they excel at, without gaining any weight. Could it be the French paradox at work?!
Patrick’s unparalleled experience in shaping some of the greatest wines of the world makes him one of the most respected “Masters” in the wine world.
After joining Alexis Lichine and Co in 1972 in Bordeaux where he oversaw their purchasing of French wines, he went on to become the Technical Director of the Baron Philippe de Rothschild’s wine estates including Mouton Rothschild, Armailhac and Clerc Milon. During his tenure, he also created illustrious wines such as Opus One in the US and Almaviva in Chile. His unequalled expertise coupled with a wide and diversified international experience combine to give him an instinctive and immediate appreciation of a terroir’s quality.
Fate, in the shape of a very good friend, brought him to us in January 2009. From the moment we met, a natural friendship developed brought by a human understanding of each other’s aspirations and the exciting challenge of revealing Biac’s unique potential.
Little did we know that early in his professional life, when establishing the Cadillac Oenology Laboratory nearby, he would stop sometimes at the end of a long working day to admire Biac and the view from the hilltop road! Now not only does he watch over the vineyard from inside, but best of all, with a glass of Biac wine in his hand!
Our consultant oenologist, sweet and dry white wines
Born and growing up in Barsac where her parents owned vineyards, Christine Sourdes has always been surrounded by vines. She studied oenology at the Université de Bordeaux, mostly under Professor Denis Dubourdieu (now President of the new Faculté d’Oenologie), and started her professional life in 1986 working in the Fraud Repression Services under Pierre Sudreau. Upon his retirement, Mr Sudreau encouraged Christine to take up his famous oenology laboratory, which she did as the first woman ever to carry out this activity in the Sauternes region.
Christine’s passion for winemaking is tangible and contagious: her ability to understand and reveal a vineyard’s potential is as precise as her rigorous work ethic and sense of humour!
She likes to repeat that, to her, Château Biac is a “unique, magical and exceptional place“.
Gilles Rey has been involved with our vineyard almost since the beginning. Previously working with Patrick Léon (our consultant oenologist), at Mouton Rothschild for 18 years, he now applies his extensive knowledge here in Biac as well as other carefully selected vineyards across the world.
If you believe in the magical aptitudes of horse whisperers and dog whisperers, then Gilles Rey is the ultimate “soil whisperer”… One could walk the vineyard with him a thousand times and still have more to learn.
Like with all perfectionists, his expectations can sometimes be demanding! However, the very visible transformation of our vineyard since 2006 could not have taken place without him.
Sandy joined our team in February 2018.
Originally from the Champagne region, she swapped bubbles for still wines and arrived in Bordeaux to pursue her Masters in Marketing and Communication.
Her love of all good things led her towards the wine world: she integrated our team to support us in the smooth running of Chateau Biac. Apart from her penchant to like good food and wine, she is fond of art, literature , photography and travel.
Marie Laure grew up on her parent’s farm in Leognan. Her early life was spent tending to their vegetable plot and their animals.
Hardworking from the start, she split her time between college education and working in the hospitality industry to fund her studies. She graduated in Portuguese literature and civilization at Master’s level. With her work experience, Marie Laure specialised in the catering business and thus came to Biac in 2012 to join our team.
Marie Laure can be seen everywhere on the property making sure that no spiders or “creepy crawlies” are allowed to establish themselves firmly! She is a great cook and makes the most delicious “langues de chat biscuits” which keep everyone smiling during harvest.
Today she is also a mother of two, Diego aka “Loulou” and Lorena aka “Nini” who make her ever so happy!
Sebastien was born a stone’s throw from Biac, in Barsac. Winemaking was always his main interest which developed into his passion…and then his career! After studying at the famed Tour Blanche viticulture school, he worked at Château de la Ligne and Château du Tourte before joining us in January 2009.
He arrived in Biac with his wife Fanny, their energetic son Noa and newborn Ylana, just in time to be greeted by the devastating 2009 storm! Luckily, the rest of the year turned out to be a great vintage and a promising welcome to Biac.
Sebastien works very closely with our consultants, always striving to fine tune his skills be it in vineyard care or wine making.
On Friday night, he turns into a fierce “midfielder” playing football with friends from other vineyards in Barsac. He is also a fine cook and never fails to introduce our interns to the delicate intricacies of his homemade local specialty “Lamproie Bordelaise”!
Born only five kilometers away from Biac, Patrick has always lived within the area. Growing up, he helped his family tend to their farm, learning at a very tender age all the skills required to cope with what nature throws at you.
After spending one year in Grenoble with the “chasseurs alpins”, he worked on a vineyard close to Biac. In 2010, Patrick joined the Biac team and when he is not busy pruning delicately the vines or otherwise generally helping in the vineyard and driving the tractors, he maintains Biac’s green spaces and wildflower meadow. In harvest time, do not try to outdo him when picking grapes: his amazing precision and velocity have earned him the title of “Superpat”!
Patrick hunts and collects wild mushrooms like no one else!
He is married to Veronique, herself a skilled gardener and they have a mechanically gifted son, Guillaume who drives a lawnmower as if he is racing at the “24h. du Mans”!
Veronique is the most recent team member to join us as of October 2016. However, she was the first one to be involved in Biac way back in April 2007: we met her when touring the neighboring countryside looking for an olive tree there she was as manager! for many years after, Veronique helped us choose trees, seed mixes for our wild meadow: her knowledge of plants (which she lists surprisingly in perfect Latin!!!!) is mind blowing… if you believe in horse whisperers, then Veronique is definitely a plant whisperer…!
Veronique grew up in a “green” environment, tending her father’s vines from a very young age ; in those days , girls were not considered fit to work in wineries : the only vineyard tasks open to them were the toughest ones outdoors! : as a result, Veronique started her working life in a plant nursery and after graduating from the Ecole d’agriculture Creon Blanquefort (which has sadly closed down since), found a job at the Coste nursery where we met her …24 years later !
Veronique is now an integral part of the team, in charge of our boutique and other related winery work, but as her first love is the garden, you can see her often lending a hand to Patrick when the roses and other plants need a “whisperer’s” touch!!!!
