Our History
At the end of the 14th century - Construction of a feudal castle in Sancerre
Built at the end of the 14th century, the last post-war vestige of the feudal walled castle is the Fiefdom Tower. The edifice that we see today was reconstructed back in 1919.
15th century - Construction of Chateau la Varière, the breadbasket of Chateau de Brissac
Founded in the 15th century, the property was the breadbasket of nearby Chateau de Brissac. In charge of feeding the inhabitants of the latter, the farmers used to take care of the different crops and the vineyard.
1811 - Establishment of Maison Ackerman
Maison Ackerman was born under a lucky star: 1811, the year of the comet and that of an exceptional vintage. The company was called after its founder: Jean-Baptiste Ackerman, originating from Belgium and the forerunner in Loire Valley sparkling wines.
1885 - Establishment of Maison Remy Pannier
Francois Remy founded his Loire Valley wine house in 1885. He came from modest local origins and was involved in the wine sector from a very young age: he was originally a cooper, and then a wine transporter, before becoming a merchant at the height of his career.
1886 - Establishment of Maison Monmousseau
The tradition began in 1886 with Alcide Monmousseau who founded a premium wine merchant house in Montrichard. He discovered one of the most important quarries of local tuffeau stone, perfectly well suited to the production and the maturing on laths of sparkling wines made according to the Méthode Traditionnelle.
1929 - Establishment of Maison Donatien Bahuaud
Donatien Bahuaud, who roamed through the vineyards when he was young, liked to watch barrel laden boats travelling up the Loire. Thus was born his vocation: he founded Maison Donatien Bahuaud in 1929.
1961 - Date of the production of the first red Loire Valley wines at Domaine des Hardières
This is the year when the estate, historically recognized for its premium white wines, became a forerunner in the production of the first Loire Valley red wines.
1964 - Establishment of Domaine de la Perruche
Domaine de la Perruche was created thanks to a family of local farmers who owned some vines in addition to their cows and other livestock. Their children decided in turn to invest in vine-growing.
1969 - Acquisition of family vineyards by Jean-Paul Couamais
Deeply attached to his native land, Jean-Paul Couamais took over the vines belonging to his parents in 1969. He selected parcels with excellent terroirs next to the estate.
2017 - Launch of the new identity - Orchidées, Maisons de Vin
Adopted in 2017, the entity’s new name - Orchidées, Maisons de Vin – offers a new identity to the men and the women making up the group; federating, this name reinforces the feeling of belonging to the same structure, an essential notion following numerous acquisitions.
We have organized our range of still and fine sparkling wines into two distinct portfolios with the objective of structuring and upgrading our offer. The purpose of our two portfolios of chateaux, houses and estates is that of meeting the expectations of our consumers and distributors and that of promoting Loire Valley wines at home and abroad.
After sparkling wines, orchids, were the second love of our founder Jean-Baptiste Ackerman. They count among the flowers offering the largest number of varieties. A flower is a bold symbol, like a crown, at once different and innovative, all the while conserving the traditional codes of the wine market.
In keeping with the group’s image, Orchidées, Maisons de Vin, evokes a flower of a thousand faces, boasting refined colors and delicate fragrances. An unending source of inspiration, the orchid is a metaphor with regard to the group’s wide array of products and the wealth of its wine houses. This is a universe where each estate embodies an identity, a heritage and a special tasting moment.
Orchidées, Maisons de Vin symbolizes the elegance of our products, whatever the distribution channel, thereby becoming the finest showcase of Loire Valley wines at home and abroad, thanks to a range of chateau and estate offerings, top quality brands and the strong ambition of conserving our terroirs, all the while creating tomorrow’s wines.