2020-04-01 Forbes Africa

60 | FORBES AFRICA APRIL 2020 FORBESAFRICA.COM

J

EAN-CHARLESBOISSETQUIETSA LONGTABLEOF50-PLUSGUESTSINNEWYORK’S

MeatpackingDistrictasgoldmagnumsofChampagneclinkinthebackground.It’sa

Last Supper-inspiredmealfortheFrench-bornwinemaker,partofhismulticitytourto

promotea $395coffeetablebookcalledTheAlchemyoftheSenses. Assaumonà l’oseille

arriveswitha richpinotnoir,Boissetbeginstoexplainhisselection,anunusualblendofgrapes

fromBurgundyandCaliforniacalledJCBNo.3.

Afterinhalingdeeplyfroma particularlywidecrystalgobletthat’spartofhisnewcollaboration

withBaccarat,Boissetadmitsthatthisdinnerhascausedhimtomisstheten-yearanniversaryof

his marriage to Gina Gallo, the third-generation face of the family behind the world’s largest wine

A GlassbyHimself

Jean-CharlesBoisset,inthe

RaymondVineyards’RedRoom,

hasa boutiquethatsellsjewelry

anda bobblehead of himself

that sings

WinemakerJean-CharlesBoissethasstealthilybuilta $450million

oenologicalempireinFranceandCaliforniaonestrugglingvineyard

at a time — and uncorkeda lascivioussecret-agent persona.

The James Bond Of Burgundy

BY CHLOE SORVINO