A family-run wine cellar providing service to all its customers
Since its foundation, Gencel Wines has developed an approach to wine based on passing on knowledge, close relationships and rigorous selection criteria. As an independent family-run business based in the heart of Cannes, our wine merchant now serves private clients, professionals, yachts and premium establishments, always with the same focus on advice and quality of service. Our team shares an in-depth knowledge of wines, champagnes and spirits, enabling us to support each client according to their preferences, lifestyle and specific requirements.
Hervé Thoron
Hervé has built his career around wine, gastronomy and the art of hospitality. He began his career in London, at the Rib Room, before working alongside iconic figures on the international gastronomic scene such as Marcus Wareing and Gordon Ramsay. These experiences enabled him to develop a rigorous approach to service and a genuine culture of excellence.
On his return to France, he continued his career at an iconic Parisian wine cellar, where he honed his expertise in fine wines and spirits.
Based on the French Riviera since 2010, Hervé took over a wine cellar that was beginning to show its age and gave it a new identity, gradually transforming it over the years into a venue recognised and appreciated by wine lovers in the region.
In 2024, he obtained the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 4 diploma, an international qualification that confirms his expertise and in-depth knowledge of the world of wine.
Julien Hurel
With a passion for wine and fine dining spanning more than twenty years, Julien has built his career within some of the most iconic establishments in the French and international restaurant scene.
He began his career at Le Meurice restaurant in Paris alongside chef Yannick Alléno, playing a key role in the restaurant’s achievement of its third Michelin star in 2007, before moving to London to work with Gordon Ramsay, where he broadened his understanding of sommelier skills and the world of high-end hospitality.
He then reunited with Yannick Alléno at Le Cheval Blanc in Courchevel, where, for several years, he honed his high standards of service, advice and food-and-wine pairing in one of the most prestigious settings in the French hospitality industry.
In 2012, he moved to Cannes and joined forces with Hervé, with whom he spent several years developing a renowned wine cellar in the region, working together to build a shared vision of wine and the independent wine cellar.
In 2023, Julien bought the Gencel wine cellar alongside Hervé. Since then, they have worked together to breathe new life into this historic Cannes venue through the complete renovation of the premises, the expansion of the wine selection and the creation of the wine bar, which is now an integral part of Gencel’s identity.
Hervé & Julien, wine merchants in Cannes
Today, Hervé Thoron and Julien Hurel run the Gencel wine shop, just a stone’s throw from the Forville market, in the heart of Cannes’ historic district. When they took over this business, founded in 1937, they chose to preserve the spirit of a place steeped in history whilst breathing new life into it.
Together, they have created a lively and welcoming space, designed as a place for sharing, discovering and a passion for wine. People pop in just as much to leave with a fine bottle as to exchange a few words, ask for advice or be surprised by a little-known vintage. Here, everyone is welcomed with the same care, whether they are a curious amateur or a connoisseur.
They cultivate this personal touch as their hallmark. Drawing on their expertise as sommeliers and a selection painstakingly curated – ranging from the great French estates to independent winegrowers – Hervé and Julien share, day in, day out, a passion for well-chosen wine and the pleasure of passing it on.
It is this combination of high standards and personal warmth that makes Cave Gencel an unmissable destination in Cannes, faithful to its heritage and firmly focused on those who bring it to life.
