Silvio Denz

Silvio Werner Denz

Silvio Werner Denz (born September 14, 1956 in Basel ) is a Swiss entrepreneur , collector of wines and works of art . He lives in Switzerland. In the past he has worked in various companies in Switzerland and the United States in the fields of finance , retail and marketing . Today he is mainly active in the luxury goods and wine sectors. The Swiss business magazine Bilanz ranks him among the 300 wealthiest Swiss people and one of the 100 most important personalities in the Swiss business market.

Life

Entrepreneur

Perfume, cosmetics and high quality spirits

After completing a commercial apprenticeship and various activities in finance, trade and marketing in Switzerland and the USA, Silvio Denz took over the management of Alrodo AG in Zurich in 1980 . Alrodo was then owned by his father and uncle. The company initially handled the purchasing of perfumes and cosmetics for import perfumeries with eight employees . In 1984 Silvio Denz took over the entire share package and within 20 years expanded the company into Switzerland's largest perfumery chain with 120 branches. From 1980 to 2000 the number of employees increased from 8 to 800.

In 2000, Silvio Denz sold Alrodo AG to the French perfumery chain Marionnaud . In the same year he founded the Lalique Group SA (formerly Art & Fragrance SA), which is responsible for the creation, production and international sales of various perfume and cosmetic brands such as Parfums Lalique , Jaguar Fragrances, Bentley Fragrances, Parfums Grès, Parfums Alain Delon , and dedicated to Ultrasun . On March 28, 2019, Lalique Group completed the takeover of 50% of The Glenturret , Scotland's oldest still operating single malt whiskey distillery, thereby expanding its portfolio in the luxury goods market.

Luxury goods

As an enthusiastic collector of vintage perfume bottles, created by René Lalique , Silvio Denz owns the world's most important private collection with more than 650 original pieces. In 2008, the Lalique Group founded by Silvio Denz acquired the French crystal manufacturer Lalique SA [5] in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace. The company has been listed on the stock exchange since 2007 - first it was on the Bern Stock Exchange and today it is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (since June 2018). The company was completely restructured after the takeover and has been profitable again since then. In line with René Lalique's artistic and versatile approach, Silvio Denz led the brand in the direction of lifestyle and expanded it into a world with six pillars: art, crystal objects, interior decoration, jewelry, perfume as well as gastronomy / hotel business. Lalique has co-branded projects with several other luxury brands (including Bentley , The Macallan and Steinway & Sons ). Further collaborations have also been signed with renowned artists (such as Zaha Hadid , Jean-Michel Jarre , Damien Hirst , Elton John etc.) who have produced some exclusive collections. In 2011, the Lalique Museum in Wingen-sur-Moder ( Alsace ) opened its doors after two years of construction. The exhibition includes over 650 developed works (mostly jewelry, crystal and decorative glass) by René Lalique and his successors, including 200 pieces from Denz's private collection, which are made available to the museum for exhibition purposes. Silvio Denz has also decided to give René Lalique's historic villa in Wingen-sur-Moder a new lease of life and has transformed the building into an upscale hotel and restaurant, a two-star restaurant under the management of Jean-Georges Small.

Wine

In 1994 Silvio Denz founded Les Grands Vins Wermuth SA [2] together with Franz Wermuth and five other partners, nowadays divided into Denz Weine (sales) and Wermuth Auctions AG ( auctions ) in Zurich. In 1998 he and the same partners bought the Clos d'Agon winery on the Costa Brava , which is looked after by the internationally renowned oenologist Peter Sisseck ( Dominio Pingus ). In 2020 Silvio Denz sold his shares in Clos d'Agon. In 2005, on the recommendation of his friend Count Stephan von Neipperg ( Château Canon-La Gaffelière and La Mondotte ) , Denz bought the Château Faugères vineyard six kilometers east of Saint-Emilion , which employs 30 people. It comprises three wineries: Château Faugères, Château Péby Faugères, both located in the Saint-Emilion appellation, and Château Cap-de-Faugères in the Côtes de Castillon. In 2010 Silvio Denz took over the historic Château Rocheyron winery in Saint-Emilion together with Peter Sisseck. His vineyards in Bordeaux cover a total of 120 hectares.

