Crédit Agricole Buys Minority Stake in Brad Pitt’s Miraval Wine Business

Crédit Agricole has acquired a minority stake in Miraval Provence, the company that oversees the wine and commercial business tied to Château Miraval, the estate in Provence associated with actor Brad Pitt and the Perrin family.

The French bank announced the investment as a move to support the company’s next stage of growth in France and abroad. Trade publication Vitisphere reported that the deal was worth about €15 million, though the bank’s announcement focused on the strategic purpose of the transaction rather than on detailed financial terms.

Miraval Provence manages the activities built around Château Miraval, a more than 500-hectare property in the heart of Provence. About 30 hectares are planted with vines used for rosé production, the core of a brand that has become one of the most visible celebrity-linked wine labels in the world.

The estate was bought in 2008 by Pitt and Angelina Jolie for €28 million. Six years later, it also served as the setting for their wedding. Over time, Miraval grew into a premium rosé brand with wide international distribution, helped by the profile of its owners and by the winemaking partnership with Famille Perrin, one of France’s best-known wine families.

The ownership structure around Miraval has changed several times since Pitt and Jolie separated. In 2021, Jolie sold her 50% stake in Miraval Provence to the Stoli group, led by Russian businessman Yuri Shefler. That sale led Pitt to sue his former wife, alleging damages and challenging the transaction. The legal fight over Miraval and its related assets has remained one of the most closely watched disputes involving celebrity-owned wine businesses.

Despite those changes, Pitt still holds 50% of Miraval Provence, according to the information reported alongside the bank’s announcement. Famille Perrin had remained the only minority partner in the company before Crédit Agricole joined the shareholder base. The new deal adds a major French financial institution to a business that is seeking broader expansion while keeping its current leadership and brand identity.

Marc Perrin said the investment marked an important step for the company. In comments reported after the announcement, he described Crédit Agricole’s entry alongside his family and Château Miraval as a key milestone.

Crédit Agricole said it decided to invest in the group to help finance development in both the French market and international markets, strengthen awareness of the Miraval brand, support the launch of products aimed at changing consumer demand and reinforce the company’s organizational structure. The language of the announcement suggests a plan that goes beyond vineyard operations and puts new emphasis on brand building, product development and international sales.

That matters in Provence, where rosé is both a major agricultural product and a competitive global category. Miraval has already built strong recognition, but outside capital from a large bank-backed investor may help it scale marketing, logistics and distribution at a time when premium wine producers are under pressure to expand carefully and manage costs.

The Miraval name has long carried value beyond wine. Although vineyards have existed on the estate for centuries, the property first became widely known in modern culture in the late 1970s because of its recording studio. Under then-owner Jacques Loussier, a French jazz pianist, the studio became a destination for major artists. Albums were recorded there by acts including AC/DC, Pink Floyd and The Cure. That history gave the estate a cultural identity before it became associated with Hollywood and luxury rosé.

In the wine business, Miraval’s rise was driven by a combination of celebrity attention, Provence’s growing appeal as a rosé region and the technical reputation of the Perrin family. The bottles’ design, pricing and positioning helped place the brand in the premium segment, where image and distribution are as important as vineyard output. The arrival of Crédit Agricole indicates that the owners see room to keep building that model rather than simply maintaining an established label.

The investment also reflects the continued interest of institutional capital in high-profile wine assets with strong global branding. In recent years, banks, private investors and luxury groups have shown increasing willingness to back estates that offer both agricultural production and lifestyle value. Miraval fits that pattern because it combines vineyard land, a well-known property, a celebrity connection and an established international brand in a category with broad consumer recognition.

Neither the bank’s announcement nor the report cited a change in day-to-day control of the business. The emphasis was instead on giving Miraval Provence more financial and organizational support as it grows. That suggests the current strategy around the estate, its rosé production and its commercial rollout is expected to continue, now with an additional partner able to provide capital and backing for expansion.

For Pitt, the deal brings in a French banking group at a time when Miraval’s ownership history has remained under legal and public scrutiny. For Crédit Agricole, it opens a place in one of the best-known names in Provence wine, a market where reputation, export potential and premium pricing remain central to growth.