About GC&E
Wine, the Trojan horse of French cultural codes.
Grand Cru & Etiquette is an independent editorial publication dedicated to French wine and cultural intelligence. It helps professionals and enthusiasts decode the cultural codes surrounding wine and gain a deeper understanding of the social and professional conventions that shape French environments.
Often implicit, these codes are made clear, accessible and practical, enabling readers to navigate French social and professional contexts with poise, confidence, cultural fluency and credibility — whether within France or in a cross-cultural setting.
Our Story
What began in January 2025 as a blog, founded by Maria Kumessa, dedicated to making the codes of French wine, dining and etiquette legible to a discerning international audience, has evolved into an independent publication devoted to cultural and cross-cultural intelligence, at the intersection of wine and culture.
Grand Cru & Etiquette is for internationals, French people and Francophiles who want to look beyond the obvious and gain a deeper understanding of cultures — and particularly French culture, its customs, social and professional codes, and all that often remains unspoken.
Through articles, videos, analysis, conversations and encounters with professionals and cultural figures, we explore the people, history, ideas, rituals and codes that shape French life — from the land to the table, from social conventions to professional environments.
Based at 60 rue François 1er, in Paris’s 8th arrondissement.
Image: Max Beckmann “Paris Society” 1931. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
About The Founder
Maria Kumessa is the Founder and Publisher of Grand Cru & Etiquette. She created the media with the ambition of offering a broader perspective on wine and its cultural and social context, with a particular interest in distinction, social codes and cultural intelligence.
She holds a Master’s degree in Administrative and Financial Management and spent six years working within complex French organisations before turning her professional focus towards wine. She subsequently pursued formal training in the field, including French Wine Ambassador and Champagne Specialist certifications, alongside studies in sommellerie.
Her background brings together management, French institutional culture and wine, giving her a distinctive perspective on the cultural codes, nuances and unspoken dynamics that shape how people connect, communicate and navigate social and professional environments. Through Grand Cru & Etiquette, she brings these perspectives together to explore the relationship between wine, culture, society and power.