We’ve got an interesting bunch in and amongst the hills of Provence’s Luberon Valley or, as some (not I) like to call it, the ‘Golden Triangle’.

Peter Mayle, author of A Year In Provence, also lives in Menerbes, as do a handful of other notables – some of whom you might have spotted in the post we did about the Rupert rosé we smuggled into the south of France over the summer.

From our vantage point of Menerbes, you’ve got Ridley Scott just up the road, which explains what possessed him to make A Good Year with Russell Crowe.

And then there’s John Malkovich. His pad is a stone’s throw away, in Lacoste – the neighbouring village and inspiration for our dog’s name (I’m quick to note that we did not name our hound after a fashion label). ‘Malks’ – as I would address him, if we ever met and grew close – has been spotted from time to time. Doing his thing…you know, BEING John Malkovich.

The only local gossip I heard is that he intended to live in his French home, but got a fright when he learnt of the tax ramifications. Now I would imagine he stays for the maximum time he can get away with, and then heads off to be John Malkovich somewhere else.

It is hard to imagine someone who starred in a film with his real name in the title – a film to do with going inside his mind (and which received a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) – would make any sort of error, ever. But the alleged tax misunderstanding wasn’t the only whoopsie Malks incurred over in France. Especially now he’s entered the wine game.

I don’t know much about wine. I know what tastes good and I know good wine takes time. Take our exclusive wine partner, Rupert Wines, for example. Not much goes wrong with their wines, as they’ve been in the game for some time. Hence the perfection of my favourite red, Optima, among others. John Malkovich hasn’t been in the wine biz that long, and that’s how accidents happen.

According to The Drinks Business, Malks decided to counter the traditional varieties of the region (Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre) and discovered that his preferred Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir happened to grow particularly well in his neck of the woods.

He stands by his decision to plant Pinot in Provence, explaining that their village has its own cooler microclimate than the rest of the region.

“The area where we live is called ‘Little Siberia’. It’s incredibly dry and has zero humidity. We don’t have air conditioning in the summer because we don’t need it – it’s cool at night. When we first planted the Pinot and Cabernet on the property they shot out of the ground like they’d been exposed to a nuclear flash. They love it there.”

And off he went to plant his first vines, producing 16 000 bottles of wine. But then…

The decision to plant Cabernet came from a long-held love of California Cabs, which he naturally gravitated towards after being introduced to wine by Ambrose and Sands. Three years after planting their first vines, Malkovich and Peyran bottled their inaugural vintage in 2011. Having not registered the property as a business, they found themselves with 16,000 bottles of wine that they weren’t able to sell, so family and friends got to reap the rewards.

That’s a helluva lot of wine to gift family and friends. Even if he’s talking about 30 family and friends, that’s still 533 bottles (89 cases) each. Imagine BEING John Malkovich’s FRIEND?

Malkovich’s LQLC (Les Quelles de la Coste) brand includes two Pinot/Cabernet blends – top drop Les 14 Quelles, which will sell in the UK for £45 a bottle.

His ‘second’ wine is Les 7 Quelles, made from grapes that don’t make the cut into the grand vin, which will sell for £15.

I’ll be sure to give it a bash next year when we’re ‘on the continent’.

You check out the full article about John Malkovich and his wine here – it also covers his new play, where he plays a Harvey Weinstein inspired monster.

Apparently he wears a fat suit for that. Naturally.

[source:drinksbusiness]