The Delaunay family originated in the west of France and its history seems to have long been linked to wine. A document in the family’s possession mentions a certain Edme Delaunay who was appointed as a sworn wine broker by royal decree in 1771.
Edouard Delaunay senior, and his brother Louis, were wine merchants in Nantes and Angers. They had a supplier in Burgundy named Victor Carbillet de Bellecherre, who was based in Is-sur-Tille and Nuits-Saint-Georges. He had no children and offered to sell his business to Edouard Delaunay senior, whose son, Edouard, was about to get married.
Chapter 1
A
Voyage
back
through time
A rich, unique
history
Before
1893
Delaunay
before Delaunay
1893
Creation by
Edouard Delaunay
It was therefore Edouard Delaunay, a natural entrepreneur and a visionary, who, in 1893, settled his family and anchored his ambition in Burgundy’s viticultural region that dates back thousands of years.
From the beginning, the pursuit of excellence and ambition are what has established the House’s identity.
1918
A memorable date
for a purchase at the
Hospices de Beaune
Already a buyer at the Hospices de Beaune wine auction since 1916, Edouard Delaunay bought a cuvée while his son Jean was in the trenches, a symbolic date on the eve of armistice.
1919
Jean and Marcel
However, it was Jean Delaunay, the son of Edouard, the founder, who, along with his brother, Marcel, really imparted an aura and gave incredible impetus to the family business beginning in the 1920s.
An optimistic, curious man and a tireless traveller of boundless energy, he expanded the business worldwide, from Europe to North and South America, from the African colonies to the Far East, as well as in France where the wines graced the tables of the finest restaurants, important institutions and were showcased by prestigious wine retailers.
« Aim high and maintain one’s position. »
1920-1930
Throughout the wide world
During the 20th century, the most pampered clientele was to be found within the travel industry. The major travel companies of the time (the French Line, Orient Express, Wagons-Lits, Cunard, Air France…) quickly made Edouard Delaunay one of their preferential suppliers…
1932
The House moved to Dijon
with cellars in
Nuits-Saint-Georges
and Gevrey-Chambertin
Because of its reputation at the time, the greatest estates entrusted it with the distribution of their prestigious wines, such as Domaine de la Romanée Conti and the Liger-Belair family (La Romanée).
1934
The Delaunays took
an active part in the
creation of the famous Confrérie
des Chevaliers du
Tastevin brotherhood.
After
1945
The post-war period
The family moved closer to the vineyards, settling in Chambolle-Musigny
1954
The House moved
to l’Etang-Vergy
In 1954, the Delaunay family bought the Château de Charmont, in l’Etang-Vergy, in the Hautes-Côtes de Nuits-Saint-Georges.
The
1960s
A new generation
Jean-Marie and Bernard
The
1970s and 1980s
The House gained a prominent position in Sweden, supplied Germany’s biggest importers, expanded in England, Canada, the USA and Asia, and became the preferred supplier of major airlines. It distributed the wines of some of Burgundy’s most famous estates (Ramonet, Damoy, Dugat, Arlaud…).
1989 : Laurent Delaunay, 5th generation, joined his father in the family business.
1993
Oblivion
In the early 1990s, nearly a century after its creation, subjected to the rhythm of life, the House had to be sold and slowly fell into oblivion.
1995-2017
Catherine and Laurent Delaunay, both oenologists, launched a project in the Languedoc to develop several brands and estates, with which they had great success.
2017
The House was bought back by
Laurent Delaunay,
Edouard’s
great grandson
Armed with the strength behind his deep-rooted ambition, 25 years later, Laurent Delaunay, going against the trend, bought back the family name so as to restore it to its former glory.
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