Our story
From the very beginning, it's been about bringing together the finest wine producers and the finest wine consumers to enjoy and share the experience of fine wine in the setting of a small intimate club
Born and raised in Bordeaux, I developed early in my life a passion for great terroirs, fine wines, and the people who craft them. It is why I decided in 1990 to create FICOFI around the simple idea of bringing together the producers of the world’s finest wines with discerning consumers by building a strong community around a shared passion for wine. This concept has now blossomed into Le Club FICOFI®, an exclusive club that provides a selected number of individuals, our Members with the finest Grands Crus wines and wine-related experiences many of which only we can provide as we curate them with and also for our wine partners.
Over the years, we have built strong relationships and friendships with many of the world’s leading estates, such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Domaine Leflaive, Domaine G. Roumier, Petrus, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Champagne Salon… It is our privilege to accompany our partners in the distribution of their wines and – through our educational initiatives – in the better understanding and appreciation of their work and of the terroirs they tend.
During this time, we met many successful entrepreneurs, business leaders and philanthropists, all wine lovers whom we brought together in the form of a small intimate club, Le Club FICOFI®, a community that is strictly capped at 300 Members worldwide.
We share our direct allocations from our partner producers with our members and craft unique experiences, including our winemaker dinners, annual flagship events (notably Le Palais des Grands Crus® in Paris, that revolves around week-full of activities around art de vivre and wine), wine estate visits in France, Italy, Napa, Spain etc., and many other services to help our Members enjoy their wine collections to the fullest…
We conduct our mission with an unwavering faith in and commitment to our values affirmed more than 30 years ago in our very name at the creation of FICOFI, which stands for, in Latin, FIdelitas (loyalty), COncordia (harmony, sharing, uniting), FIducia (trust).”
FICOFI is established
Creation of Le Club des Amateurs de Grands Crus®, a first version of Le Club FICOFI®, with monthly tastings held in Paris
First edition of Le Palais des Grands Crus® in Paris: 10 estates owners attended
Creation of the wine sourcing arm of FICOFI in Bordeaux also active in Burgundy, Rhône Valley and Champagne
Philippe Capdouze leaves his job as risk manager and treasurer at Renault to commit himself full-time to FICOFI
First Palais des Grands Crus® in Singapore
Launch of Le Club FICOFI®
Opening of FICOFI offices in Singapore covering Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand Chapters
Opening of FICOFI offices in Hong Kong covering Greater China, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan Chapters
First dinner in support of Association de l’Abbaye de Saint-Vivant
Opening of the Brazilian Chapter
Le Club FICOFI® welcomes its 100th Member
Creation of HERITAGE whose mission is to support the growth and development of FICOFI’s winemaking partners.
Creation of Optim in Hong Kong, a joint venture with Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Petrus for their selective distribution in the territory
Now operating for Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Brazil, Singapore, South East Asia and China for selected restaurants and private individuals
Opening of U.S. Chapter
FICOFI reaches 300 Members based in more than 30 countries all united by the same passion for fine wines
