At the helm of the family-run Bentz estate since 2023, Carole Bentz embodies a new generation of Luxembourgish winemakers: committed to the long term, yet determined to open up the estate to new possibilities. Balancing family heritage, wine tourism, sustainability, diversification and international competition, she champions a form of viticulture that no longer merely produces wine, but builds an experience around it, for the benefit of customers.
After starting her career at EY and then working as a civil servant at the Ministry of the Civil Service, she learnt a clear lesson and quickly left that world, which she found meaningless. “There was virtually no creativity, relatively little contact with people, and very lengthy approval procedures. I said to myself, ‘No. I don’t want to do this anymore; I want to join the family business – that’s my calling,’” she recalls. “But it’s also an excellent training ground for life,” she adds, “to learn how to work with different teams and different personalities…”
She finally joined the family business at the age of 35, not exactly encouraged by her parents, who were then running the estate. “My father didn’t really involve my two sisters and me in the business. At the time, the sector was still very much male-dominated, and he never wanted to force any of his children to join him; he always preferred it to be of our own volition,” she confides.
To preserve is also to innovate
Of the three Bentz sisters, Carole is the only one still involved in the business today. In 2023, she bought out the company’s shares and took over as director. From that point on, the family realised that a return to the business could not be half-hearted. They needed to provide a future for the current generation, but also for those to come. It was with this in mind that the project for the estate’s new building was conceived, designed by her sister, Jil, an architect. Since then, she has gradually taken over the overall management of the business, whilst continuing to rely on her parents for support.
The problem […] is that people often confuse private life, parent-child relationships and professional life.
She doesn’t portray this handover as a smooth, uneventful process. In a family business, the boundaries between private and professional life are blurred. “The problem with family businesses is that we often confuse private life, parent-child relationships and professional life. And we don’t always draw a clear line between them. Discussions can be direct, sometimes brutal. Then again, in a family, there’s no awkwardness; we tell each other everything,” she explains. But there is also an advantage: decisions are made quickly, without cumbersome approval procedures. Nevertheless, Carole Bentz is convinced that a business handover must be supported.
Today, the business owner looks to the future, without forgetting the legacy of the past. For the estate’s history is not merely about tradition; innovation is just as much a part of it. Her father was the first in Luxembourg to install a computerised automatic temperature control system to monitor fermentation, back in the 1990s. She too wants to move forward with a focus on innovation, the long term and, above all, sustainability. “In viticulture, decisions are made with a view to the coming decades. Replanting a vineyard represents a significant investment, which isn’t thought of in terms of three or five years, but in the very long term. We’re preparing the land for future generations,” she insists.
International competition: a major challenge
The estate has therefore stopped using insecticides and herbicides for several years now, as part of a more environmentally friendly approach to soil and vine management. This vision is also reflected in the estate’s drive to diversify and develop wine tourism, which is centred in particular on its new headquarters. More than just an administrative building or a production facility, the site is conceived as a signature venue, a place of experience, offering events and cultural activities throughout the year. “Simply selling wine is no longer enough. You have to offer the customer a complete experience. We’re not just renting out a venue; we’re renting out a family history, a story spanning generations,” she asserts.
A solid foundation to meet the growing number of challenges facing the estate, which cultivates 16 hectares of vines and whose range is based on the key grape varieties of the Luxembourg Moselle (Auxerrois, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir).
According to figures cited by Carole Bentz during the interview, annual wine consumption in Luxembourg is estimated at around 40 litres per capita, or 53 bottles. However, only 9 litres (or 12 bottles) are believed to be Luxembourgish wines and crémants. For local producers, there is therefore considerable room for growth. Added to this are international competition, often driven by lower-priced products, the difficulty in recruiting skilled staff, and the impact of climate change. “The harvest now begins much earlier than it did ten or 15 years ago: around early September today, compared to early October previously.” This shift in the calendar means that winegrowers must constantly adapt.
Follow trends with caution
As for emerging market trends, such as alcohol-free wines, Carole Bentz remains cautious. She acknowledges that the market is growing, but says she has not yet found a product that truly convinces her. Above all, she advocates a moderate approach, whilst expressing concern about public campaigns, which, in her view, may confuse the message for consumers.
The question of the next generation, however, is already on the table. Unlike her father, who did not really involve his daughters in the day-to-day running of the business, Carole Bentz says she takes a “completely different” approach with her two sons. She involves them in the life of the estate, both the good aspects and the challenges. In a sector long dominated by men, Carole Bentz also recognises how far things have come. She points out that in Luxembourg, eight of the 50 independent winegrowers are women, and she says she is proud to be one of them. Not to pit the genders against each other, but because she believes in complementarity. “It is a combination of both that drives the business forward.”
Balancing family and business, tradition and experience, wine and events, Carole Bentz seeks to develop the estate without losing its essence. It is a reminder that, in the vineyard as in family businesses, change is rarely achieved in a hurry. It is planted, nurtured, and passed on.
