William Deutsch Receives the Highest Decoration in France: L'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur

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May 22, 2012, 02:15 ET

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- William Deutsch, Chairman of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, one of the nation's leading marketers of award-winning wines and spirits from around the world, received the highest decoration bestowed by France, L'Ordre National de la Legion d'Honneur, on May 21 during a ceremony hosted at the French Consulate in New York City surrounded by family, friends and business associates.

Photo: www.ereleases.com/pic/William-Deutsch.jpg

In presenting the honor, Consul General Philippe Lalliot praised Deutsch's long-time commitment to the promotion of wine, particularly French wine, saying, "Bill Deutsch's dynamism, his ability to shake up conventions and his great marketing creativity have made him an efficient ambassador of French wines. As a leading authority in the wine industry, Bill is respected for his ethics, his perseverance in defending French wines, his professional success and his sense of human relationships."

Deutsch has been instrumental in creating a place for French wines in the U.S. for the last 50 years. He has worked with Les Vins Georges Duboeuf for 30 years and will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Beaujolais Nouveau in the U.S. next November. His other suppliers include Sauvion et Fils from the Loire Valley, a 31-year partnership; Andre Lurton, one of the most famous chateaux owners in the Bordeaux region, a 30-year partnership; and Vidal-Fleury, from the Rhone Valley, a 29-year partnership. Deutsch enjoys close relationships with numerous chateaux owners in Bordeaux, including Anthony and Lilian Barton, Chateau Leoville Barton, and Jean-Michel Cazes, Chateau Lynch-Bages.

The Legion d'Honneur, the highest French decoration for military or civilian service, established by Emperor Napoleon I on May 19, 1802, is awarded only for gallantry in action or for twenty years of distinguished service in peacetime. Approximately 10,000 notable Americans have received the Legion d'Honneur, including President Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Douglas MacArthur, former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, singer Barbara Streisand, culinary icon and cookbook author Julia Child, chef/restaurateur Thomas Keller, entertainer Liza Minnelli and, recently, film producer Harvey Weinstein.

This is not the first time that the French Government has honored Deutsch for his work with French wines in the U.S. In November 2011, the French government promoted Deutsch to Commandeur of the Ordre National du Merite Agricole (National Order of Agricultural Merit), an order of merit established in France on July 7, 1883 by Minister of Agriculture Jules Meline to reward services to agriculture. The Order has the ranks of Chevalier, Officier, and Commandeur - the highest distinction of the Order. Deutsch was named Chevalier on November 27, 1986 and promoted to Officer on September 21, 1992.

About Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits: Initially called W.J. Deutsch & Sons, Ltd., the company was founded in 1981 by Chairman Bill Deutsch to market quality wines produced by prestigious families from major wine regions of the world. In 2009, it announced the expansion of the award-winning company to include a Spirits Portfolio. Deutsch Family Wine and Spirits' brands are sold to the trade with well-planned marketing support and are offered to U.S. consumers at fair market prices. Today the company is renowned for its brand building prowess and its ability to meet the needs of the modern consumer. Bill's son Peter Deutsch is CEO; thus two generations of the Deutsch family work side by side in their continuous quest to build strong brands and relationships throughout the wine and spirits industry.

The portfolio includes award-winning wines from Australia: [ yellow tail ], [ yellow tail ] The Reserve, [ yellow tail ] Bubbles; California: Girard Winery, Windsor Sonoma, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Kunde Family Estate, Joseph Carr, Josh Cellars, Flirt, The Calling; France: Andre Lurton, Georges Duboeuf, Hob Nob Vineyards, Patch Block, Sauvion et Fils, Vidal-Fleury; Italy: Barone Fini, Lionello Marchesi, Villa Pozzi; New Zealand: The Crossings, Nine Walks; Portugal: Quinta Do Vale Meao; Spain: Mar De Frades, Cruz de Alba, Ramon Bilbao Vinos Y Vinedo, and Volteo; Chile: Llai Llai; Argentina: Ruta 22; and award-winning spirits from LANDY Cognac (France), LUKSUSOWA Vodka (Poland), The Original MOONSHINE® and Adult Beverage Company (USA), VILLA MASSA® Limoncello (Italy) and LICOR 43® (Spain). www.deutschfamily.com