Making history WITH GIN AND GRAPES
Jean-Sébastien Robicquet was the first person in the world to produce gin from grapes
Maison Villevert sits nestled in 80 acres of vineyards near the medieval town of Merpins, west of Cognac in the Charente département in France. Four elegant buildings serve as the home of Maison Villevert, an independently owned distillery that is loyal to the surrounding vineyards and provenance of Cognac, because this distillery creates its gin not from grain, but from grapes.
“We believe [that by] using grape spirit as our base, we deliver a gin that is unsurpassed in taste, flavour and texture,” says owner of Maison Villevert, Jean-Sébastien Robicquet. As an oenologist and distiller, he felt it was only natural to combine his professions in the vineyards that surrounded him, and embark on the adventure of making a gin based on grapes. “But I must be clear, we make spirits from grapes because we are French, not because we are located in Cognac. Wine is in our DNA. And, of course, we are French, so we make French gin,” he adds with a smile.
In 2006, Maison Villevert’s flagship gin
G’Vine Floraison was created, and today the G’Vine family includes five very different gins, all made from grapes. This year saw Jean-Sébastien rewarded for such innovation and creativity by being inducted into the Gin Magazine Hall of Fame.
Floraison can be seen as the mother of the G'Vine range: a fresh, smooth and rounded spirit with a floral note from the addition of vine flowers. The grape spirit is a perfect canvas for the 10 whole-fruit botanicals used in G’Vine gin, which are chosen and collected from around the world to ensure the highest quality, purity and aroma: juniper, nutmeg, cubeb berries, ginger roots, liquorice, lime, coriander, green cardamom, cassia bark and, of course, the rare vine flower. Once a year in mid-June, the precious and delicate vine flower blossoms. It exists for just a few days before maturing into a grape berry, so is immediately handpicked to preserve its evocative fragrance.
The cousins of the family are the recently launched flavoured collection, June by G’Vine. Created by infusing G’Vine Floraison with fruit and spices, the range has two varieties: Royal Pear and Cardamom, and Wild Peach and Summer Fruits. These gins offer a rich, fresh flavour with intense aromas and sweetness, and can be served over ice, with tonic, in a spritz or in a cocktail. Royal Pear and Cardamom works particularly well with ginger beer to create a deliciously seasonal Pear Mule.
G’Vine Nouaison is the bold father of the group. It has a more intense flavour profile and is often used by bartenders to create classic cocktails. This expression does not contain the vine flower; it is a symphony of 14 plants including classics such as juniper berries, cardamom and ginger alongside the more sophisticated notes of sandalwood, bergamot, plum, Java pepper and vetiver.
This results in a spicier, crisp, aromatic spirit suited for cocktails, especially the Negroni.
Completing the family is Nouaison Gin Réserve, an intense and opulent gin that is achieved by meticulously ageing Nouaison in Cognac barrels from Le Pérat estate. The result is a golden-amber liquid with herbal, spicy and woody notes and a vanilla finish, which gives a new dimension to classic cocktails, in particular the Old Fashioned.
Maison Villevert’s G’Vine gins have been commended by judges in competitions around the world, including:
• G’Vine Floraison – 37 medals to date, most recently awarded Silver in Gin Masters, 91 Points in Ultimate Spirits Challenge and Bronze in International Spirit Challenge
• Nouaison – 16 medals to date, most recently awarded Gold in Gin Masters, 91 Points in Ultimate Spirits Challenge and
Silver in the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC)
Nouaison Réserve – 19 medals to date, most recently Gold in Gin Masters, best in Out of the Ordinary category at People’s Choice Drinks Awards, 5 Star Gold Outstanding award from Difford’s Guide and 94 Points in Ultimate Spirits Challenge June Peach – six medals in the last year, most recently Double Gold in Gin Masters and Silver in IWSC
June Pear – one medal since launching earlier in 2021, a Gold in Gin Masters
If the story of G'Vine Gin has piqued your interest, the full range (and other Maison Villevert products) can be found through Maison Villevert’s UK distributor, Manchester-based Paragon Brands, as well as at spirits retailers and online at sites including The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt.