Our story
Vintage & Cie was born in 2010 from the intense and timeless emotion aroused by tasting old vintages at the restaurant Le Laurent in Paris.
Louis Duquesne, founder of Vintage & Cie.
Louis Duquesne, the founder, has so far been far removed from the notions of terroir, native grape varieties or free-standing vines. Although he came from a major engineering school, he was then navigating the abstract world of finance, helping to consolidate and grow the heritage of demanding French fortunes. This dinner is a click: Louis begins to constitute a collection of rare wines and spirits by using in particular his professional network. Vintage and Cie ambition: to share this passion-emotion with the rest of the world. He then discovered that the distribution of exceptional French wines, excluding Bordeaux, was mainly led by experienced British agents and distributors (30 to 40% of the market), a legacy of several centuries of trade between the two countries. He decides by creating Vintage & Cie to engage in this distribution and by extension, that of the great spirits.
Vintage and Cie will be the commercial name, in reference to the term "vintage" in English, with the triple equity of rarity, quality, and transparency in distribution.
A modern vision of wine and spirits distribution
In a globalized world, where great wines are distributed with increasingly restricted access, where international distribution is deliberately opaque, unfortunately not very ecological, and definitely speculative, the values of craftsmanship, terroir, time long have been lost in the course of globalization.
Based on this observation, Vintage & Cie has set itself the task of reinventing and modernizing the distribution of exceptional wines and spirits. Its approach is intended to be transparent for the winegrower and the consumer, but also digital and ecological to meet the deep aspirations of its customers.
Vintage & Cie intends to play its role as prescriber, both for individuals and for professionals (restaurant owners, wine merchants and bartenders) in order to offer them an original, qualitative selection and by offering tailor-made services.
With this in mind, Louis Duquesne and Etienne Touzot decided to give Vintage & Cie a commercial pillar with the creation of a 5-strong sales force. The sales force's mission is to market Vintage & Cie's exclusive products. To date, Vintage & Cie distributes some fifty French and foreign estates and distilleries exclusively in Paris and major French cities. This range includes talented winemakers who respect their terroir, distilleries we're just beginning to hear about, foreign estates that deserve to be known in France, and all the nuggets we think you'd like to discover.
Globalization, digitalization and COVID have pushed Vintage & Cie to venture beyond its own catchment area and seek out the drinker where he is. Thus, apart from the Parisian cellar and the sales force, it is possible to buy bottles directly on the website which lists the wines and spirits that the makers authorize to present.
Paris, in the elegant rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, at 199, an iconic place for wine distribution since 1989.
Tailor-made Wines and Spirits tastings and others services
In the basement of 199 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, hides a private lounge intended to give customers a unique experience, in the middle of vaulted cellars, filled with the most coveted bottles.
Able to accommodate twenty people, the tasting room is entirely dedicated to customers during privatization.
The stone walls, the leather sofas and the cozy decor evoke the most beautiful wine cellars and immerse customers in an atmosphere conducive to discovering the secrets of wine. The selected wines or spirits will be highlighted by one of Vintage & Cie's experts who will ensure that the tasting is a privileged moment of transmission.
No ready-made formula is imposed, each event is unique and tailor-made.
Vintage & Cie also offers its customers the opportunity to store their bottles in the best temperature, humidity and light conditions. The cellar located in the heart of Paris allowing them to have easy access to it.
The possibility of creating a tailor-made cellar, in one shot or over the water, with the personalized advice of our sommeliers is also part of the services that Vintage & Cie can offer.
(from left to right) Boris, Théo, Lucas and Augustin welcome you to the cellar from Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.