The Primum Familiae Vini are pleased to announce that a jury formed of one member of each of its twelve wine-making families has selected Maison Bernard in Brussels, Europe’s oldest luthier workshop, as the winner of the €100,000 PFV Prize of 2021.

Maison Bernard is a world-renowned maker and repairer of violins and is managed by father and son Jan and Matthijs Strick, both famed for their extraordinary knowledge and craftsmanship. Maison Bernard has recently been entrusted with the repair of an almost priceless Stradivarius from 1732.

Jan is an international authority on the Flemish school of violin making of the 17th and 18th centuries and this award will facilitate Jan’s publication of his book on violins of this period and will finance Matthijs’s travel to Chicago to gain experience with one of the world’s finest violin shops, as well as helping to guarantee the future of this wonderful family enterprise.

Under the ‘Family is Sustainability’ motto - together with their long histories and the fame of their wines - the PFV aim to encourage independent family-owned companies to continue their projects and to incentivize product excellence, generational succession, social responsibility and sustainability. These values are paramount to the twelve winemaking PFV members.

Matthieu Perrin, President of the PFV said:
‘'We had many applicants from around the world and selection was difficult but ultimately the jury felt that Maison Bernard is a brilliant example of exquisite handicraft and the maintenance of an ancient artisanal tradition in family hands, exactly as we fight to sustain our own family enterprises.’