First Jolie-Pitt rose wine vintage sells out within hours

The first 6,000 bottles of Miraval rose wine from a French vineyard owned by Hollywood stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt sold out Thursday within hours of going on general sale. "Selling started at 9:00 am (0800 GMT) and everything was sold by 2:00 pm" during the online sale, said Vitabella, a public relations firm representing the vineyard. The vineyard's website also said that orders for the 2012 vintage were now closed. The couple teamed up with the French winemaking Perrin family to develop the "Miraval Cotes de Provence" label, named after their Chateau Miraval estate in the south of France. The 2012 vintage, produced from the couple's sprawling estate near the town of Brignoles, was priced at a relatively reasonable 105 euros ($138) per case of six bottles for the Internet sale. Another 100,000 bottles have been sold to wine merchants and restaurants. Jolie and Pitt acquired the 500-hectare (1,200-acre) estate in 2008 for around 40 million euros and have used it as a summer residence. The estate includes around 50 to 60 acres of vines. The couple are the latest in a long list of stars who have invested in wine, from ex-Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, singer Sting and footballer David Beckham to actor Gerard Depardieu, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola and singer Madonna. Marc Perrin of the family that partnered with Jolie-Pitt said in February that the couple were involved in the production process and wanted to do more than "just put their name" on the label. "They want to be proud of the wine on their property. They are really looking for excellence," he said, adding that the estate would later look to also produce red and white wines.