Why I made the world’s most expensive sangria using dozens of £3,200 bottles of wine: The man behind the video that shocked the internet explains the extraordinary reasoning behind it and reveals his staggering bill
A man who claims to be behind the extraordinary video showing a group of people making sangria from a £100,000 wine favoured by Queen Elizabeth has revealed why he pulled off the bizarre stunt.
Video footage showed diners at La Guérite restaurant on Sainte-Marguerite Island, off the coast of Cannes, cheering and whistling as they mixed two vintages of the world-famous Petrus, along with ice cubes, oranges and other ingredients. One man was seen licking a bottle as he poured its contents into a bowl.
The as-yet-unnamed revellers were seen on August 10 pouring the vintages, a 2006 which retails for around €3,800 (£3,200) a bottle, and the 2011, which costs around €3,200 (£2,700). But it wasn’t until French newspaper La Figaro picked up the story that condemnation became widespread.
Now one of the men, who claims to be an entertainment manager, has revealed that he poured ten bottles of Petrus into the bowl because he had to spend a minimum of €100,000 on a premium table for a charity concert by legendary electronic label Keinemusik.
The director, who did not want to be named, told MailOnline: ‘I got fed up with ordering champagne to meet the minimum table price at a private event where Keinemusik were performing. That’s the story behind the story.
‘I only chose Petrus because it was the most expensive dish on the menu per bottle.’
The vintages, a 2006 which costs around €3,800 (£3,200) a bottle, and the 2011, which costs around €3,200 (£2,700), were used to make the brew
Video footage showed diners at the La Guérite restaurant on Sainte-Marguerite Island, off the coast of Cannes, cheering and whistling as they mixed two vintages of the world-famous Petrus in a glass bowl
The director shared a receipt from La Guérite that appeared to be printed on August 9 and showed a total amount of almost €114,000
When asked how he felt about spending the staggering amount on booze, he simply said, “I don’t know. Indifferent, I guess.
‘I wanted to see Keinemusik with my friends and the price was 100,000.’
During the charity event, which took place on August 9, the label raised money for the Holy Family Foundation, a charity that works to house orphans.
The director showed a receipt from La Guérite apparently printed on August 9 and showing a total amount of almost €114,000.
Of that total, €80,000 was spent on Petrus wine, he claimed. He told MailOnline that while La Guérite normally sells bottles of Petrus at a huge premium, he was given a 20% discount because he is a ‘repeat customer who spends a lot there.’
His viral stunt divided opinion, especially in France. Philippe Faure-Brac, a celebrity sommelier, told The Times it was “like using a Picasso or a van Gogh to make a fire.”
“This is a wine with a gastronomic vocation par excellence. Why not taste it in a very festive way? Putting it in a sangria is not its vocation.”
The director and his friends bought 10 bottles of Petrus (pictured)
Only 30,000 bottles of Petrus are made each year
They bought the expensive bottles because they wanted to meet the minimum spending amount at the restaurant
He hit back at the accusations, telling MailOnline: ‘I don’t tell you how to eat your steak or drink your favourite drink. At the end of the day, it’s just wine. Why people have such strong opinions about such things is beyond me.’
Petrus became a favourite of the then Princess Elizabeth in the 1940s after Marie-Louise Loubat, the then owner, sent a coffin to the UK.
She loved the red wine and later invited Loubat to serve it at her wedding.
The wine was also given to John F. Kennedy and his wife Jackie, both well-known Francophiles. They declared their love for the wine, which greatly increased its popularity in the US.
The vineyard produces only 30,000 bottles of Petrus per year on 10 hectares of land.
Legendary wine critic Robert Parker previously said of the 2006 Petrus that it had “notes of caramelized, sweet black cherry and wild berry fruit with lots of spice, earth and a hint of herbaceousness.”
He said the 2011 vintage had “subdued but intriguing aromas of kirsch, raspberry jam, woody spice and mulberry.”