Updated on July 09, 2025
Summer is all about white, red and especially rosé at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. The 4-star establishment is using the spacious areas around its lagoon to highlight a vineyard that is a faithful companion of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer: Château Sainte Marguerite. The Var estate, which joined forces with Pernod Ricard 4 years ago, is embracing a new lease of life while preserving the know-how handed down from father to son – and daughter.
Their family spirit reflects the ethos at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort during the holiday season.
Interview with Olivier Fayard, Managing Director and winemaker of ‘Crus Classés’ wines.
How did your relations with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer come about?
Olivier Fayard: We’ve been working together for a very long time. When my father Jean-Pierre Fayard took over Château Sainte Marguerite in 1977, he had to go out and look for customers. First around the estate, then a little further afield until he reached as far as Monaco. That’s how we came to work closely with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. Since joining forces with Pernod Ricard, even though we export our wines all over the world, we are still very attached to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region.
Does your presence at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, where you have set up a ‘Summer Kitchen’ in the colours of Sainte Marguerite and Provence, indicate a desire to be more active in Monaco?
Olivier Fayard: The ‘Summer Kitchen by Marguerite’ concept was simply about wanting to express the essence of our House in a place where elegance meets relaxation, authenticity blends with modernity, and the land dialogues with the sea.
This summer installation is a first for us in the Principality and is scheduled to run for three summers. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting than the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort! The fresh, light style of Château Sainte Marguerite wines is in perfect harmony with Las Brisas, the summer restaurant at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort.
It’s also a manifesto that celebrates simple pleasures, the joy of sharing, the beauty of Provence reinvented, and the intimate link that exists between nature, design and gastronomy.
In addition to the ‘Summer Kitchen’, guests at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort will also be able to enjoy Château Sainte Marguerite at the Hippocampe bar, in the private areas by the lagoon, the Cocoon Bay, and in the VIP corners.
Do you offer your most prestigious wines here?
Olivier Fayard: Here, we offer two rosés from our collection of Côtes de Provence Grands Crus Classés: Symphonie, whose freshness and finesse make it the ideal vintage for discovering the aromatic palette associated with Château Sainte Marguerite wines; and Fantastique, a vintage recommended by Raimonds Tomsons (‘Best Sommelier of the World 2023’) that perfectly illustrates the excellence of our House.
Have you worked with Marcel Ravin, the multi-Michelin-starred chef at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, on wine and food pairings at Las Brisas?
Olivier Fayard: Chef Marcel Ravin prefers to say that rosé goes very well with Provençal cuisine. Creating a dish based on a vintage does not necessarily correspond with his vision. It would be more accurate to say that Marcel Ravin’s cuisine blends beautifully with the aromatic notes of Sainte Marguerite rosés.
Do initiatives like that enhance the reputation and glamour of your rosés?
Olivier Fayard: We aim for the very top end of the market, with wines that are really precise but still enjoyable. In Monaco, the clientele is well-informed, epicurean, well-travelled and curious about new products.
What are your expectations for this summer partnership?
Olivier Fayard: We always enjoy being present in such prestigious establishments, and it’s important for us to reach an international clientele that we already approach, but in a different way.
By joining forces with the Pernod Ricard Group, you are giving a new impetus to the family estate.
Olivier Fayard: My parents initially bought a 3-hectare estate. When my brother, sister and I signed with Pernod Ricard in 2021, we had 200 hectares of vines along a 25-kilometre perimeter. Growth has accelerated even more in the last 4 years, and we now have 458 hectares of ‘Cru Classé’ vines and opportunities abroad. Today, we sell in around ten foreign countries that include the United States, England, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and countries even further afield, such as Japan and South Korea.
How have the roles been divided between you and Pernod Ricard?
Olivier Fayard: Pernod Ricard encourages and accelerates commercial distribution, while the family continues to oversee governance, production and winemaking, guaranteeing the quality and soul of the vintages we release. My brother and I make the wine. My sister manages the business. It’s important to remember that Pernod Ricard is also a family business. In fact, I have quite a close relationship with Alexandre Ricard.
Your family expansion has been considerable.
Olivier Fayard: My father was one of the pioneers of new rosés, which were very mineral wines that were pale in colour and full of delicate fruit. Their success was instant and impressive! We ran out of stock every year. As we wanted to produce a wine that reflected who we were, we had to be able to control the overall quality and thus the grapes themselves. That’s why we bought new land.
Is rosé your signature wine?
Olivier Fayard: Rosé is the signature of Provence, here and around the world. We make very good reds and whites as well that perhaps surpass the average Provençal vineyard. Rosé represents 80% of our production. Today, it’s the only wine that hasn’t suffered a decline. In fact, it’s actually on a slight upturn. Rosé from Provence is really popular.
White is also a popular summer wine. Is it doing as well as rosé?
Olivier Fayard: White from Provence is currently very popular, particularly with English customers.
One thing Monegasque customers really appreciate is your organic label!
Olivier Fayard: We have been working to organic and vegan standards throughout our vineyards for over 20 years. Organic certification, which is the most stringent, bans all chemical products and materials containing plastic particles in particular, while the vegan label bans manure. Many customers, particularly from across the Atlantic, are receptive to this approach.
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