Louis-Vuitton (LVMH) owned wine producer Château d’Esclans and spirits-focused blockchain marketplace BlockBar launched an NFT edition of the wine maker’s famed Garrus rosé on Monday.
“Château d’Esclans is making history with the first-ever sale of a barrel of Garrus using our new innovative leaderboard technology, exclusively on BlockBar,” the wine and spirits NFT platform’s announcement read. “As the first rosé on BlockBar, this single barrel is presented to wine collectors and aficionados who have the opportunity to purchase a quarter barrel (equivalent to 150 L = 200 x 750ML bottles) of Garrus, Château d’Esclans 2023.”
Château d’Esclans Launches NFT Garrus Rosé Bottle With BlockBar
According to Château d’Esclans’ website, Garrus rosé is made from a vineyard featuring 100-year-old wines and fermented in new-age oak barrels, making it the vineyard’s “finest wine.”
Buyers of the Garrus rosé NFT can choose from three select bottle sizes: Magnums, Jeroboams, or the massive 1.5-gallon Methuselah.
Additionally, purchasers will be given a September VIP tour of the winery and vineyards alongside three guests. They will have lunch with the winery’s founder, Sacha Lichine, or Vice President Paul Chevalier while receiving their name etched on a barrel.
Château d’Esclans is making history with the first-ever sale of a barrel of Garrus using our new innovative leaderboard technology, exclusively on BlockBar.
As the first rosé on BlockBar, this single barrel is presented to wine collectors and aficionados who have the opportunity… pic.twitter.com/vVfdNiLKKt
— BlockBar (@BlockBar) May 13, 2024
The bidding for a portion of the sought-after NFT Garrus rosé bottle will start at $22,000 and closes May 31.
In 2019, LVMH bought a 55% stake in Château d’Esclans, though the amount is undisclosed.
Louis Vuitton Expands Into Metaverse And NFTs
LVMH’s investment in the NFT-linked winery marks one of its latest ventures in its long and storied history of developing luxury digital products in the web3.
In August 2021, the luxury giant unveiled a free-to-play NFT offering called Louis: The Game. The game educated players on the brand while simultaneously gifting them with digital rewards.
In January 2022, LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault further highlighted the fashion house’s focus on its metaverse expansion, claiming it could have a “positive impact” if “done well.”
By June 2023, the company launched its Web3 application-only VIA project alongside a $41,000 digital chest modeled after the iconic LV trunk, fittingly named “The Treasure Trunk.”
A company statement at the time said the project was “designed for those who seek to travel through new dreams and new realities and collect unique creations along the way.”
Most recently, the company announced the sale of its NFT-linked varsity jacket for its VIA NFT holders as part of a collaboration with record producer Pharrell Williams.
The partnership between BlockBar and and the LVMH-owned Château d’Esclans may signal a growing desire to merge Web3 technologies into the luxury food and beverage space.