Rémy Martin

Before the House Rémy Martin, the first cognac brand in France, there was Rémy Martin, the man. In 1724, this ambitious winemaker from the Cognac region decided to start his own little eau-de-vin business. At the time, he was simply selling his bottles under his name and his hard work, as well as the level of quality of his spirits, impressed everybody. Even the King of France, Louis XIV. His majesty gave Rémy the right to plant new vineyards, which was a huge honor for a winegrower back then. In 1773, the now flourishing company was left in the capable hands of Rémy's son, Rémy Jr. When he died, a third man named Rémy, the founder's grandson, took ownership of the family legacy.

In 1841, the great-grandson of the original Rémy Martin came into the picture. Paul-Émile Rémy Martin was the businessman that kickstarted exports outside of Europe, to the USA, Russia and China. He was also the one who came up with the idea for an official brand logo: the centaur, inspired by the Sagittarius zodiac sign (as Paul-Émile was very fond of astrology). An associate of the Martin family since 1910, André Renaud, took the helm of the company after the first World War ended and became its president in 1924. André was a real boon for Rémy Martin, as he notably helped develop the Cognac Fine Champagne VSOP Cuvée (for "Very Superior Old Pale"; meaning 4 years of aging minimum) in 1927. The success of this cuvée was huge at the time and it is still the most sold VSOP cognac in the world today!

After such a hit, the House Rémy Martin decided in 1948 to only produce top-shelf eaux-de-vie, using blends of Grande and Petite Champagne crus. Later on, in 1965, André Hériard-Dubreuil, André Renaud's son-in-law, inherited the company. The man was a true pioneer. He founded the Alliance Fine Champagne cooperative, which was composed of more than a thousand local winemakers. Looking toward the future, André never forgot his roots, always reminded of the centaur's stance. His daughter Dominique and son François both became CEO of the company. The first one in 1988 and the second one in 2013. In 1991, the House Rémy Martin merged with Cointreau & Cie, giving birth to the prestige group Rémy Cointreau.

Since 2007, the Rémy Martin brand has done everything it can to ensure that the agricultural methods used by the house were as sustainable as possible. It even received the French HVE certification (awarded for "High Environmental Value") in 2012, before any other wine estate in the Charente region. In 2020, Rémy Martin proudly announced that it now only worked with partners that were fully devoted to sustainable farming and that more than 50% of the harvested vineyards were HEV certified as well. Quality, at the service of the environment and the consumers.

Check out the Rémy Martin champagne cognac.