Wine Stories Etienne PAUMIER - Les Caves du Lac Annecy Mont Blanc

In the spring of 1951, the quiet village of Vosne-Romanée in Burgundy is being disturbed by an unexpected racket and a young vigneron works hard to restore an ancient vineyard abandoned since the phylloxera outbreak. On this fallow land where cows used to graze, he will recreate a plot destined to become of the most iconic vineyards in the world: the Cros Parantoux.



Photo: Christian Bon

Egon Müller, a name that only keen wine lovers will know but what a reputation! This German winery established in the Saar valley not far from the city of Trier makes some of the world’s greatest white wines declining all shades of Riesling from the prestigious Scharzhofberg vineyard. From the French Revolution to the Paris’ universal exhibition in 1900 and record-breaking prices, come with me to discover one of the most celebrated and secretive wineries in the world.

This is the story of an amazing treasure hunt across the world searching for the most formidable and elusive wine cellar in history. Get on board for an incredible adventure full of red herrings, spider webs, century-old bottles and large calibre guns…


Photo: John Baker

If you are a fine wine lover or if you have inherited the family collection, you may have already come across one of the Etablissement Nicolas’ lists. For nearly 50 years, this family wine merchant founded 200 years ago has edited almost every year a Christmas leaflet featuring some of the finest and oldest wines in its collection. But more than a mere sales catalogue, Nicolas’ list was a unique object designed by the greatest artists that has now become a true collectible. It is also a testimony to the evolution of the fine wine market in France over the XXth century.

Welcome to this new season of Wine Stories! For this first episode, I tell you the story of a milestone event in the world of wine. Paris, 1976. A young English wine merchant has invited a group of renowned French experts for a blind tasting of California wines. But what was supposed to be a tasting like any other will become be a turning point in the recent wine history. Come with me for a fascinating story where we’ll come across celebrity wine critics, Marshal Tito’s secret police and a young journalist who happened to be at the right place, at the right time.



Picture: Académie Du Vin Library

For this 15th and last episode of the year, let me take you to one of Asia’s most fascinating cities, Hong Kong, where this mind-boggling case occurred in 2010 in the salons of the very high-profile Country Club. A story in which we talk about opium, fine wines and unexpected criminals. I hope that you will enjoy this story and stay tuned for more content in 2024 and a new season of Wine Stories!