When I was in high school I was a member of DeMolay, a young men’s youth organization created by the modern Knights Templar. While I never really embraced the “secret society” aspect of the organization I did enjoy going to the meetings which were held in a turn-of-the-19th century building on Main Street of my home town. The lodge was above a grand old furniture store, with access through a small, unmarked door on the side of the building. After climbing two flights of old wooden steps we would enter the meeting chambers, which was a massive facility with many small rooms, all finished with dark wood paneling, thick drapes and tapestries. While I never pursued this into my adulthood it ignited an interest in secret societies that I still have today.
A few years later I started working in the wine business for a store that sold primarily Bordeaux. Immediately I learned about the Bordeaux Classification of 1855 and how two of the famous chateaus bore the name of the Rothschild family. There is a lot of speculation and conspiracy theory about the family, who in that time were some of the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world. This month our two selections are made by current day members of the family from projects they have in South America. During my tastings with their representatives in late 2024 the wines were so good that this theme developed and is a great combination of wine and history.
The story of the Rothschild family begins in 1760 when Mayer Amschel Rothschild established himself as a banker to the court of Frankfurt, which at the time was a city/state within what is today German. Unique for the period Mayer was able to grow his business through his five sons, establishing branches in the financial capitals of Europe of the time; Paris, Frankfurt, London, Vienna, and Naples. They focused their attention on the royal courts of the time, underwriting the bonds used for war, which was so prevalent from the 1700s and through the early 1900s. It was due to this back channel power that so much of the mystery and intrigue surrounding the family developed. They also maintained a strong family bond, permitting no outsiders into positions of leadership, further building the illusion of conspiracy. Over time the family power declined, in part due to regime change as royal courts gave way to elected governments, and because of inheritance laws divided the fortune across copious family members. Today two prominent branches of the family continue, specifically the heirs to the London and Paris divisions, who share a name but are only distantly related. Our features are each from one of the branches and show how the families have evolved since their most prosperous period.
Download Full Club Write-up