LePetitBallon

Le Petit Ballon is a French e-commerce company operating a direct-to-consumer wine subscription service. Founded in 2011, the company aims to simplify the wine purchasing experience for both novices and connoisseurs by making it less intimidating and more accessible.

The venture was initiated by Martin Ohannessian, who, upon turning thirty, felt his lack of wine knowledge was a shortcoming. His initial attempts at oenology courses proved to be expensive and uninspiring, which led him to the then-emerging concept of subscription boxes. Ohannessian, a former musician, decided to apply this model to the world of wine. He partnered with Jean-Michel Deluc, a distinguished Master Sommelier formerly of the Ritz in Paris, to ensure high-quality wine selection. The founding team was completed by Matthieu Lesne, a former classmate of Ohannessian, and later joined by Clément Thibault as Managing Director.

The business model is centered on a monthly subscription, delivering two curated bottles of wine to customers' doors. Each box is tailored to the subscriber's taste profile and includes tasting notes and a magazine, 'The Gazette', filled with food pairings, winemaker stories, and tips. This approach provides a guided discovery, helping consumers understand their own preferences and learn about wine in a straightforward manner. Beyond the subscription, customers can purchase wines directly from the company's online shop, often at a discount. Le Petit Ballon also operates physical retail stores in Paris and Lyon, which serve as hubs for meeting subscribers and hosting events.

The company experienced rapid growth from its inception, starting with friends and family and quickly expanding through word-of-mouth. By December 2016, it had 60,000 subscribers and had shipped one million bottles. This success attracted the attention of French e-commerce giant Vente-Privée (now Veepee), which acquired a majority stake in Le Petit Ballon in April 2017 to bolster its own wine sales division. Despite the acquisition, Le Petit Ballon continues to operate as an independent brand, led by its founders. The company has also expanded its reach through the acquisition of the Spanish wine retailer Decántalo in 2022.

Keywords: wine subscription, e-commerce, direct-to-consumer, French wine, online wine shop, sommelier-curated, wine discovery, personalized wine, wine education, Vente-Privée, Veepee, Martin Ohannessian, Jean-Michel Deluc, monthly wine club, wine delivery, food and wine pairing, wine retail, Decántalo, European wine market, subscription box, wine tech, specialty retail