Changing with the Times
Paul Noury & his assistant Mrs Michelle Browne
I
n Greek and Roman mythology Bacchus
– root word for ‘bacchanal’ – is the God
BACCHUS
of wine and his believers were known to
worship him with great revelry. However, there
is nothing wild about Bacchus Divine Wines,
wholesalers of fine wines.
Divine Wines
This bijoux company was started 11 years ago
by Paul Noury who is originally from France.
Noury has lived and worked in the Caribbean
for most of his adult life. His innate passion
have land on Friar’s Hill Road and we will start
wants his clients to feel as though they are
for wines led him to start his own company
building there soon. It will be both our retail
getting special, attentive service from a small,
– a natural progression some might add. “I had
outlet and headquarters.
dedicated team.
worked for another wine house for five years and
when they sold the company I started Bacchus
Noury’s main clients are restaurants, hotels and
He is also relaxed when it comes to how wine
Divine Wines. I am French and France is a
a growing private clientele. “When I started
should be drunk and enjoyed: ”I really believe
wine country and one tends to import what one
the company there were two or three suppliers,
that a lot of people are scared when we talk
knows. I would not call myself a connoisseur
and now there are a lot more. We have stayed
about wine and want to know why one bottle
but I now know a lot more about wines, and
in business by trying to give very good service.
of wine costs one price and another costs more,
enjoy it. This is a very convivial business, one is
What we have noticed is that the Antiguan
for me it’s all a matter of pleasure, of your own
dealing with restaurants, hotels, basically one is
market is very open to wines, so we bring wine
taste. Do not be dictated by the system that
dealing with pleasure.”
from across the world including France to New
you drink this wine with this or this wine with
Zealand to South Africa.”
that. For me if you enjoy it like that, that’s nice.
The company started at Noury’s family home
in Hodges Bay with a spare bedroom serving
“In the very beginning the wine business was
That’s the first approach, just have pleasure with
as the company’s headquarters. Today the
almost all targeted to the tourism market
the wine and eventually you will want to learn
operation spans the ground floor of his home
– hotels and restaurants. Now, more and more
more and you will start to understand how the
and includes an office from which his team of
Antiguans are becoming more knowledgeable
wine is aged and how the different grapes are
about wines, I see this more in my private
handled. I always say do not be scared when
three – Michelle Browne, ------ Martin, and
clients, they are drinking more wine and are
people talk about wine, just enjoy it. You can
David Atwood – ply their trade.. “Our size
now becoming very knowledgeable. At first
ask for guidance, however, bottles now have
means that everyone can handle each other’s
they drank a lot of sweet wines but now they
information printed on them, which is good.”
tasks, so it gives an intimate relationship with the
are drinking more dry wines.”
Passion, knowledge, enjoyment and intimacy
clients. This is something I wish to maintain as
– four reasons why Bacchus Divine Wines
we move forward” Noury tells Business Focus.
Noury’s laid back attitude is belied by his increases its business without losing its heart.
However as the company expands there will be
passion for his business and he does not want
a need to move closer to St. John’s in order to
his business to grow into a huge concern, he By Brenda Lee Browne
better serve existing and potential clients. “We
BusinessFocus • Feb/Mar 2010 | 7
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