De Vinis Illustribus, set up in 1994 by wine aficionado Lionel Michelin*, moved in September 2004 to its new premises, Jean-Baptiste Besse’s former cellar on 48, rue de la Montagne-Sainte-Geneviève in Paris. Widely acknowledged to be a leading authority on great wine, Besse, a famous wine merchant, would receive wine enthusiasts from all over the world in this cellar.

In a one-of-a-kind location devoted to wine where conviviality and good advice abound, De Vinis _Illustribus offers:
> a large selection of old wines
> a selection of new wines
> all kinds of wine paraphernalia

as well as a wide range of services:

> wine tasting evenings
> building a wine collection
> wedding lists
> wine appraisal and repurchase

DE VINIS ILLUSTRIBUS is not a traditional wine cellar and neither is it an impersonal virtual shop. It is a place for anyone interested in wine, from the uninitiated in search of a wine gift or advice on buying good wine to wine connoisseurs in search of a particular vintage, not forgetting premium wine collectors.

-*Lionel MICHELIN started his career in telecommunications. He set up De Vinis Illustribus in 1994 and quickly made a name for himself as a dealer in fine wine. He is passionate about wine that appeals equally to the senses and the mind and is particularly receptive to the magic of old wine. He has tasted some of the world’s most sought-after wines.