Improve the wine world from generation to generation: the mission of Primum Familiae Vini

Improving the quality of wine, but also of the environment, of work, and of the wineries to do better, however difficult, than what previous generations have done, thanks in part to great fine wines, rare and unique, that never experience a crisis: this is the philosophy which unites the great wineries of the Primum Familiae Vini - Pfv, the association which brings together the 12 most historic and globally important wine-producing families, including names such as Marchesi Antinori (Tuscany), Baron Philippe de Rothschild (Bordeaux), Joseph Drouhin (Burgundy), Domaine Clarence Dillon (Bordeaux), Egon Müller Scharzhof (Mosel), Famille Hugel (Alsace), Pol Roger (Champagne), Famille Perrin (Rhône Valley), Symington Family Estates (Douro), Tenuta San Guido (Tuscany), Familia Torres (Catalonia), and Tempos Vega Sicilia (Ribera del Duero). A vision confirmed in recent days in Paris, at the beautiful Grand Palais, during an evening of great wines and haute cuisine together with the two-Michelin-star restaurant Le Clarence, where the Pfv wineries paid tribute to “the silent strength of family enterprises” (as a WineNews online video will show in the coming days). In a commercial landscape where it is estimated that only 16% of family businesses survive beyond the first generation, a note explains, “the Primum Familiae Vini - Pfv families stood united, representing more than 2,800 years of combined history under one roof”.
“We are the custodians of a glorious past, but we must never rest on our laurels: to honor our heritage  - said Prince Robert of Luxembourg, president of Primum Familiae Vini and board member of Domaine Clarence Dillon -  we must innovate for the future. Every generation bears a solemn responsibility: to leave its company - and, by extension, our world - in better condition than it was found. We understand the magnitude of this challenge in a transforming world. That is why we created the Primum Familiae Vini Prize: to support extraordinary families, like tonight awardees, who embody these enduring values”.
Among the protagonists of the evening at the Grand Palais in Paris, there were also the three companies which have so far won the three editions of the Prize, which awards 100,000 euros in each edition to support the winning activities: Maison Bernard (Belgium), the oldest lutherie workshop in Europe, founded in 1868; Brun de Vian-Tiran (France), specialists in noble fibers since 1808; and Tsutsumi Urushi Asakichi (Japan), master of traditional lacquer since 1909 (applications for the edition No. 4 are now open until March 31st).
To ensure the future of this mission and finance the prize, Prince Robert of Luxembourg presented the Pfv Generations Cases 2026, a limited edition produced in only 12 examples per year, featuring symbolic wines from each family that will evolve with each prize edition, showcasing the knowh-how of a winner and funding future awards. The first edition was created in collaboration with Brun de Vian Tiran and houses the 12 emblematic bottles within the very wool that the Brun family helped save from extinction.
The Primum Familiae Vini members also emphasized to WineNews their optimistic vision for the future of great fine wines, despite a complex backdrop. These labels (few in the world) of consistently recognized high quality, capable of expressing unique territories and the stories behind the bottles, according to various producers from Famille Hugel to Pol Roger, from Symington to Antinori, from Tenuta San Guido to Vega Sicilia, follow dynamics different from the rest of the wine world. Because certain bottles, true rarities, will always have great admirers around the globe, enthusiasts willing to recognize and pay for their value.
Another reason why wineries like those of Primum Familiae Vini feel the responsibility to look to the future with optimism, aiming to inspire improvement in the wine sector in all its aspects, both concrete and intangible.