3. The succession

Joseph de Venoge

orn in Milan in 1814, Joseph de Venoge, was the true driving force behind the firm established by his father. He launched the brand on the international scene with the help of his brother, Léon who settled in the United States. It was Joseph who went to Brussels on 14th March 1838. Soon, champagne was being dispatched to New-York, New Orleans, Philadephia, Port-au-Prince and even Calcutta. He took over as Chairman in 1845 and launched the first special cuvees which later became brands in their own right: Cordon Bleu in 1851, Vin des Princes in 1858 and Vin du Paradis etc.
Chairman of the Business Tribunals, highly regarded by his peers as a merchant, he departed this world in 1866. A road in Epernay still carries his name.

orn in 1842, his son Gaétan joined the firm in 1864 as export manager, which has always been the stepping stone towards general management at de Venoge. He visited his uncle in the United-States and worked relentlessly at promoting the family name. Finally, his efforts were rewarded in 1876 when de Venoge won the Grand Prix at the World Fair in Philadelphia.
Gaetan de Venoge was one of the founders of the Syndicat des Grandes Marques, created in 1872. The greatest Champagne Houses belong to it, united in defence of the appellation and the quality of the wines of Champagne. He is remembered for his business acumen but also for his philanthropic nature. Together with his wife, Marie, born Papelart, he founded the Magasin des Pauvres d'Epernay during the harsh winter of 1879-1880. This was a charitable institution that served meals and provided blankets to the needy during the abominable weather.

orn in 1869 Yvonne de Venoge, the last in the line, was to marry the Marquis Adrien de Mun who quickly joined his father-in-law, Gaetan who died in 1898. A man of communication from one France's leading families, the Marquis de Mun allowed his name to be associated with that of de Venoge, thereby introducing the brand into Paris' high society.

Thanks to him, Sarah Bernhardt became a regular customer, as did the Comtesse de Ségur and the Princess de Ligne. At that time de Venoge was dispatching over one million bottles against a total of 30 million for the whole of Champagne.

he Great War left deep scars as the family's mansion was destroyed and sales plunged. The Marquis de Mun died in 1922 and left his mother-in-law and his widow in charge of the company. The last direct heir of the de Venoge family left the helm of the firm in 1958 but we aim still to perpetuate the traditional quest for quality and innovation.