The wine cellar of Château Faugères is the work of the architect Mario Botta , who calls his creation the “Cathedral of Wine”. Using the latest technology, paired with traditional methods such as gravity, wines are pressed according to the highest quality standards and matured in oak barrels. In 2012, the two wineries Château Faugères and Château Péby Faugères achieved the Grand Cru Classé classification of Saint Emilion. According to the international wine critic Robert Parker, Château Péby Faugères is one of the best Bordeaux wines today . The 2005 vintage was rated 100/100 by the influential Robert Parker's Wine Buyers Guide. At the beginning of 2014, Silvio Denz Château acquired Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey , one of the few Premiers Grands Cru Classés from 1855 and one of the oldest wineries in Sauternes. In 2018, the inauguration of the luxury hotel with gourmet restaurant in Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, now a member of the Relais & Châteaux chain and 5-star hotel. Chef Jérôme Schilling and the restaurant "Lalique" were awarded the first Michelin star in 2019.

On September 17, 2017, Silvio Denz was admitted to the Jurat of Saint-Emilion. The Saint-Emilion Jurade now counts 127 jurats and more than 3,000 ambassadors for Saint-Emilion wine worldwide.

In October 2017, he received a special award for his commitment in Alsace, which is awarded by Fond'Action Alsace. He also received the Guillon d'Or Prize from the Confrérie du Guillon, a brotherhood for Vaudois wines founded in 1954, to honor his passion and his work in the world of wine.

The French wine magazine "La Revue du Vin" counts Silvio Denz among the 200 most important wine personalities of 2018.

crystal

In 2008, the Lalique Group SA , Zurich, founded by Silvio Denz , acquired the French crystal manufacturer Lalique SA in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace . The company operates in the crystal, jewelry, perfume, interior design and art sectors.

property

In 2003 Silvio Denz got into real estate trading in London . Together with a local partner, he buys old mansions in the London districts of Mayfair, Knightsbridge and Kensington. The houses are extensively renovated and then offered for sale again.

Collector

photos

Silvio Denz is a collector of works by internationally known artists. Its collection includes masterpieces from different eras.

Wine

Silvio Denz has been buying top quality wines for over 30 years, mainly from Bordeaux . His private cellar holds more than 35,000 bottles.

crystal

In the 1980s, Silvio Denz developed a passion for collecting perfume bottles. Today he is the owner of the world's largest private bottle collection of the French glass artist René Lalique . His collection is exhibited in the Musée Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace.

Awards and mandates

• Appointment "Commandeur de la Commanderie du Bontemps de Médoc, des Graves, de Sauternes et de Barsac" (16 May 2019)
• Board member; Board of Directors of Lindt & Sprüngli (2018)
• Award "Les 200 personnalités du vin", La Revue du vin de France (2018)
• Member of "Chaîne des Rôtisseurs" (2018)
• Jurat de Saint-Emilion, Jurade de Saint-Emilion (September 17, 2017)
• Special Jury Prize, Fond'Action Alsace (2017)
• Prize Guillon d'Or, Confrérie du Guillon (2017)
• Member of "Keepers of the Quaich" (2015)
• Honorary member of the "Confrérie Saint-Etienne d'Alsace" (2017)
• Member of "Club Prosper Montagné" (2016)

