TRADITION

1821 : Foundation year (184 years ago) and still situated at the same location, facing the major French railway between Paris-Lyon-Marseille, in the village of Crêches along the River Saône, nestled very appropriately between the vineyards of the Mâconnais and Beaujolais wine regions.

1880 : The owner of the firm was Monsieur Collin-Genty.

1900 - 1922 : Monsieur Henri Collin and Monsieur Louis Bourisset, the new generation at the start of the 20th century, share the commercial and administrative responsibilities of the firm. Monsieur Collin looks after business
in France, while Monsieur Bourisset expands sales to the Export market. New customers and agents are secured in Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Great Britain, Scandinavia and the former French colonies.

1921 1921 : Louis Bourisset boards ship and crosses the Atlantic to Canada, where Prohibition was just revoked (unlike the USA . . .) and replaced by Provincial Monopolies, the most important being in Quebec. He was the very first French wine supplier to undertake such an endeavour and was rewarded with the first order of the Quebec Liquor Commission,
representing 10,000 cases (of 12 bottles) of mid-range and top of the line burgundies.

1922 : Louis Bourisset invests in a 10 hectare vineyard (25 acres) producing Moulin à Vent. Vinification and estate bottling, a quite unusual practice at that time. He also buys over the other half of shares in the company owned by Henri Collin, at the time of the later's retirement. The firm thus becomes "Bourisset & Company".

1926 : Bourisset & Company is awarded the exclusive distribution rights of the prestigious MOULIN A VENT DES HOSPICES, previously sold at public auction. This splendid product continues to be a House specialty.

1927 : An additional bottling unit is opened in Antwerp, with offices and ageing cellars, wines being supplied in bulk by two specially purchased rail tank cars. There is also a river barge drawn by two horses to deliver the wines once bottled.

1929-1939 It is the big worldwide economic crisis : business is dead and despite the prices are very low, lots of ownership are sold. At the same time, the organization of the production and of the markets are even more for exports. In 1935, creating of the INAO, organization of control and defence for wines of quality.

1932 : Paul Bourisset, Louis' son, joins the company at the age of 22. Under the supervision of his father, he learns the trade and later becomes assistant director. Our first shipments to Japan, before the war.

1959 : After the death of his father, Paul Bourisset becomes general manager.

1979 : At the age of nearly 70, Paul Bourisset retires after 47 years of service to the company, but continues as administrative advisor, until 1985. The company retains its traditional trademark COLLIN-BOURISSET for the future. Paul Bourisset flies to paradise in 1998 at the age of 88.

1985 : Edward Steeves is recruited as General Manager - CEO. Under his leadership, COLLIN-BOURISSET realizes new growth and strengthens its image, on both French and Export markets. The firm ships annually over 1.5 million bottles of top quality Domaine Chardonnays and Beaujolais Cru wines, to over 25 different countries. Its reputation for authentic French wines from Burgundy-Beaujolais at competitive prices is second to none.

2005: On October 1st, Bertrand de Cuyper succeeded to Edward Steeves and became the new General Manager at Collin Bourisset.
He knows wines from Beaujolais very well thanks to his Burgundy origins and because he is working on wine for more than 15 years. His aim is to redynamise the company, keeping the quality and typicity of each one of our appellations.