As I wrote a few weeks ago, Sylvie Cazes' (sister of Jean Michel Cazes at Chateau Lynch Bages) new role as president of the Union de Grand Crus Classes has been confirmed (a week ago now, that's having new baby for you, sorry!). I went to a dinner at the Fete du Vin last weekend (450,000 people in Bordeaux for the wine festival, a really wonderful weekend) and saw Sylvie.
She said she was, 'very excited, but slightly nervous' at the task ahead. It's the first time that the UGC has had a woman as its president, but as my neighbour from a Margaux chateau at the dinner said, 'the question isn't whether a man or a woman can better run the organisation, but what is the professionalism of that person? With Sylvie, we are getting one of the best professionals in Bordeaux.'
She tells me that she wants to concentrate on enlarging the public tastings run internationally by the UGC, and on getting more useful economic information out to the property owners within the UGC, so they can have a better overview of existing and emerging opportunities in world markets.
It will definitely be interesting to watch over the next few months to see what changes she brings in.
