The passion for wine that runs in the French branch of the Rothschild family was born in 1868 when James de Rothschild purchased Château Lafite. His great-grandson, Edmond de Rothschild, began a new chapter in the family adventure in 1973 by acquiring two Crus Bourgeois in Listrac-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc appellations of Bordeaux: Château Clarke and Château Malmaison. The Compagnie Vinicole Baron Edmond de Rothschild was born.

Today, the vineyards cover 150 hectares and represent one of the largest properties in the Médoc. In 1997, Benjamin & Ariane de Rothschild gave a dramatic boost to the Compagnie Vinicole by exploring new terroirs around the world. Wishing to apply traditional French expertise while maintaining local winegrowing practices, they created joint ventures with families that possessed the same entrepreneurial spirit and love of wine. They first shared this passion with the Rupert family in South Africa, which led to the creation of Rupert & Rothschild Vignerons, and then, with Laurent Dassault, co-founder of Bodega Flechas de los Andes in the Andes foothills of Argentina. In addition, the Compagnie Vinicole acquired 24 hectares of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir vines in New Zealand's Marlborough region in 2012. Vines planted around the world in virgin lands are now the source of internationally famous wines.