…We became driven by one guiding principle — that of “balance and harmony” where the winery, its people, and nature remain in healthy, sustainable equilibrium.

For my series on strong female founders, I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Rolet.

In addition to her role as Principal of Chêne Bleu, Nicole has established herself as a trailblazing female in the wine industry. Nicole is the Founder of The Grenache Symposium Associate, Fine Minds for Fine Wines and Areni Global. Drawing on her background in international affairs and think tanks, Nicole Rolet is passionate about tackling pressing wine-industry issues. Since 2017, Fine Minds for Fine Wine (FM4FW), a think tank she founded, gathers a community of like-minded wine experts from all corners of the world: producers, trade, regulators, and collectors, as well as experts on the future of tech, finance, geopolitics, ecology, culture, gastronomy and luxury. The Areni Global Institute for the Future of Fine Wine, which she co-founded in 2018 with Pauline Vicard, is a non-profit umbrella organization. It addresses these same issues on an inclusive and global scale, which and now encompasses FM4FW, and hosts insight series that are open to all and produces original research and content. Its programs are designed to also be accessible to demographic groups often underrepresented in the wine trade.

Read the full interview here