literature

• Balance sheet; May 31, 2005; "Silvio Denz: Restless Lord of the Castle"; Corinne Amacher.
• Sunday newspaper / GenussTrend; October 18, 2009; "Botta's Cathedral celebrates the terroir"; Martin Kilchmann.
• Vinum ; September 2009; “Swiss mixes up Bordeaux”; Barbara Schroeder.
• Le Monde ; September 29, 2009; “Mario Botta, un architecte de renomé pour bonifier un grand cru bordelais”; Frédéric Edelmann.
• Journales des Arts; No. 310, October 2, 2009; "Mario Botta à Saint-Emilion-Chais et rasades"; Gilles de Bure.
• Financial Times ; 1./2. August 2009; "Art and architecture are my passions"; Rebecca Duk.e
• Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (DNA); October 26, 2010; "Le Top du four pour Lalique"; Antoine Latham.
• Handelszeitung / Special / Casa / No. 38 / 22-28 September 2010; "Lord of the Castle Silvio Denz"; Esther Bollmann.
• Decanter ; issue 2010; "A new dawn"; Stephen Brook.
• Balance sheet 12/2010; "What is it doing? Silvio Denz ”; NIK.
• Handelszeitung No. 12 / 24. – 30. March 2010; “We got off to an excellent start in 2010”; Roberto Stefano.
• Le Moniteur; January 22, 2010; “Une cathédrale du vin”; Margot Guislan.
• Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (DNA); July 2, 2011; “Inauguration du Musée Lalique” / “Déjà une référence”; Jean Luc Will.
• Swiss Wine Newspaper; Issue 3 March 2012; "Silvio Denz: Entrepreneur and passionate collector of wineries".
• cashTV SF2; April 1, 2012; "Silvio Denz"; Daniel Graf.
• cashTV SF2; October 7, 2012; "Successful in France"; Daniel Graf.
• La Tribune; September 14, 2012; “Lalique, ou la métamorphose d'une vieille dame alsacienne”; Sophie Peters.
• Riviera newspaper; December 2012; "Heart, soul, passion"; Petra Hall.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Valli Marie-Pierre. "Silvio Denz épouse son temps" , Le Monde , Paris, April 11, 2014, accessed November 5, 2014
2. ↑ Balance: The 300 richest. In: bilanz.ch. Balance sheet, January 10, 2018, accessed on January 10, 2018 . 
3. ↑ Balance: Who is who. In: bilanz.ch. Balance sheet, January 10, 2018, accessed on January 10, 2018 . 
4. ↑ The Glenturret. Retrieved May 28, 2019 . 
5. ^ Lalique Group. Retrieved May 28, 2019 . 
6. ↑ Samantha Brooks: Crystal revelations . Robb Report. November 10, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
7. ^ Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop: The Collector: Silvio Denz and his Lalique Glass Menagerie . Blouinartinfo.com. January 3, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
8. ^ Watch Your Time, supplément Montres du Monde, page 15, 11 April 2014, Marie-Pierre Valli
9. ↑ Le Point, 1st January 2015, Marine de la Horie, "L'art et la matière"
10. ↑ Emily Adams: The Butterfly Effect . The Mayfair Magazine. November 1, 2015. Accessed December 28, 2015.
11. ^ Eve M. Kahn: Suddenly, Lalique is back in Vogue . New York Times. June 11, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
12. ^ Carol Lewis: Like the furniture? Then buy it . The Times. October 16, 2015. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
13. ^ Villa René Lalique: Villa René Lalique. Retrieved February 1, 2019 . 
14. ↑ Les Grands Vins Wermuth SA, wine trade, wine auctions . Wermuth.ch. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
15. ^ Clos d'Agon . Closdagon.com. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
16. ↑ Vinum: Savoir-faire! Savoir-vivre! Retrieved April 21, 2020 . 
17. ↑ http: //www.châteaufaugeres.com/  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
18. ↑ mario botta architetto . Botta.ch. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
19. ↑ Sunday newspaper; GenussTrend 18 October 2009
20. ↑ Actualité à la Une . Le Monde.fr. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
21. ↑ cash TV from April 1st, 2012 - cash TV - TV - SRF Player - Swiss radio and television . Srf.ch. Archived from the original on February 25, 2014. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 14, 2013. 
22. ^ The Independent Consumer's Guide to Fine Wine . eRobertParker.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved October 14, 2013. 
23. ↑ Parker's Top 100 2005 Bordeaux Wines . wineinvestment.com.
24. ↑ Les 300 vins ayant obtenu la note de 100/100 par Robert Parker . The blog de comptoir de millésimes. September 25, 2015. Accessed December 28, 2015.
25. ↑ Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey: Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey. Retrieved February 1, 2019 . 
26. ↑ ^{a b} Saint-Emilion: Saint-Emilion. Retrieved November 8, 2017 . 
27. ↑ ^{a b} Fond'action Alsace: Fond'action Alsace. Retrieved November 8, 2017 . 
28. ↑ ^{a b} Guillon d'Or: Guillon d'Or. Retrieved November 8, 2017 . 
29. ↑ La Revue du Vin: La Revue du Vin. Retrieved January 7, 2019 . 
30. ^ Lalique SA
31. ↑ Musée Lalique on musee-lalique.com
32. ^ Lindt & Sprüngli: Annual General Meeting. In: lindt-spruengli.com. Retrieved May 11, 2018 . 
33. ↑ La Revue du vin de France: La Revue du vin de France. Retrieved January 4, 2019 . 
34. ↑ Chaîne des Rôtisseurs: Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. Retrieved May 14, 2018 . 
35. ↑ Keepers of the Quaich: Keepers of the Quaich. In: www.keepersofthequaich.co.uk. Keepers of the Quaich, January 10, 2018, accessed January 10, 2018 (French). 
36. ^ Confrérie Sain-Etienne: Confrérie Sain-Etienne. In: confrerie-st-etienne.com/fr/. Confrérie Sain-Etienne, January 10, 2018, accessed January 10, 2018 (French). 
37. ^ Club Prosper Montagné: Club Prosper Montagné. (No longer available online.) In: club-prosper-montagne.ch. Club Prosper Montagné, January 10, 2018, archived from the original on January 10, 2018 ; Retrieved January 10, 2018 (French). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.