THE MAISON GUINOT

Ernest ANDRIEU & Gédéon GUINOT

In 1875, at the initiative of the Creation of the House, Ernest ANDRIEU, invested in the vineyard and set up a business of liqueurs, appetizers and syrups. Gradually, he becomes a wine merchant and with his son-in-law Gédéon GUINOT, initially Herboriste, Liquoriste et Viticulteur, who elaborates our Blanquette de Limoux in Traditional Method, she will obtain the Gold Medal in the wine competition, at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889. They developed commercial ties throughout pre-war Europe and exported these wines to Russia, during the course of Tsar Nicholas II in 1909.

Michel Rancoule-Guinot

It was in 1986 that Michel took over the management of this family business.

Director and sales manager in France and abroad, he modernizes the production chain, the sale and the vinification of GUINOT cuvées.

The key dates in Michel RANCOULE-GUINOT's career:

In 1999, during a trip to ATLANTA, Michel had the opportunity to meet an American journalist, Jenna Milly from CNN International. The latter, interested in Limoux, was invited to discover the culture, the heritage as well as the local gastronomy. Michel showed him around the hundred-year-old cellar, explaining his traditional production method. Jenna Milly put Maison Guinot in the spotlight on their website.

In 2002, Michel RANCOULE is still in full search to keep quality wines. During an in-depth discussion with the company Actis, they noted an important discovery in the production of these wines: the use of sheep's wool to improve the wine in order to regulate the temperature of the vinification cuvées.

In 2004, Michel expanded his network and developed his commercial pole: he became the leading exporter of Limoux wines to Japan.

In 2006, Michel had quality production recognized by the Guide Hachette for Crémant Impérial Brut Tendre and developed the image of these vintages.

In 2007, Michel opened a reception lounge facing traditional lightnings. This reception room is fueled with new technologies in order to develop the activities of Maison Guinot (videoconferences, simultaneous tastings and 3 films presenting the history of blanquette, a virtual visit of the cellar and setting up product situation)

It was also during this year 2007 that Michel developed his export network by obtaining his first box in China.

In 2015, Michel developed his passion for the image through a unique and innovative concept Bulles & Lumières

In 2017, Michel developed the wine tourism aspect and created a second offer supervised by wine professionals: Atelier des Bulles (secret universe of the Bulles)

Sébastien Rancoule-Guinot

Sébastien Rancoule-Guinot has fallen a little into the wine pot since childhood, it is in the bank that he will carry out his first professional weapons. Despite everything, family ties are solid and Sébastien has a visceral passion for the vineyard trades. For these 14 years, he has been helping with the grape harvest and the vinification work.

It was in 2015 that Sébastien became involved in viticulture and winemaking. His ambition is to continue this knowledge and continue the work of the elders. He represents a generation of young winegrowers who bet both on the territory and on the products it contains