User:VictoriaKoning/sandbox

Mirabeau en Provence is an expat French wine producer and Négociant in Provence. Stephen Cronk moved to Cotignac in 2009 with his wife Jeany and their three children, swapping a comfortable life in the telecoms industry in South London to pursue a dream of making top-quality French wine in Provence.

With his background in sales, Cronk chose the négociant route to build a wine brand. Critical to his success is the wine-making team that blends fermented wine, working very closely with wine-growers near Aix-en-Provence. Initially led by Angela Muir MW, the wine team is led by Jo Ahearne MW and Nathalie Longefay is the local French oenologue. Mirabeau en Provence wines are achieving critical acclaim and sell in 40 markets around the world, with big retailers like Waitrose in the UK, BevMo! in the States and Albert Hein in the Netherlands.

Social Media
Cronk is most noted for his use of social media to build his wine brand and actively uses Twitter, Facebook and Youtube. His Youtube video [How to open a bottle of wine without a corkscrew went viral and has been viewed more than 10 million times. Although they sell mostly B2B, they use social media to create awareness of the brand, and to drive traffic to their website. The family story has been picked up by major international press.

Cotignac
In 2013 Mirabeau en Provence renovated a 350-year building, La Falaise, with a varied past. 15 years earlier it had been the local car garage (next door to local restaurants). During the renovation, it was discovered that it used to be a winery run by the Penitent Blancs. Stephen and Jeany Cronk opened their wine cellar in July 2014 and in 2015 they expanded it to include a Provençal gift store boutique.

Press Articles

 * The Telegraph: Meet the British couple making wine in France