Bache-Gabrielsen is a brand of
cognac
Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cog ...
. It is a medium size fourth generation family company that is present both on the Scandinavian markets and elsewhere.
Today, it is the top selling cognac in Norway, selling over one million bottles annually.
Bache-Gabrielsen’s cognacs are popular in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
and has a large and active fan club.
History
In 1903, the 20 year old Norwegian Lieutenant from
Holmestrand
is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Holmestrand. The town was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). ...
,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, Thomas Bache-Gabrielsen, left the army and traveled to the city of
Cognac
Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cog ...
in order to acquire some practical working experience to take over one day his father's fine wine & spirit store.
Following his arrival in France, Thomas Bache-Gabrielsen partnered with Peter Anton Rustad to purchase the company Dupuy, a local cognac house established since 1852. In 1905, they founded their own cognac house under the name Rustad & Bache-Gabrielsen, in addition to the existing name Dupuy. Their connections with
Scandinavia
Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...
were extremely good which allowed them to acquire there their first stable markets.
![ThomasBacheGabrielsen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/ThomasBacheGabrielsen.jpg)
In 1906, Thomas settled in
Cognac
Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.
Cog ...
for good when he married Miss Odette Villard. With their marriage and the new business, any plans to return permanently to Norway were abandoned. The couple had three sons, René, who took over the running of the company, Eric, who became a lawyer, and Guy, who became a doctor. Thomas remained a Norwegian citizen and was often called home to undertake refresher
military service
Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription).
Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require a ...
. He also maintained contact with his Norwegian family.
![4019 Bache MG 8136 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/4019_Bache_MG_8136_2.jpg)
In 1930, René, the eldest son of Thomas Bache-Gabrielsen and his wife Odette joined the company. He became the head of Bache-Gabrielsen cognac in 1942. In 1968, Christian Bache-Gabrielsen, grandson of Thomas entered the business and became general manager in 1985.
While growing in size, the company Bache-Gabrielsen also developed its own identity during this period by hiring in 1991 Jean-Philippe Bergier as Maitre de Chai (Cellar Master). Jean-Philippe Bergier has since expressed his art as the “Nez” of Bache-Gabrielsen and given an authentic and singular identity to Bache-Gabrielsen cognacs.
In 2009, Hervé Bache-Gabrielsen, 4th generation of the family officially became the general manager of the company. This period also marks the beginning of a new era of expansion for the brand outside of its traditional Scandinavian market. In 2012, Bache-Gabrielsen opened an office in Hong Kong to develop its Asian activities.
In 2016, it launched its Natur & Eleganse line on the American market.
The brand Dupuy is still owned by the Bache-Gabrielsen family.
Product Line
Bache-Gabrielsen Cognac lines are divided between classical, Natur & Eleganse line and the range "DistillationS" :
Fan Clubs
Bache-Gabrielsen has numerous fan clubs essentially in Northern Europe:
References
{{reflist
Cognac