Discovery
By Gilbert & Gaillard , posted on 04 November 2026
On 10 September 2026, the Lorraine family house Rozelieures welcomed us to the Cagnard restaurant in Paris for a lunch pairing dishes with its whiskies. A chance to dive into six generations of farming expertise and the ambition of a French single malt pioneer.
On Thursday 10 September 2026, we stepped into the Cagnard restaurant in Paris, which hosted a lunch pairing dishes with Rozelieures whiskies. A fine opportunity to discover the full aromatic richness of a Lorraine family house whose expertise has been built over six generations, and whose agricultural roots remain more than ever the DNA of the house.
Some houses tell their story as much in the glass as in the land that gave them birth. Rozelieures is undoubtedly one of them. Its name, which means “where the reeds grow”, takes us to Lorraine, to the heart of a village where a family of farmers gradually made the bold bet of French whisky.
A family business for six generations, the Rozelieures house maintains a deep attachment to its agricultural origins. Since the 2000s, it has turned this identity into a true signature, developing remarkable mastery of the raw material, from cereals grown on its own land through to the making of its single malts. A mixed-farming approach that allows it to claim a particularly distinctive reading of terroir.
A pioneer of French whisky, Rozelieures has now established itself among the leading players in the sector, with the highest sales of French single malt on the market. Present in 35 countries, the house already generates 30% of its business from exports, with strong prospects for growth, particularly in North America, Europe and Asia. Its ambition: to strike a balance between the French and international markets. In France, distribution relies mainly on the traditional network of independent wine and spirits shops, reflecting a positioning in which discovery, advice and sharing all have their place.
To showcase this diversity, Maxime and Vincent Dupic invited us to a tasting of several expressions from the range. A particularly interesting exercise in style, as the whiskies presented lend themselves to very different aromatic interpretations.
The challenge fell to the Cagnard restaurant team, who devised a menu built specifically around these profiles. And it is fair to say the house rose to the occasion with flair! Bold pairings, carefully worked textures, play on temperatures and flavours: each plate was designed to dialogue with the whisky without ever stealing its limelight. A true labour of taste that kept the taste buds alert throughout the lunch.
The festivities begin with a few appetisers: oyster, focaccia with lardo di Colonnata and hazelnuts, served with Rozelieures Parcellaire Argilo-Calcaire Rouge-Côte. Coming from a south-facing plot on clay-limestone soil, this whisky plays on a gourmand register marked by fruit. The idea behind the pairing? To echo the oyster’s saline dimension while letting the generosity of the spirit shine through.
Next comes the Parcellaire Volcanique Terres Noires, whose character draws its inspiration from a geology shaped by a volcanic fault more than 20 million years old. A complex subsoil, crossed by veins of varied mineral composition, which gives birth to an equally singular whisky. Pear mingles with spice, while mineral notes evoking iron and struck flint structure the tasting. Facing it, a sea bream carpaccio with sea urchin, almond milk reduction, combava oil and puffed rice. A subtle pairing, in which iodine and minerality answer each other with great precision.
Duck breast takes over next, served with vanilla cauliflower purée, Roman-style artichoke, chanterelles and oxalis. A generous plate that meets the Rozelieures Fût Unique ex-Calvados Coquerel. Here, family stories cross: the two houses share values and a certain idea of transmission, even exchanging a few of their casks. The influence of Calvados brings lovely apple notes and a remarkable length on the palate. The vanilla in the dish then acts as a bridge between the two worlds.
Finally, dessert: vanilla diplomat, buckwheat shortbread, whisky-soaked grapes and a veil of fig leaf, paired with the Rozelieures Brut de Fût ex-Moscatel. A peated whisky whose power and nuances find a particularly interesting field of expression in the vanilla sweetness of the dessert. A final pairing that reminds us how surprising peat can be when it leaves the beaten track.
And to prolong the pleasure, one last discovery with a fine Mirabelle. No added sugar here: only the fruit, in a frank and generous expression that pays tribute to another emblem of Lorraine heritage.
Beyond the tasting, this lunch above all revealed the coherence of the Rozelieures project. A house that did not renounce its agricultural heritage to launch into whisky, but on the contrary made it its main strength. Growing its own cereals, understanding its soils, mastering its raw materials and exploring the possibilities offered by different cask maturations: bold choices that give meaning to every bottle.
A family know-how that combines loyalty to its roots with openness to the world, with the desire to make French whisky shine well beyond our borders.
Thank you to Maxime and Vincent Dupic for this moment of sharing and discovery, and to the Cagnard restaurant team for their remarkable work on these pairings. A lovely demonstration of what the meeting of a spirit with character and inspired cuisine can produce: curiosity, emotion and, above all, a great deal of pleasure.
In Lorraine, in the heart of a village whose name means “where the reeds grow”. Since the 2000s, the family house has turned its agricultural identity into a true signature, from cereals grown on its own land through to the making of its single malts.
Six generations. This Lorraine family business remains deeply attached to its agricultural origins, which are more than ever the DNA of the house.
In 35 countries: the house already generates 30% of its business from exports, notably in North America, Europe and Asia. In France, distribution relies mainly on the traditional network of independent wine and spirits shops.
The Parcellaire Argilo-Calcaire Rouge-Côte with the oyster, the Parcellaire Volcanique Terres Noires with the sea bream carpaccio, the Fût Unique ex-Calvados Coquerel with the duck breast and the Brut de Fût ex-Moscatel with the vanilla diplomat. The lunch ended with the Mirabelle de Rozelieures, with no added sugar.
Yes. The Rozelieures Brut de Fût ex-Moscatel, a peated whisky, finds a particularly interesting field of expression in the vanilla sweetness of a vanilla diplomat with buckwheat shortbread and whisky-soaked grapes.
Those of the Rozelieures house featured in this article, a pioneer of French whisky. To discover other whiskies from France, browse the French whiskies awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge.
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