At the same time, this young man threw himself into a number of other fields which gave full sway to his remarkable personality. His unshakeable faith led him to work among the Catholic young farmers' movement. He was to become successively local president and the Gironde department treasurer of this group. His marriage in 1952 to Bernadette Dupin, who came from a well-known family of forest owners in the Landes, led him to build a house near the little village of Taller, near Castets.

In 1953, just after his 28th birthday, he set up his own shipping company, with the intention of selling wines from the family vineyards, and possibly some from other nearby properties. The following year saw him crisscrossing the entire region, ceaselessly organizing meetings with the aim of instituting obligatory taste tests for wines in order for there to be entitled to the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur appellations, and at the same time breathing new life into the winegrowers' association. In 1960, Robert Giraud succeeded his father at the helm of the family estates. From then on, he was to dedicate his energies to the wine Industry. His major concern was to strengthen the family company's solid position through an ambitious vineyard purchasing program. The shipping firm, which had been left somewhat dormant (operations were sub-contracted to another shipper in Bordeaux starting in 1959), had to wait until the 1970s before it began to take off again.

The Bordeaux wine crisis, bringing with it a whole series of problems, brought about an era of uncertainty in which traditional shippers seemed to fall out of favor. The need to market ever-increasing wine production from the family estates led Robert Giraud to restructure his own business. This involved hiring a new team, building new cellars and offices, etc. From 1974 onwards, the company was rapidly to negotiate a number of exclusive distribution agreements with a range of Bordeaux chateaux to complement wine from the family estates. The company's historic orientation towards selling on export markets motivated Robert Giraud to set up an international distribution network for his Bordeaux wines in record time.

It was also during this period that Robert Giraud's children, Philippe and Florence, joined the company, each bringing with them the added value of skills which would rapidly become indispensable.

Their training in the wine trade was closely complementary. Philippe received a DUAD diploma (university degree in wine tasting) at the Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology and had work experience in France and abroad (including a major bank and an international shipper). Florence also took courses at the Bordeaux Faculty of Oenology, as well as studying law and management. This enabled both children to gauge the company's strengths, weaknesses and needs very quickly.

In 1995, at the age of 71, after some 50 years of an exemplary career, Robert Giraud decided to hand over his vineyards, as well as management responsibility for the family business, to his two children. He currently lives at Château Timberlay, where he is enjoying a well-deserved semi-retirement (he continues to keep an eye on the family estates, assisted by Jean-Luc Duwa). Robert Giraud is anxious to ensure the continuing success of the family business, which is an integral part of the economic, social and cultural life of Aquitaine.

The mantle has been passed to Philippe Giraud who now heads Robert Giraud SA, ably assisted by his sister Florence, who has become an important member of the management committee.