Peter Sichel
Encyclopedia
Peter Max F. Sichel is a German American wine merchant, who created the success of the Blue Nun
wine brand, for a while the largest international wine brand in the world.
He was born in Mainz in 1922, where his grandfather's family wine business, H. Sichel Söhne had been established. He was educated in Germany and at Crewe
in England. The firm had offices in London and Bordeaux
, and at the start of World War II
while he was apprenticed to the Bordeaux firm, he was interned, as he was Jewish. He escaped to the USA via Spain, where he worked as a US Foreign Service Officer, running agents in Germany, for which he was given the Distinguished Intelligence Medal
.
He continued to work for the Central Intelligence Agency
in Berlin, Washington and Hong Kong until 1960, when he left, saying "I left because the CIA did things I didn’t like, such as send people into the Ukraine to work in fabricated resistance groups. They were potentially being sent to their deaths. I made a huge fuss." He took over the family wine import business in New York, which he dissolved, instead dealing with Schieffelin, then a large drinks company. At this time wine was taking off as a drink in America, overtaking fortified wine
, and he advertised Blue Nun as a wine you can drink "right through the meal", using widespread advertising. At its peak in the 1980s, annual sales in the US reached 1.25 million cases.
Peter appeared often on television, and wrote several books, on German wine, and a guide to wine. He became chairman of the German parent company in 1984. By the 1990s, the Sichel company was sold to another German company, Langguth, and Peter had arranged sale of part of the Schieffelin company to LVMH
. He was president of the International Wine and Spirit Competition
in 1991. Until 2006 he owned the Bordeaux Château Fourcas-Hosten in Listrac, which he sold to Hermès
.
On the Beastie Boys
1992 album Check Your Head
there is a musical interlude called The Blue Nun in which a narrator describes a party held in Peter Sichel's comfortable study in his New York townhouse in which the guests compliment the wine. This includes samples from Peter's audio recording "On Wine: How to Select and Serve".
Blue Nun
Blue Nun is a German wine brand launched by the company H. Sichel Söhne in 1923 with the 1921 vintage, and which between the 1950s and 1980s was probably the largest international wine brand. For most of its existence, Blue Nun was a single German wine, which until late 1990s was classified as a...
wine brand, for a while the largest international wine brand in the world.
He was born in Mainz in 1922, where his grandfather's family wine business, H. Sichel Söhne had been established. He was educated in Germany and at Crewe
Crewe
Crewe is a railway town within the unitary authority area of Cheshire East and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. According to the 2001 census the urban area had a population of 67,683...
in England. The firm had offices in London and Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, and at the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
while he was apprenticed to the Bordeaux firm, he was interned, as he was Jewish. He escaped to the USA via Spain, where he worked as a US Foreign Service Officer, running agents in Germany, for which he was given the Distinguished Intelligence Medal
Distinguished Intelligence Medal
The Distinguished Intelligence Medal is awarded by the Central Intelligence Agency for performance of outstanding services or for achievement of a distinctly exceptional nature in a duty or responsibility.-Notable Recipients:Robert G. Brewster...
.
He continued to work for the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
in Berlin, Washington and Hong Kong until 1960, when he left, saying "I left because the CIA did things I didn’t like, such as send people into the Ukraine to work in fabricated resistance groups. They were potentially being sent to their deaths. I made a huge fuss." He took over the family wine import business in New York, which he dissolved, instead dealing with Schieffelin, then a large drinks company. At this time wine was taking off as a drink in America, overtaking fortified wine
Fortified wine
Fortified wine is wine to which a distilled beverage has been added. Fortified wine is distinguished from spirits made from wine in that spirits are produced by means of distillation, while fortified wine is simply wine that has had a spirit added to it...
, and he advertised Blue Nun as a wine you can drink "right through the meal", using widespread advertising. At its peak in the 1980s, annual sales in the US reached 1.25 million cases.
Peter appeared often on television, and wrote several books, on German wine, and a guide to wine. He became chairman of the German parent company in 1984. By the 1990s, the Sichel company was sold to another German company, Langguth, and Peter had arranged sale of part of the Schieffelin company to LVMH
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A., better known as LVMH, is a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris, Île-de-France, France. The company was formed after the 1987 merger of fashion house Louis Vuitton with Moët Hennessy, a company formed after the 1971 merger...
. He was president of the International Wine and Spirit Competition
International Wine and Spirit Competition
The International Wine & Spirit Competition is an annual wine competition founded in 1969 by the [German/British] oenologist Anton Massel.. Each year the competition receives entries from over 80 countries worldwide. The awards given by the competition are considered to be some of the highest...
in 1991. Until 2006 he owned the Bordeaux Château Fourcas-Hosten in Listrac, which he sold to Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
.
On the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
1992 album Check Your Head
Check Your Head
Check Your Head is the third studio album by the Beastie Boys, released on April 21, 1992.Three years elapsed between the release of Paul's Boutique and their recording of this album. Check Your Head was recorded at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village, California in 1991...
there is a musical interlude called The Blue Nun in which a narrator describes a party held in Peter Sichel's comfortable study in his New York townhouse in which the guests compliment the wine. This includes samples from Peter's audio recording "On Wine: How to Select and Serve".
Publications
- Peter M.F. Sichel and Judy Ley, Which Wine: The Wine Drinker's Buying Guide, 1975, ISBN 006013867X
- Peter M.F. Sichel, The Wines of Germany: Completely Revised Edition of Frank SchoonmakerFrank SchoonmakerFrank Musselman Schoonmaker was an American travel guide writer, wine writer and wine merchant. He was born in Spearfish, South Dakota, and attended two years at Princeton University, after which he dropped out of in 1925 to live and travel in Europe...
's Classic, 1980, ISBN 0803881002 - Peter Sichel, On Wine: How to Select and Serve: Vol 1, audio recording, Columbia Special Products (CSP 151).