Silvio Denz

Conveying passion

Perfume

Born in Basel, Silvio Denz grew up in the small village of Münchwilen, where his family has lived for several generations. He left the shores of the Rhine at the age of 15 to train as a banker and study in England. His career began in Lausanne and continued in Milwaukee, USA. Although his studies pointed to the world of finance, he took over the perfume and cosmetics company founded by his father and uncle, which at the time had fewer than 10 employees. Under his leadership, the company grew to become the largest Swiss perfumery chain. It employed nearly 800 people when it was bought by the Marionnaud group in 2000.

‘‘ The signature of a perfume is appreciated as a caress on the skin as well as by its elegant scent. ’’

Silvio Denz, Owner

Art & Luxury

Still in the perfume sector but with a more upmarket positioning, Silvio Denz created Art & Fragrance (now the Lalique Group) in 2000. The company specialized in the production and marketing of branded perfumes. In parallel, as an architecture and art lover, he acquired a substantial collection of Impressionist and contemporary art. And so it was that when the prestigious Alsace crystal factory came onto the market, the businessman did not hesitate to buy it in 2008. Within a few years, he had given it new life, associating great names with the brand’s creations.

Inaugurated in 2011, the Lalique Museum contains nearly 650 works, 230 of which are from Silvio Denz’s private collection. He also restored René Lalique’s house in Wingen-sur-Moder, which opened in 2015 as the Villa René Lalique, a luxury hotel and restaurant.

Wine

In the mid-1990s, Silvio Denz diversified his activities and participated in the creation of the wine merchant “Les Grands Vins Wermuth”. Following a demerger, one of the entities of this company became “Denz Weine”, which is one of the leading wine merchants and the largest wine auction house in Switzerland. Keen to become involved in wine production, he invested in the Bordeaux region in 2005, acquiring Château Faugères, Château Péby Faugères and Château Cap de Faugères.

His passion then took him to Italy. He began a partnership with Fabio Chiarelotto in 2007, and since then has been making four powerful, precise wines at Montepeloso, in the hills of Tuscany. In 2010, Château Rocheyron, purchased with Peter Sisseck, joined Vignobles Silvio Denz. Four years later, one of the oldest estates in Sauternes, Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, completed his portfolio.