Emma Watson and her brother Alex have announced the launch of their new gin brand.
The Harry Potter star introduced Renais Gin on Saturday 29 April, calling it an “ode” to her family’s vineyard in Chablis, Burgundy.
Emma shared a dreamy photograph of her and Alex enjoying the spirit on Instagram and told her followers that their “carbon-neutral” gin is made from upcycled wine grapes.
“I’m having a proud sister moment,” the 33-year-old actor added.
Also posting about Renais on Instagram, Alex shared a photograph of him and Emma in their family vineyard to announce his latest venture.
He took the opportunity to share the history of Chablis, where “my dad first planted our vineyards more than 30 years ago, whilst working as a barrister in Paris”.
“There’s a long story in there about how an Englishman was permitted by the locals to buy land for vineyards in France, but you’d need to ask him about that – the short version as I understand it, is that that he fell in love with the place and after consuming enough wine, they seem to have fallen in love with him too,” the 30-year-old added.
Alex, who used to work at multinational drinks company Diageo, shared that the name “Renais” is derived from the French word “renaissance” and means rebirth.
“It’s a nod to our production process, upcycling French wine grapes, but it also as a continuation of my family’s legacy, and a new interpretation of the traditions and rituals of a region,” he continued.
Alex also shared a first look at the gin bottle and its elegant, yellow branding.
In an interview with the Financial Times, the younger Watson explained what makes Renais a sustainable product.
Inspired by his father Chris Watson’s wine-making legacy, Alex had the idea to reuse grape skins that would have been thrown away, or turned into fertiliser, as flavouring for the gin.
“For 2,000 years, since the Romans came and first planted the vineyards, every ounce of effort here has gone into making those grapes as good as they can be,” he told the publication. “So I was just baffled by what was happening to the skins after the grapes had been pressed. I guess it seemed obvious to me, although it may sound strange.”
The special edition bottle is priced at £60 and is available to buy on the official Renais website.
