Christian Vannequé (20 August 1949 – 9 January 2015) was a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

sommelier A ''sommelier'' ( , , ), ''chef de vin'' or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the ''s ...

and restaurateur.

Career

In 1967, he began at the three star Tour d'Argent restaurant in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

as an assistant cellar man. He rose to become the restaurant's head sommelier, at 20 years old the youngest head sommelier in France. He served as an expert wine taster at the

Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris, was a wine competition, to commemorate the United States Bicentennial, organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier (wine), Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant, and ...

, and also participated in The Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary. In later years, Vannequé opened restaurants of his own in France, the United States, and

Bali Bali (English:; Balinese language, Balinese: ) is a Provinces of Indonesia, province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller o ...

1811 Chateau d'Yquem purchase

On July 26, 2011, Vannequé set a record for the highest price paid for a bottle of

white wine White wine is a wine that is Fermentation in winemaking, fermented without undergoing the process of Maceration (wine), maceration, which involves prolonged contact between the juice with the grape skins, seeds, and pulp. The wine color, colou ...

, purchasing a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem, vintage 1811, for £75,000 (US$123,000) from The Antique Wine Company.

Career

1811 Chateau d'Yquem purchase

References

Further reading