Ilja Gort

In 1994, Dutchman Ilja Gort saw his dream come true when he bought the rundown but promising Château de la Garde. In ten years time he managed to transform the ramshackle castle into a fully operational wine castle with both modern vinification equipment as well as traditional French oak barrels.

From 2001, he has been writing and publishing books on his life as a vintner, which he describes as both relentlessly grueling and exquisitely rewarding.

In 2008, Ilja Gort had his nose insured with Lloyds of London for the sum of 5 million Euro.