Christian Le Dorze
Collector of lives, art and wine lover
Having spent the first part of his life in medicine, managing and then creating a group of private clinics, Christian Le Dorze gave free rein to his passion for art and wine by buying a wine estate in a state of slumber in Rognes in Provence at the end of 2017. Alongside his consulting activities in the health sector, he has restructured this 10-hectare estate and its 18th-century building, supported by his daughter Victoire, who looks after the vineyards. Between them, they have created the Château Bonisson brand, with three ranges of wine. “Our estate is small for the region, but we are committed to producing a distinctive wine to our taste, using traditional methods such as hand-picking.” A collector and lover of contemporary art for over 40 years, he opened an Art Centre in 2021 in place of the old winery to introduce contemporary art to different audiences. This 300 m2 centre, which has free admission, hosts one of the region’s most extensive contemporary art programmes. Four exhibitions a year exhibit paintings, installations, photographs, and sculptures to the delight of visitors. After the exhibition, visitors can discover the range of wines in the cellar on the ground floor. This geometric abstraction and kinetic art enthusiast likes to share and transmit his love for beautiful things in general and contemporary art in particular. “Culture is essential to life. It should be even more present in education.” This Art Centre set amidst the vines invites 500 students for each exhibition, each of whom gets a book published as a collection. A perfect pairing between wine, art, and education.
