Happy IWD from Bijou!

Happy International Women's Day! Today we celebrate the women around the world and the progress that they have made, and continue to make, in society. At Bijou, we are committed to empowering women and recognize the importance of gender equality in the wine industry and beyond.

In such important day we like to share the empowering story of Sophie Valrose, a young lady who fought against gender exploitation in the vineyards of Southern France.

The Legend of Sophie Valrose

In early 1900, it was mainly women who worked in the vineyards; pruning and harvesting the vines. At the time, these women were often mistreated, over-worked and underpaid. Sophie Valrose, an audacious woman who was working at the vineyards stood up for women’s rights and drastically improved the working conditions for her fellow women in the Languedoc vineyards in which she worked, becoming a sort of a hero.

Our flagship rosé, Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose  and one of our latest releases En Mémoire de Sophie Valrose are a tribute to her courage and we share her story on the back of every bottle to her memory. Our Bijou is made from grapes sourced from handpicked bush vines, like those that Sophie would’ve harvested herself many years ago.