Even with that, much of BPDR's revenue is driven by the entry-level Mouton Cadet, which sells 15 million bottles in 150 countries.

FORBES: Counting Sheep

One case in point is the Florida division of Publix, a 760-store supermarket chain, which canceled all French wine promotions in April, despite Lebret's personal appeal. (Such stores sell a lot of the lower-end Mouton Cadet line.) Lebret figures that there were at most half a dozen complaints beforehand.

FORBES: Magazine Article